Rugby Coach Weekly
Sports
About
Dan Cottrell and guests discuss all the hot topics in grass roots rugby coaching from managing concussion to dealing with parents.
Episodes
- 50:22 Fault correction and when to say nothing
Send us Fan Mail Fault correction sits at the heart of coaching, but done poorly it kills flow, confidence and learning. In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James break down how to intervene with purpose , so players improve without feel…
- 50:22 Coaching Belief, Not Just Skill
Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest thing holding your players back is not skill but belief? In this episode, Dan Cottrell, head coach at Rugby Coach Weekly and S tuart James, coach developer at Guildford RFC, unpack one of the most overl…
- The biggest myths in rugby stats, with Sam Larner
Send us Fan Mail What really wins rugby matches — instinct or insight? In this episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with rugby analyst, journalist, and coach Sam Larner to unpack the growing influence of data in the modern game — and what it ac…
- What Instagram clips don’t show about coaching, with Sam Mace of SMPerformance
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to coach and former professional player Sam Mace about the journey from playing to coaching and the lessons that shaped his philosophy. Sam played prof…
- Sustainable performance in high-pressure environments
Send us Fan Mail What does sustainable performance actually look like in elite sport and leadership? In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan speaks with Lúcás Ó’Ceallacháin , a high-performance coach and leadership specialis…
- Be the adult in the room, with Tara Lynn
Tara Lynn, a transformational coach, shares her A.D.U.L.T framework for leaders and coaches to regulate themselves under pressure, communicate with clarity, and differentiate between coaching and rescuing.
- Skill Acquisition Without the Noise and Coaching Through Mistakes with Job Fransen
In this episode, skill acquisition specialist Job Fransen joins Dan Cottrell to discuss coaching practice design, feedback, and player development. They cover topics like intervening in mistakes, the impact of feedback on learning, and the…
- Inside The Rugby Paper: How rugby stories are built every week
This episode discusses the production of The Rugby Paper with assistant editor Ben Jaycock, detailing how rugby stories and analysis are created under tight deadlines, the importance of grassroots coverage, and the principles guiding rugby…
- Building the future of English rugby, with Steve Grainger
Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, talks with Dan Cottrell about the evolution of the community game, from grassroots to coach education. They discuss changes since 2011, challenges between tradition…
- Building a Coaching Playbook That Actually Changes Clubs, with Charlie Farrell
Charlie Farrell joins Dan Cottrell to discuss Banbridge RFC's Coaches Playbook, a framework for player development from junior levels to the First XV. The episode explores challenges in implementing change, volunteer coach support, and the…
- Coaching with conviction, with Nash Cohen
In this episode, performance coach Nash Cohen and host Dan Cottrell discuss coaching with conviction, exploring how to define winning beyond scores and build trust under pressure. They delve into principles, skill detail, and creating envi…
- Why Toughness Is Misunderstood in Rugby, with Jack Heald
Jack Heald joins Rugby Coach Weekly to discuss toughness in rugby, defining it as consistency and resilience over bravado. The episode covers creating intense yet controlled training, handling feedback for confidence, and the long-term imp…
- What Really Matters When You Inherit a Losing Team, with Ross Bundy
In this episode, Dan Cottrell talks with Ross Bundy, Head Coach of Leicester Tigers Women, about the challenges of inheriting a losing rugby team. They discuss prioritizing culture, honesty, defensive standards, discipline, and law compreh…
- Why better sessions don’t start with better drills
In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Phil Kearney challenge the common coaching habit of starting session design with drills. Drawing on skill acquisition research, they discuss why focusing on how players learn is more effective for designin…
- KatieFest and the Power of Inclusive Rugby
Dan Cottrell speaks with Darren Rea, John Peel, and Gareth Lewis about the expansion of SEND rugby from Sunday sessions into the KatieFest movement. They discuss how values-led coaching fosters safe and joyful rugby environments for player…
- Building Stronger, Faster and Ultimately Better Rugby Players in the Girls’ Game
Dan speaks with Emily Pratt, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the England Women’s U20s, about new athletic development programs for U16 and U18 girls in rugby. They cover talent identification, the importance of movement and fitness ove…
- Confidence, Contact, and Change: The Girls Tackle Rugby Approach
This episode features Dan and India Perris-Redding discussing the Girls Tackle Rugby programme. They cover building pathways from grassroots to elite levels, inspiring confidence in young players, implementing safe contact training, and th…
- Designing the Future: Inside England Rugby’s Girls’ Pathway
Benny Williams, Girls’ PDG Coach Lead for England Rugby, details the U16 and U18 curriculums designed to create a consistent, adaptable, and player-centred framework. The discussion covers principles like "playing to best space" and prepar…
- Managing mismatches, parents, and game-day transfer
In this episode of Rugby Coach Weekly, hosts Dan Cottrell, Russell McClusky, and Phil Greenaway share practical advice on coaching rugby. Topics include handling mismatches, engaging parents, understanding referee influence, balancing deve…
- 50:22 Say Less, Coach More
This episode of Rugby Coach Weekly discusses how coaches can improve communication and player engagement by being more concise. Dan Cottrell and Stuart James share practical methods for making every word count, emphasizing clarity and effi…
- 50:22 Stop Chasing Skill: Build Game Sense That Sticks
In this episode of The 50:22 Podcast, Dan Cottrell and Stu James discuss how focusing on perfect technique can hinder players. They explain how layering, context, and repetition help players develop game sense for long-term progress.
