Rugby Coach Weekly
Dan Cottrell and guests discuss all the hot topics in grass roots rugby coaching from managing concussion to dealing with parents.
Episodes
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to Martin McTaggart, RFU Playing Pathways Manager, about the EDGE framework, a way of helping coaches, selectors and pathway volunteers think more clearly about potential in young players.
Martin explains why current performance can be a poor guide to future potential, especially when players arrive with very different rugby backgrounds, sporting ...
In this episode, Dan Cottrell speaks to Mark Williams, head coach of North Division U18s, lead rugby coach at Birkenhead School, a forward's coach with Lymm in National Two, and Liverpool John Moores University director of rugby,
The conversation starts with the value of coaching relationships, especially the importance of having trusted people around you who will challenge lazy planning, sharpen your thinking, and k...
Pads, tackle shields and crash mats can be some of the most useful kit in a rugby session, but only when coaches know exactly why they are using them.
In this 50:22 episode, Dan Cottrell and Stu James discuss the role of contact equipment in training. They explore how pads can reduce impact, build confidence, develop body shape and allow players to enjoy physicality, while also warning against the false habits they c...
One in five players may be neurodivergent, and rugby is often a sport that attracts players who think, learn and experience the world differently. The good news? The coaching adjustments that help neurodivergent players often make coaching better for everyone.
In this episode, Dan Cottrell and Stuart James explore practical ways coaches can create more inclusive environments without overcomplicating their sessi...
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 feeling overwhelmed or criticised.
They explore how coaches often chase a “perfect” technical model that doesn’t match the player in front of them, and why understanding stage of develo...
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 Stuart James, coach developer at Guildford RFC, unpack one of the most overlooked areas in coaching. While most sessions are built around skills and rules, belief is often left untouched, yet it may be the very thing that unlocks performance.
They explore why belief is ...
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 actually means for coaches on the pitch.
From Six Nations trends to grassroots realities, Sam brings clarity to the numbers behind performance. Together, they explore why territory often ma...
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 professionally in Major League Rugby with the Toronto Arrows, before concussion injuries forced him to retire early. That experience changed the direction of his career and sparked a passion for coachin...
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 specialist who has worked across rugby, wrestling, artistic swimming, ballet and Olympic systems worldwide.
Lúcás helps leaders build performance “one brick at a time” through social learning...
What does it really mean to be the adult in the room?
In this powerful and honest conversation, I sit down with Tara Lynn, transformational coach and trusted adviser to high performers who have reached the edge of what got them here. We explore how leaders and coaches can regulate themselves under pressure, avoid slipping into “parent” or “child” reactions, and communicate with clarity instead...
In this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined once again by skill acquisition specialist Job Fransen, Associate Professor at Charles Sturt University and Managing Director of SkillACQ.
Together they explore what really matters in coaching practice design, feedback, and player development.
Job shares why elite coaches rarely need “disrupting,” why most coaches intervene too quickly, and why sometimes the best coa...
What actually happens on a Saturday night when the final whistle blows and rugby stories still need to be told?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan is joined by Ben Jaycock, assistant editor at The Rugby Paper, to explore how parts of a national rugby newspaper are produced under extreme time pressure.
While much of The Rugby Paper is planned days in advance, Ben explains how key match reports, rati...
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, for an open and thoughtful conversation about the state of the community game.
They explore how rugby is changing at grassroots level, from schools and clubs to coach education, workforce models, and the rise of T1 Rugby. Steve shares what has stayed stubbornly the s...
What does it really take to align dozens of volunteer coaches, hundreds of players, and a whole club around one clear development pathway?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Charlie Farrell, Age Grade Rugby Director at Banbridge RFC, to unpack the thinking behind the club’s new Coaches Playbook. Designed to guide player development from first contact to First XV, the Pl...
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by performance coach Nash Cohen to explore what it really means to coach with conviction.
From defining winning beyond the scoreboard to building trust under pressure, the conversation digs into principles, skill detail, and creating environments where players think, adapt, and grow.
Nash is the Head of Player & Performance Development...
What does real toughness look like in rugby?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell is joined by Jack Heald, Director of Rugby at Barnes RFC and rugby professional at Felsted School, to unpack what toughness truly means in modern coaching environments.
Drawing on over 15 years of experience across school, club, and national league rugby, Jack challenges the idea that toughness is about bravado...
What do you stabilise first when you inherit a team at the bottom of the table?
In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks with Ross Bundy, Head Coach of Leicester Tigers Women, about leading a rebuild in a high-pressure, semi-professional environment.
Ross shares an unfiltered account of what really matters when results are hard to come by. Rather than chasing quick fixes, he explains why ...
In this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined by Phil Kearney, Associate Professor at the University of Limerick and co-founder of an organisation focused on developing a positive community of practice in skill acquisition
Together, they challenge one of coaching’s most ingrained habits: starting session design with drills, outcomes, and end goals rather than with how players actually learn. Drawing on skill acquisit...
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 br...
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 “...
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