Dave Clark Appointed as New IRFU Head of Fitness

Posted on May 16, 2012 in Ireland

The Irish Rugby Football Union has announced that they have appointed Dave Clark as the new Head of Fitness to oversee all areas of elite performance in professional and representative teams.

A high performance strength and conditioning scientist with over 20 years experience in team sports, the South African native holds an MSc in Exercise Science and is currently completing a PhD.  He has worked in all areas of his field as a strength and conditioning coach, a high performance manager and a sports scientist in performance research.

He began his career as the fitness coach to the Western Province Rugby Team in 1992 and held the position of strength and conditioning coach to the South African National Team in 1994. In tandem with his role with these teams, he was appointed as the Sports Science Director in the University of Cape Town in 1990 before setting up his own private biokinetics practice in Cape Town.

When the sport turned professional in 1995, he left South Africa to join the Welsh Rugby Union as the National Fitness Coach where he oversaw all aspects of sports science.   He then moved north to Scotland where he took up a position with the Scottish Institute of Sport and has been the Head of Strength and Conditioning for the Sportscotland Institute of Sport since 2001.

His role with Sportscotland has seen him work with a variety of sports and he will be working with several athletes in the London Olympic games before he fully takes up his position with the IRFU in September.    All strength and conditioning programmes and coaches in the provincial teams are centrally managed by the IRFU and Clark will be working closely with the provinces to continue to reinforce the elite fitness pathways.

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Ireland’s Gert Smal back at work

Posted on May 11, 2012 in Ireland

By MARTYN WINTERS. Ireland forwards coach, Gert Smal has been passed fully fit by his medical team following  his departure from the Irish coaching team in the middle of the 6 nations because of sight problems brought on by a pre-existing eye condition.

His illness caused him to leave the coaching team to be replaced by Munster assistant coach Anthony Foley, but now the former Western Transvaal flanker is back at work and has been attending games since early April.

South African, Smal commented: "I’m looking forward to getting back to working with the players again and it was great to meet up with them last week at our squad get together for the first time since I had to take time off.

"It was a worrying time for my family when I was getting these symptoms affecting my eyesight, but it was clear that I was not going to be able to fully function and deliver the guidance the players needed. We needed to get to the bottom of what was going on and was advised to take some rest, so it is at times like these that you reluctantly have to listen to the advice.

“Anthony Foley did a superb job when he stepped in at such short notice as did Paul (O’Connell) and also Rory (Best) and Donnacha Ryan to give that little bit of leadership along with the other forwards. I’m feeling really good and fit at the moment and really excited about stepping back onto the training field, which is where you want to be as a coach, and looking forward to the tour to New Zealand.

"It is one of the toughest places on earth to tour, so we have to be well prepared, but the opportunity to play the World Champions three times in a row does not come along very often and is something that I think everybody is excited about."

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Shaun Edwards to join London Irish

Posted on May 9, 2012 in London Irish, Premiership

London Irish has announced today that Wales’s Defence Coach, Shaun Edwards will be joining the London Irish coaching team.

He will start work after the Wales tour to Australia. Brian Smith also announced today that he will be stepping back up to a more hands on coaching role to run the team’s attack.

Edwards enjoyed a glittering playing career in rugby league representing Wigan on 467 occasions scoring 1,140 points. He won the Challenge Cup nine times with the Club and eight Championship titles. He was the youngest player to play in a Challenge Cup final and the youngest to be capped by Great Britain. He played 36 times for Great Britain, scoring 16 tries, and played in the 1992 and 1995 World Cups with England. He also won one cap for Ireland. Previously he played professionally for Balmain Tigers, in Australia, London Broncos and Bradford Bulls. He was voted Man of Steel in 1990 and is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame.

Edwards started his rugby union coaching career at London Wasps in 2002 as backs coach and became an integral part of the coaching team that guided the Club through one of its most successful periods. Wasps won Premiership titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and the Heineken Cup in 2004 and 2007, the latter he won as the Club’s Head Coach.

In 2008 Shaun joined former Wasps colleague, Warren Gatland, as Defence Coach for the Welsh national side. Wales have since won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008 and 2012 as well as finishing fourth in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2009 he was part of Ian McGeechan’s British and Irish Lions coaching team for the tour of South Africa.

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Toby Booth, Justin Bishop and Neal Hatley to leave London Irish

Posted on May 8, 2012 in London Irish, Premiership

London Irish have confirmed today that Toby Booth, Justin Bishop and Neal Hatley will be leaving the Club.

