Wales stars are being targeted as the next generation of coaches
LEIGH Halfpenny and Justin Tipuric are being developed by the Welsh Rugby Union to be part of the next generation of coaches in Wales.
At a time when there’s been criticism about the absence of any homegrown head coaches at the regions, the two current internationals are being prepared for careers beyond playing. Fellow Wales and Lions man James Hook is also on the same path.
All three are on the governing body’s Player-to-Coach Programme which grooms players who are eventually looking to move into coaching.
The WRU say those on the scheme “are supported with a bespoke education programme that focuses on effective coaching and are then supported in the field with mentoring”.
Tipuric has been helping out at various levels at his local club Trebanos RFC for a number of years. The union feel their progamme is assisting him even more.
Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Halfpenny had been lined up to oversee a specialist kicking coaching clinic with Wales U18s – the rugby equivalent of being tutored at golf by Tiger Woods in his pomp.
And Hook, who is finishing as a player with the Ospreys at the end of the current season, had been earmarked for some on-the-job coaching experience pre-Covid 19.
In his case, he had been assigned to head up Wales U19s against Japan High Schools, with Geraint Lewis and Chris Horsman supporting him and acting as mentors. But the fixture had to be wiped from the spring calendar.
The union are also running an Elite Coach Programme, catering for those already working at the senior end of the game or have the potential to do so in the near future.
Their Level 4 programme has undergone a revamp, too, with an opening learning situation brought in instead of a course based on typical assessment.
The aim is to enlarge the pool of coaches in Wales.
Driving the changes is the union’s performance coach manager Dan Clements, with his goal being to alter the landscape of elite coaching in Wales.
“In the elite space we really want to change the narrative about what coaching is and how we support coaches,” said Clements.
“For too long we have been focused purely on assessment and we need to shift this towards a culture of learning and collaboration and providing the best environments possible.
”The programmes we have developed will help with this, but more importantly, my role is about coaching the coaches and helping them in that regard.
“Quality coaching sits at the heart of a player’s development and ultimately performance, and we can’t underestimate the influence that a coach has on this process, so it’s up to us to support this with our current and future elite coaches.”