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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Alex Hadley, Director of Rugby at Battersea Ironsides, to explore what it takes to build and sustain one of the world's largest community rugby clubs.

Alex shares insights on balancing player availability and club culture, creating a positive and welcoming environment, and using flexible strategies to engage and retain players. The conversation delves into the challenges of running a successful rugby club in London, including managing training schedules, fostering player development, and finding effective systems to keep players motivated.

Alex also offers practical advice on maintaining a consistent yet adaptable coaching language, nurturing passionate internal coaches, and the importance of reflection and continuous self-improvement. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to build a stronger, more connected rugby club.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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In this episode, Dan and Lindsay Abery, Thatcham U14 coach and former mini and junior chair, dive into the ins and outs of building a thriving rugby culture in schools.

They tackle essential topics like engaging new players, ensuring safety with innovative techniques, and adapting coaching styles for different age groups.

Lindsay shares practical strategies for growing rugby's reach, including tips on creating a standout coaching CV and breaking into school coaching environments.

With a mix of personal stories, practical insights, and a few laughs, Dan and Lindsay offer a guide for coaches, teachers, and rugby enthusiasts looking to make a meaningful impact on young players and school communities.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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Fi Hayes is a former Ireland international, winning two Six Nations and representing her country in the 2014 World Cup.

More recently, she has coached UL Bohemians to cup and league titles, been head coach of Munster U18 girls, and is now Munster Women's head coach. She has also been the Energia Women's AIL coach of the year twice.

In the podcast, I ask:

• What does a Fiona Hayes training session look like?
• How do you deal with players who struggle with passing or break the flow of exercises?.
• What kind of information should players be communicating to each other during training?
• How do you handle situations when the players are not hitting technical targets during conditioned games?
• How do you keep co-coaches aligned, ensuring consistency in language and objectives across the coaching team?

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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Dan welcomes Matt Garvey to the podcast. Matt had 13 years in English top flight rugby, playing for London Irish, Bath where he was also captain, Gloucester and Worcester.

He is now the Rugby Players’ Association (RPA) Development Manager for Bath Rugby and Gloucester.

In the podcast, they discuss:

• When an 18-year-old signs up for a club, what happens next?
• Even talented players don't make it. What should aspiring players do to make themselves better prepared when it comes to stepping up?
• There's a perception that ex-players become coaches. What's the reality?
• How does the RPA support players in their current lives to help build a future life?
• What are the myths about professional rugby life?
• What is your view on win bonuses?

You can reach out to Matt on: mgarvey@therpa.co.uk

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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We are delighted to welcome back Keith Lewis to the podcast. Keith is a practising referee and runs the RugbyReferee.net website and Facebook community.

Dan asks Keith about:

• The three new laws for this season
• The experimental laws you might see that aren't enshrined yet
• The old favourites of why it seems that not-straight at the scrum is ignored, why referees allow players to seal off or go off their feet
• The real impact of the tackle height laws

If you are a referee, then you can join the rugbyreferee.net community on Facebook and also get Keith's excellent season journal.

For other great referee resources, go to RugbyReferee.net.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby about whether we have the wrong expectations of young rugby players.

He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.

In this episode, they discuss what a capable 13-year-old rugby player should achieve on the pitch and what coaches need to do differently to ensure we focus on the right skills and game understanding.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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We are going to turn the tables and Stu James, is going to ask me the questions.

Stu is a club coaching ordinator and colts coach at Guildford RFC, as well as a coach within the Quins Foundation programme and for Surrey Colts. In addition to these volunteer roles, he has a day job as a business consultant and executive coach.

In the podcast, Stu challenges me on:

• What question do I wish other coaches asked me on courses
• How do I help coaches who haven't got my experience
• How important is a coaching philosophy
• How do I balance taking control and giving control
• How do I know when things are going wrong in training, and how do I fix it
• What has made my coaching philosophy change
• What is the most important lesson learned from my coaching journey

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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In this short podcast, Dan speaks to Gary Townsend, head of rugby at Switch Rugby with a focus on deciding when to help players specialise as a 9 or 10.

He is former RFU National Player Development Manager and Bristol Bears Junior Academy manager.

In this episode, they discuss the best age, why it makes sense for this position and how it impacts their future development.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!