St Mary’s Continues Partnership with Leinster Rugby Club

The Centre for Coaching and the Physical and Sport Education (PSE) Programme at St Mary’s University, Twickenham has renewed its partnership with Leinster Rugby Football Club.

One of the biggest clubs in European rugby, Leinster competes in the Pro12 league and the European Rugby Champions Cup. The partnership aims to see the on-going develop of explicit coaching and coach development strategies drawing upon evidence-based research.

Working together, the club and St Mary’s will be offering a bespoke professional learning program to school and club based coaches from across the Leinster Province.

Leinster Rugby Coach Development Manager Derek Maybury said, “Working with St Mary’s over the last three years has been a fantastic opportunity for us.  We’ve learned to develop our coaching and coach development programs around accepted, evidence-based theories more than on personal coaching experience alone. Our main shift in focus has been from what the coach teaches to what the players learn, highlighting learning in context and increased player problem solving. We’re really excited about sharing this philosophy coaches across the Province this coming season.”

PSE Programme Director Michael Ayres said, "It has been a real honour to work alongside and support the development of such passion, open and honest coaches. It's also a sign of how far St Mary’s have come over the last few years to be collaborating with one of the biggest European rugby clubs. What we have developed with Leinster RC is a blue print for the future of coach learning and player development where professional sports clubs, coaches, players academics and researchers work in partnership with one another to develop a culture of learning.

“The players’ development, learning experiences and their love of playing rugby has been placed at the heart of the coach learning programme we have developed with the team. Such an approach has had a real impact in the clubs and schools with the Leinster province. We are looking forward to working with Leinster RC for the foreseeable future.”