Education key in bid to diversify coaching says Khan

LONDON Scottish backs coach Ricky Khan has called for better education, and creating young leaders in schools, in order to diversify rugby coaching.

Khan has worked alongside former Bath full-back Audley Lumsden and exSaracens captain turned headmaster, Floyd Steadman, on the Berkshire RFU diversity and inclusion group.

Khan, 42, told TRP: “To get young, Black or ethnic coaches coming through, first they’ve got to want to do it. I worked quite closely with the Berkshire RFU diversity and inclusion group, and a lot of what it came down to, on the discussions we had, was about education.

“This group of people have been pathfinders, or have led the way, and I really look up to people like that.”

Khan spent his playing days with Richmond until their administration in 1999. Khan then signed for Preston Grasshoppers, but a leg break and quad tear ended his career.

Khan began coaching in the Wasps Academy, where he was involved for 13 years. With Guyanese heritage, Khan calls attention to an area of rugby, where Black people are greatly underrepresented.

“I’m the only coach in the Championship that I’m aware of, that is Black,” said Khan, who now has 20 years’ coaching experience.

“I don’t ‘not see colour’, but I don’t when it comes to rugby and coaching. What I see is either a London Scottish team, or whoever that I’ve coached. That’s how it’s been, we’re all part of a unit, and I like that mentality of being a unit all together.”

Bristol legend Paul Hull reached out to Khan, and congratulated him on his trailblazing actions which delighted him but also made him think more about the push for a diversified rugby backroom.

Khan added: “It (Hull’s praise) had an impact on me. He was the only Black guy to have actually been a director of rugby, or head coach at the top level. It is a bit alarming really, when you look at the stats, how few ethnic coaches there are.”