Coach Development
Coaching is one of the most crucial factors in developing, sustaining and increasing participation in rugby union, securing the future and quality of the English game.
To be an effective coach, you will need to fulfil a number of different roles, covering the technical, tactical, physical and mental aspects demanded by our game.
The England Rugby website contains extensive material related to get involved and develop as a rugby coach.
There is lots of help available for all levels of coaches whether you are just starting out or if you are working your way up the coaching ladder.
England Rugby Training Courses 2024-25 is an excellent guide to training courses and resources provided by the RFU.
Coaching courses are all listed on the Course Finder section of the RFU, where you are able to search for courses running at a time and place convenient to you, and make both individual and group bookings.
NLD is committed to helping coaches of all levels, and our efforts are lead by our Head of Coach and Match Official Development, Paul Westgate.
Paul Westgate
Paul is a Level 5 RFU Coach and an England Rugby Senior Coach Developer and Mentor, with experience of coaching at International level and mentoring elite coaches.
Paul is working to develop NLD coaches and NLD match officials at Adult and Age Grade levels.
We run a number of initiatives to support coaches in the NLD region, including our Community of Coaches WhatsApp forum and Coach Mentoring Support (see below for details).
Opportunities to get involved with coaching representative rugby and any club vacancies are posted in the Vacancies section of this website – any current coaching articles will appear at the bottom of this page.
NLD Community of Coaches
Paul has set up the NLD Community of Coaches, an online support group operating primarily through a dedicated WhatsApp group.
The aims of the Community are to support NLD coaches in their learning and development, share best practice and provide coaching assistance and advice, where needed.
If you are a rugby coach associated with an NLD club and would like to join the WhatsApp Group, please click or scan the QR code:
Coach Mentoring
We are pleased to offer NLD coaches the opportunity to receive mentoring support either face-to-face or online with a qualified and experienced mentor.
Mentoring is a great way to learn, grow and develop as a coach. Coaching is above all a people game and mentoring is about bringing people together to learn, share, grow, develop and ultimately perform more effectively.
Being mentored can help you maximise your potential, develop your skills, improve your performance and become the person/coach you want to be. A mentor can be anyone from being a sounding board for a coach, an active and empathetic listener, or providing advice and support based on their own coaching knowledge, expertise and experience.
If you are an NLD coach and you are interested in learning more about being mentored, please contact Paul Westgate at [email protected]
Further Support Resources
To support you with identifying appropriate courses for your coaches, please see below resources
Related Information
