Send us a text

Ben Herring returns to the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast to dive deeper into what he’s learned from speaking to some of the world’s top coaches. Drawing on his global coaching journey and his Coaching Culture podcast, Ben shares why grassroots rugby should focus on high care rather than high performance, why the 80% basics matter more than the 1% details, and how resilience and leadership can be actively coached.

This episode blends big lessons from names like Joe Schmidt, Steve Hansen and Mike Cron with practical takeaways you can use at club and school level.

✅ Key takeaways

• High care over high performance: Build environments that reflect what you, as a coach, truly care about.
• Focus on the 80%: Grassroots players need core skills done well, not the 1% “gold taps” of elite rugby.
• Delivery is everything: The best coaches make even the simplest drills engaging through presence, tone and standards.
• Coach resilience deliberately: Use structures, reviews and simple tools (like huddle blueprints) to build grit.
• Pressure as privilege: High-performance coaches often find joy in pressure – grassroots coaches can too, by reframing challenges as opportunities.

Listen to Ben's podcast here, and discover his books as well.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Neil Davies – Yorkshire Chair of Coach Development, Director of Rugby at Doncaster Demons, and Lead for the South Yorkshire Girls PDG. 

Neil shares their unique approach to talent identification, explaining how Yorkshire’s "Roses" model builds on the STAR framework to assess skills, resilience, and receptiveness in young players. He discusses self-nomination, taster days, individual development plans, and the balance between rugby basics and movement skills. 

Some key takeaways:

• Talent ID works best when it’s holistic, not a box-ticking exercise
• Self-nomination builds ownership and confidence in young players
• Taster days reduce nerves and showcase potential in real game settings
• Catch-pass, tackle, and movement remain the non-negotiable foundations
• Player journals and feedback in action drive real long-term growth

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Owain Roberts, Coach Education and Development Manager at the NSW Waratahs and a Level 4 coach. Originally from Swansea, Owain’s journey has taken him from Welsh-speaking schools and UK teaching to the heart of Australian rugby.

Together, they explore:

• How formative school and community experiences shaped his approach to coaching
• Why humility, values, and belonging are central to developing coaches and players
• The evolution of coach education and the shift from drills to purposeful activity design
• Insights from his Level 4 research on game-based learning and “play with purpose”
• The unique challenges and opportunities for rugby in Australia, competing with bigger sports while growing grassroots numbers

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this episode, Dan sits down with Will James, Director of Sport at Ampleforth College, former Wales international, and ex-Gloucester star, to explore the realities of schools rugby. 

They tackle big topics, from the health of the game in the North East and the impact of concussion awareness, to balancing school–club relationships, the role of streaming in player development, and the thorny issue of scholarships. 

Will shares honest insights from his dual perspective as a former professional and an educator, offering a thoughtful look at how schools can deliver meaningful rugby experiences while keeping player welfare at the heart of it all.

Key takeaways:

• The school rugby landscape in the North East is thriving, with strong fixtures and competitive programs.
• Concussion awareness has improved, with better education for players, parents, and coaches.
• Open communication between schools and clubs is essential to manage player workload.
• Streaming players can benefit both safety and skill development if managed with care.
• Scholarships can boost performance but need to be balanced with fairness and player opportunity.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this episode of the 50:22 Podcast, Dan Cottrell and Stu James explore why great coaching starts with preparing yourself, not just your session plan. 

Stu leads the discussion, drawing on his expertise in different workplace environments to inform his thinking on training day scenarios.

From setting the right mindset to creating simple reset tools when things go off track, learn how to arrive confident, stay adaptable, and lead with intention.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

What if your most impactful assistant coach is already on the sideline, holding a coffee and watching their child? 

In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James reframe how coaches can engage parents with purpose. From team emails to ‘parent wranglers’, discover how to create connection, reduce friction and build a shared culture that goes beyond the touchline.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

Small-sided games aren’t just chaos—they’re your sharpest coaching tool. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James explore how to make games more purposeful by designing clear objectives, coaching one behavior at a time, and helping players make better decisions under pressure. Clear rules. Smart design. Intentional outcomes.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

How You Start Changes Everything
In this 8-minute episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James dive into the power of the first five minutes of a session. From early wins to playful warm-ups without a ball, discover how to boost energy, build connection and benchmark your plan. Quick, practical and purposeful: start better, coach smarter.

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this powerful episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Regan Sue, co-founder of Haka Rugby Global, to explore how Maori culture, adaptability, and people-first coaching have helped shape one of the world’s most culturally rich rugby initiatives. 

Regan shares stories from over a decade of running 100+ camps across 50 countries, unpacking the deeper meaning behind the haka, the power of coaching with cultural intent, and the nuances of leadership, energy, and skill development.

From managing chaotic changing rooms to instilling “mana” in every tackle, Regan explains how his coaching journey has always been rooted in adaptability and authenticity. With themes like the Warrior on the Edge and feet-fight-finish, he outlines how traditional values merge with technical excellence on the pitch and how every session balances smiles with sweat.

Links:

Insta: Haka Rugby Global

Facebook: Haka Rugby Global

Insta: Coach Regs

Facebook: Coach Regs

Regan has shared some key concepts:

Patu

He is the co-founder of Haka Rugby Global with business partner Troy Nathan 
•⁠  ⁠100s camps, 50 countries, 30 Staff, 3000 players
•⁠  ⁠Utilise Māori culture and rugby as a tool to help create future world leaders

Maori culture as a way to grow players?
We know where we come from
•⁠  ⁠Turangawaewae: Where one stands, their place in the world: Belong
•⁠  ⁠Whakapapa (genealogy line of ancestors)
•⁠  ⁠Pepeha acknowledges: Mountain, River, Canoe, Tribes, Marae (meeting place), Family + Me

RESPECT
•⁠  ⁠He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata he tangata he tangata!
•⁠  ⁠What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, the people, the people

•⁠  ⁠It’s better to walk into a room go to the back and be asked to go to the front, rather than walk into a room go to the front and be asked to go to the back.
When it’s your time to lead, your people will call you to the front

•⁠  ⁠Mana: Leader, Power, Strength, Service to the people… ”Prestige”
•⁠  ⁠In many cultures a person's status in society is determined by their financial wealth
•⁠  ⁠In Māori culture a person's status in the tribe is determined by their Mana
•⁠  ⁠You gain Mana by how you perform on the field

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!

Send us a text

In this episode, Dan Cottrell speaks with Leicester Tigers player and Peak Team Performance founder, Tiana Gordon, about the power of soft skills in coaching. 

Drawing on her academic background in neuroscience, psychology, and mental health, Tiana shares practical tools to help coaches improve communication, build genuine connections, and regulate their emotions under pressure. 

From managing difficult player conversations to creating inclusive environments that support the whole squad, not just the starting XV, this episode challenges coaches to go beyond the technical and rethink how they show up for their teams.

To find out more from Tiana, here are the key links:

Peak Team Performance:

Website: www.peaktp.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peaktp/

Email: [email protected]

Tiana Gordon: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianagordon/

Email: [email protected]

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

To find out more about our Partner Club offer, there's a great webinar coming up:

FIND OUT MORE 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!