Annual Workshop For Age Grade Coaches
IRFU provincial and national age grade coaches – Under-18s, Under-19s and Under-20s – and IRFU elite player development staff from the four provinces gathered recently to review their experiences, discuss challenges and align closer to ensure the development of more effective elite players across the IRFU Elite Player Pathway.
This year’s workshop saw the inclusion of the Irish Exiles representative coaches Leo Costello, Kevan Bell and Cillian Ryan, accompanied by Irish Exiles Development Manager Mark Blair.
Some of the key presentations were:
Performance Analysis: Vinny Hammond – High Performace Analyst
Technical Planning & Periodising: Steve Aboud – Technical Direction
iGamePlanner: Andrew Quick – GamePlanner Ltd
Representative Squads Reporting & Monitoring: Colin McEntee – High Performance Manager
National & Provincial Team Alignment: Mike Ruddock, Colin McEntee, Wayne Mitchell and Noel McNamara
Colin McEntee, IRFU High Performance manager, said: “We’re a small rugby community, our numbers are not as large as our closest competitors, however what we aspire to achieve is delivering consistently the highest quality players, coaches, development staff and teams.
“Because we’re small we can facilitate this quickly, if we all align and support each other in pursuing excellence.”
Workshop director and head of IRFU Technical Direction, Stephen Aboud, added: “This workshop is an essential part of the elite player development and representative teams’ programme.
“It provides us the opportunity to collectively think, plan and support each other by aligning our thinking and coaching processes.”
Attendees – Mike Ruddock, Colin McEntee, Noel McNamara, Brian Robinson, Wayne Mitchell, Jamie Turkington, Girvan Dempsey, Phil Lawlor, John Fogarty, Hugh Hogan, Geoff Carter, Peter Malone, Greig Oliver, Mark Butler, Keith Murphy, Lyndon Jones, Eamon Molloy, Jimmy Duffy, Jim Herring, James Topping, Mark Blair, Leo Costello, Kevan Bell, Cillian Ryan, Vinny Hammond, Hendrik Kruger and Stephen Aboud
