Rugby Coach Weekly

Dan Cottrell

Dan Cottrell and guests discuss all the hot topics in grass roots rugby coaching from managing concussion to dealing with parents.

  1. KatieFest and the Power of Inclusive Rugby

    6 GG FA

    KatieFest and the Power of Inclusive Rugby

    Send us a text In 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 Needs and Disabilities, while also bringing parents, carers, coaches, and clubs closer together. The conversation goes beyond drills and sessions to unpack confidence, belonging, routine, and why rugby is uniquely placed to adapt without losing its essence. From mash-ups with mainstream teams to national recognition and the ripple effect spreading across clubs and counties, this is a story about coaching with empathy, ambition, and belief. It is not about doing something “special,” but about making inclusion normal, visible, and lasting, and showing how rugby can genuinely be a sport for all. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1477604696958236/ https://checkout.justgiving.com/c/3830429 https://www.ukcoaching.org/news/uk-coaching-awards-winner-darren-rea-captures-hearts-with-‘katie-peel-haka’/ To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly To find out more about our Partner Club offer CLICK HERE 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!

    1 h 1 min
  2. Building Stronger, Faster and Ultimately Better Rugby Players in the Girls’ Game

    03/12/2025

    Building Stronger, Faster and Ultimately Better Rugby Players in the Girls’ Game

    Send us a text In 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 identified beyond “ready-made” athletesWhy movement competency, aerobic fitness and training age matter more than lifting heavyThe balance between school sport, club rugby, other commitments and recoveryHow to help girls build confidence around body image and trainingWhy injury rehab should be seen as an opportunity rather than a setbackHow coaches can approach conversations around the menstrual cycleWhy the entire development programme has been made freely available to all players, not just those in the pathwayEmily also emphasises that strength training is never about changing how girls look, but about helping them become fitter, faster, more resilient rugby players. If you coach girls rugby — at club, school, college or county — this episode is packed with practical guidance, player-centred insights and a clear breakdown of what “good” athletic development looks like. You can find the full programme, including videos and week-by-week sessions, on the England Rugby website: This link is to the U16 Foundational athletic development section of the website  https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/foundation-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development- The next link is specific to the U18 Athletic Development at PDG.  https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/development-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development- To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly To find out more about our Partner Club offer CLICK HERE 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!

    51 min
  3. Designing the Future: Inside England Rugby’s Girls’ Pathway

    19/11/2025

    Designing the Future: Inside England Rugby’s Girls’ Pathway

    Send us a text In this Rugby Coach Weekly episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with Benny Williams, one of the leading voices shaping the girls’ and women’s game in England. As the Girls’ PDG Coach Lead for England Rugby, Benny oversees the national U18s curriculum, supports coach development, and helps identify the next generation of Red Roses. Benny takes us inside the newly designed U16 and U18 curriculums, explaining how the RFU built a consistent, adaptable, and player-centred framework across the nine development centres. She unpacks key principles like playing to best space, ball and body always moving, and back in the game, and shares how coaches can help players develop adaptable, high-skill profiles that prepare them for future environments, from PWR to BUCS and beyond. We explore: • Why the RFU restructured the pathway and built a fresh curriculum • What “highly skilled and adaptable” really means in practice • How to use walking-through, scenario design, and manipulation to teach game understanding • The role of IDPs and the GROW model in creating truly personalised development • How clubs can use this framework to help more girls stay in the game and thrive Find out more about the programmes here: Foundational Athletic Development Rugby Skills Development To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly To find out more about our Partner Club offer CLICK HERE 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!

    45 min
  4. Managing mismatches, parents, and game-day transfer

    12/11/2025

    Managing mismatches, parents, and game-day transfer

    Send us a text Head coach Dan Cottrell is joined by Russell McClusky and Phil Greenaway for a lively, practical chat drawn from years across schools, clubs, and university rugby.  As hosts of the Little and Large Podcast, they bring a wealth of experience from their times as directors of sport and heads of games. They tackle how to handle one-sided school fixtures without punishing your best players, why the referee’s feel for the game matters, and smart ways to bring parents with you.  The trio dig into development versus performance mindsets, what to do when outside “experts” chime in, and how simplifying set piece detail can create immediate gains.  Real examples include yellow card simulations, pre-game parent emails with three clear focuses, and a lineout fix that worked the very next match. If you coach minis to seniors, you will leave with ideas you can use on Saturday. What to try first: Simple constraints and clear goals for uneven gamesWhere to invest: Off-ball organisation for quick winsHow to align: Pre-match parent comms with three weekly focusesWhen it sticks: Simplify set-piece for speed over shapeYou can contact them on the following emails: Russell russ@rpmsports.co.uk Phil  phil@pgreenawayltd.com To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly To find out more about our Partner Club offer CLICK HERE 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!

    55 min

Descrizione

Dan Cottrell and guests discuss all the hot topics in grass roots rugby coaching from managing concussion to dealing with parents.

Potrebbero piacerti anche…