Toby and Neal have decided to join the new coaching set up at Bath Rugby, which has been announced today. Justin has decided to progress onto new opportunities within rugby and will announce his next move in due course.

Andy Martin, London Irish’s Chief Executive said: “Toby, Justin and Neal have been at the heart of London Irish for many years and we are all extremely proud of their achievements. Toby has led the team through one of its most successful ever periods and they have all been instrumental in recruiting and developing some of the Club’s most outstanding talent. We are extremely sad that they are leaving, however we understand the lure of career progression and so we sincerely thank them for their unfaltering commitment to London Irish and wish them all the very best of luck in their new endeavours.

“Our plans for next season are shaping up well. We have made some very strong player signings over the last few weeks to add to our existing talent and our priority now is to ensure that we have an equally strong back room set up under Brian Smith. Those wheels are already very much in motion and we will make further announcements as soon as possible.”

After joining the club as Assistant Academy Manager over a decade ago in January 2002, Toby Booth rose quickly up the ranks and was appointed as the Exiles’ Head Coach in 2008. He steered the Club through its most successful period of the professional era – leading the squad through a Premiership Final as well as securing qualification for the Heineken Cup for the three consecutive seasons. From 2003 his involvement with the Exiles’ senior squad increased and in 2004 he took on responsibility for the scrum and lineout. He was appointed Forwards Coach in June 2005 and since that time the London Irish pack has consistently been among the most effective in the Premiership. He was also forwards coach of the England Saxons team that successfully defended the Barclays Churchill Cup in June 2008.

Toby said: “After 10 years London Irish will always be part of me and the decision to leave was not taken lightly especially after the fantastic support shown to me by the fans throughout my time here. Moving is going to be a big change but I feel now is the right time for a fresh challenge. I have worked with fantastic players and coaches over the years and I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me. I wish London Irish the very best of luck for the future.”

Justin Bishop has been the London Irish Defence Coach this season. Prior to this he was Assistant Academy Manager. He enjoyed an illustrious playing career for the club playing 280 games for the Exiles, scoring 58 tries. He also represented Ireland on 25 occasions, scoring eight tries. He received the London Irish Player’s Player of the Season Award in 2000/2001 and London Irish Try of the Season in the same year. Justin was named Irish Post Awards Sports Personality of the Year 2006.

Justin Bishop said: “I have enjoyed almost two decades at London Irish and will go away with some fantastic memories, both as a player and a coach. It has been a privilege to be a part of but it is now time to move on and experience some new opportunities within rugby.”

Neal Hatley has been the London Irish Academy Manager since 2008 and has been assisting with the 1st XV forwards for the past two seasons. Prior to this, for over a decade, Neal enjoyed a successful career as a prop forward in the London Irish front row after joining the club in 1998. Playing over 250 top class games for the Exiles, Neal received Player of the year and Players Player of the year during his playing time at Irish. He also represented England A and was a senior England Tourist in 2003. In 2007 he captained the England Saxons side to Churchill Cup success, lifting the trophy after his side defeated New Zealand Maori at Twickenham.

Neal Hatley said: “London Irish has been a huge part of my life for so long and the decision to leave was a very difficult one. However the chance to further my career and become a forwards coach at a club like Bath was too difficult to pass up. I would like to thank everyone associated with the club and wish everyone at London Irish the very best for the future.”

All three coaches have played a pivotal role in the development of the Club’s home grown talent and can be credited for the outstanding progress of young players such as Delon Armitage, Topsy Ojo, David Paice, Nick Kennedy Alex Corbisiero, Jonathan Joseph, Tom Homer, Jamie Gibson and Anthony Watson.

Danny Wilson leaves the Dragons

Posted on May 8, 2012 in Newport Gwent Dragon, Welsh Rugby

Newport Gwent Dragons have confirmed that forwards coach Danny Wilson will leave the region to take up a post with an undisclosed team at the end of the season.

Danny has been with the region as forwards coach since 2010 and has overseen the rise of a number of the Dragons’ young front rowers who have been thrust into the squad following retirements to key players.

Dragons Director of Rugby Rob Beale said “We would like to thank Danny for his contribution to the region and we wish him well in his future career.”

Danny said “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Dragons. I’d like to thank the region for the opportunities offered to me and wish them the best of luck for next season and beyond.”