- 50:22 The Right Kind of Pressure
In the 50:22 Podcast, hosts discuss using purposeful challenges, not shouting, as a coaching tool to build player resilience and improve decision-making. The episode offers methods for incorporating competition and intensity into training…
- High Care, Not High Performance – Ben Herring Returns
Send us Fan Mail 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 sha…
- Receptive, Resilient, Ready: A New Way to Spot Talent
Send us Fan Mail 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…
- Coaching with Purpose – Lessons from Wales to Australia
Send us Fan Mail 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 t…
- Scholarships, Streaming, and the School Game, with Will James
Send us Fan Mail 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 healt…
- 50:22 Prepare Yourself, Not Just the Plan
Send us Fan Mail 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 workp…
- 50:22 The Assistant Coach You're Ignoring
Send us Fan Mail 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…
- 50:22 Make Games Work Harder
Send us Fan Mail 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 behaviour at a time…
- 50:22 Starting sessions
Send us Fan Mail 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 en…
- Mana, Movement, and Meaning with Regan Sue
Send us Fan Mail 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 on…
- Coaching with Connection: Soft Skills That Win Hearts and Games
Send us Fan Mail 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,…
- Bench Warmers, Buy-In, and Being Different, with Ben Herring
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dan Cottrell catches up with the globetrotting coach and former pro player Ben Herring . From being told he was too small for the 1st XV to wrestling with his dad for jackal strength, Ben shares a raw and…
- Unlocking Creativity in Coaching with Dr. Michael Francis Pollin
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Dr. Michael Francis Pollin, a leading expert in coach development and coaching behaviours for player learning, development and performance…
- From First XV to U14s: Coaching Rugby Across the Age Groups
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast , Dan Cottrell sits down with Charlie Harrison, former professional player for Bath, Bedford, Rotherham and player/coach at Doncaster, ex-Head of Rugby at Marlborough Colle…
- Mastering Rugby Skills with The Rugby Trainer – Ben John’s Coaching Journey
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast , Dan Cottrell sits down with Ben John, better known as The Rugby Trainer , to explore his unique coaching philosophy and the rise of his hugely popular online brand. Ben s…
- The Why Behind Coaching: Developing Expertise and Decision-Making
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell welcomes Jamie Taylor—Assistant Professor of Elite Performance at Dublin City University, Academy Coach with Leicester Tigers, and Senior Coach Developer at G…
- The research secrets of dominant tackling revealed
Send us Fan Mail Tackling is at the heart of rugby, but what truly makes a tackle dominant or a miss? In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast , host Dan Cottrell welcomes Oli Bishop , defence coach for Ealing Trailfinders Women a…
- From Recruitment to Retention: Lessons in Coaching Girls' Rugby, with Sam Halliday
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast , Dan Cottrell sits down with Sam Halliday, a PE teacher and rugby coach working with the Oxfordshire U16 PDG squad and Brackley U14 girls. Sam shares his insights on build…
- Beyond Perfection: Coaching for Excellence with Lewis Hatchett
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast , Dan Cottrell speaks with Lewis Hatchett—former professional cricketer, mindset coach, and creator of the MindStrong Sport app. They discuss perfectionism in sport , its b…
- Fundraising for Grassroots Rugby: Secrets to Success with Ed Flynn
Send us Fan Mail Raising funds for grassroots rugby can feel like an uphill battle, but Ed Flynn has cracked the code. In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, host Dan Cottrell sits down with Ed, a coach and fundraising powerhou…
- Building Better Coaches: Ethics, Education, and Inclusion with Stuart Armstrong
Send us Fan Mail Join Dan Cottrell on the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast as he dives into a compelling conversation with Stuart Armstrong, renowned coach developer and host of The Talent Equation podcast. Together, they tackle the nuanced topi…
- Emotion on the Field: Coaching with Heart and Strength
Send us Fan Mail Join Rugby Coach Weekly's Dan Cottrell as he sits down with Marlo Boyd, Bath Rugby’s Development Officer, Bath University women's forward's coach and former Bristol Bears player. Marlo opens up about her unconventional jou…
- Coaching Through the Lens: Simple and Effective Video Analysis
Send us Fan Mail Dan Cottrell welcomes Craig Wilson, director of rugby at Yale University and founder of The Contact Coach . Together, they explore practical, accessible approaches to video analysis for grassroots coaches. Craig shares per…
- Myths of motivating athletes with Dr Mark Carroll
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell welcomes Dr. Mark Carroll, a sports coach and lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland, and a host of Labours of Sports Coaching . Together, they de…
- Do Women Tackle Differently? Coaching, Challenges, and Solutions
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell discusses tackling in women’s rugby with Kathryn Dane, an international rugby player, sports scientist, and coach. Kathryn, who has 23 caps for Ireland and is…
- Building Rugby from the Ground Up: How Adam Izzard is Transforming Rugby at Stonar School
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly Podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Adam Izzard, Head of Rugby and Head of Boarding at Stonar School. Adam shares his inspiring journey of building a rugby program from scratch at a…
- Tackling Myths in Coaching with Mark Williams
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Dan Cottrell sits down with renowned sports scientist and learning expert Mark Williams to explore some of the most controversial and misunderstood myths in sports coaching. Mark is a visiting professor at…
- Practical rugby ways to use ‘It depends’ from the man himself!
Send us Fan Mail Join Dan Cottrell as he dives deep with coaching legend Dave Collins in this thought-provoking episode of Rugby Coach Weekly. Together, they explore how context dictates coaching strategies and how to develop adaptable, cr…
- Unlocking Skill Acquisition with Danny Powell
Send us Fan Mail Join host Dan Cottrell as he sits down with Danny Powell , a skill acquisition developer and performance psychologist from Manchester Metropolitan University. Danny shares his expertise working with coaches, including GB A…