Doyle And Truscott Team Up To Coach Ulster Women
Former Ireland Women’s head coach Philip Doyle and Jarrett Truscott will take charge of the Ulster Women’s team for the 2015/16 IRFU Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
Philip Doyle has tasted great success at national level, having led Ireland to the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2013 and to the semi-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup last year. After taking a brief break from coaching, he feels it is time to get involved again, ideally with a view to getting some Ulster players in a green shirt in time for the World Cup in 2017 which will be played in Dublin and Belfast.
He is joined on the coaching staff by another new face, Jarrett Truscott, who was also recently confirmed as Malone RFC’s new head coach. Truscott brings some Southern Hemisphere experience to the table.
He won two Premierships as Sydney University 1st Colts coach, before moving to Northern Ireland and taking up a Development Officer position with Ulster Rugby in 2006. He has previously been head coach of the Ulster Under-19s.
The new Ulster Women’s management team also includes team manager Kerry Spence, who was involved in last year’s campaign, as well as strength and conditioning coaches Paul Heasley and Stewart Walker. Resources co-ordinator Andy Weir completes the backroom team.
With the talent screening phase completed, the Ulster management are now committed to delivering two training sessions per week for the extended training squad, along with countless hours spent on off-pitch preparation. What makes this all the more impressive is the fact that they are all volunteers, giving up their free time to create a professional environment for the players.
If you think you have the skills and dedication needed to be a volunteer with Ulster Rugby, please email volunteer@ulsterrugby.com to find out if the province have the right opportunity for you.
Ulster will open their Interprovincial Championship campaign with a home tie against Leinster at Portadown RFC on Saturday, August 22 (kick-off 3pm). They will then travel to play defending champions Munster at Thomond Park on the following Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm), before returning to Portadown to host Connacht in the final round on Saturday, September 5 (kick-off 3pm).