Rugby Coach Weekly

Send a textWhat actually happens on a Saturday night when the final whistle blows and rugby stories still need to be told?In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan is joined by Ben Jaycock, assistant editor at The Rugby Paper, to explore how parts of a national rugby newspaper are produced under extreme time pressure.While much of The Rugby Paper is planned days in advance, Ben...

Send a textIn this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, for an open and thoughtful conversation about the state of the community game.They explore how rugby is changing at grassroots level, from schools and clubs to coach education, workforce models, and the rise of T1 Rugby. Steve shares...

Send us a textWhat does it really take to align dozens of volunteer coaches, hundreds of players, and a whole club around one clear development pathway?In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Charlie Farrell, Age Grade Rugby Director at Banbridge RFC, to unpack the thinking behind the club’s new Coaches Playbook. Designed to guide player development from first...

Send us a textIn this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by performance coach Nash Cohen to explore what it really means to coach with conviction. From defining winning beyond the scoreboard to building trust under pressure, the conversation digs into principles, skill detail, and creating environments where players think, adapt, and grow.Nash is the Head of Player...

Send us a textWhat does real toughness look like in rugby?In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Jack Heald, Director of Rugby at Barnes RFC and rugby professional at Felsted School, to unpack what toughness truly means in modern coaching environments.Drawing on over 15 years of experience across school, club, and national league rugby, Jack challenges the...

Send us a textWhat do you stabilise first when you inherit a team at the bottom of the table?In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Ross Bundy, Head Coach of Leicester Tigers Women, about leading a rebuild in a high-pressure, semi-professional environment.Ross shares an unfiltered account of what really matters when results are hard to come by. Rather than...

Send us a textIn this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined by Phil Kearney, Associate Professor at the University of Limerick and co-founder of an organisation focused on developing a positive community of practice in skill acquisitionTogether, they challenge one of coaching’s most ingrained habits: starting session design with drills, outcomes, and end goals rather than with how players actually...

Send us a textIn this Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Darren Rea, John Peel, and Gareth Lewis to explore how inclusive SEND rugby has grown from a few Sunday sessions into a powerful community movement known as KatieFest.Together, they share how simple, values-led coaching has created safe, joyful, and challenging rugby environments for players with Special Educational...

Send us a textIn this Rugby Coach Weekly episode, Dan sits down with Emily Pratt, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the England Women’s U20s, to unpack the brand new U16 Foundational Athletic Development and U18 Athletic Development programmes reshaping the female pathway.Emily explains how England Rugby is shifting the landscape for young female athletes. She and Dan explore:How potential is...

Send us a textIn this episode, Dan sits down with India Perris-Redding, one of the driving forces behind women and girls’ rugby in the North of England. Over nearly seven years with Sale Sharks Foundation, India has shaped a transformational pathway for girls’ rugby, from primary school beginners to academy-level athletes.India shares the story behind Girls Tackle Rugby, the groundbreaking...