RUGBY UNION TAYLOR BREAKS MOULD TO JOIN COACHING TEAM
RUGBY coaching can be a tough enough assignment for anyone these days... but think of the task ahead for Rachel Taylor. She makes history in the coming season as the first female coach of a National League Welsh rugby team as Colwyn Bay break with 137 years of male-dominated tradition in the sport here.
That in itself presents a challenge, which Colwyn Bay are confident Taylor will overcome.
However, she also has to revive a losing dressing room, taking on a team that won just one of their 22 games in Division One North last season and had points deducted for failing to fulfil a fixture with Pwllheli.
It was a far cry from two years earlier when the Seahorses lifted the Division Two title with 16 wins from 16 to earn promotion to the top flight of the North Wales game.
Now they find themselves back in Division Two and facing the likes of Wrexham, Bangor, Newtown and Welshpool.
Having hung up her own playing boots, former Wales skipper Taylor will also coach RGC Women, while continuing in her role as a rugby coordinator for the WRU.
Football toyed with the idea of appointing a female manager back in 2009 when then England women’s coach Hope Powell was linked with Grimsby Town.
That move didn’t materialise. Welsh rugby has now gone where English football didn’t quite tread, but Colwyn Bay officials say the headlines generated with their appointment of a first female coach have been “a surprise”.
“I had to twist her arm a little bit to take on the coaching job because we didn’t have anyone with her experience,” said Colwyn Bay president Geoff Taylor, Rachel’s father.
“She’s knowledgeable from having gained 67 caps for Wales. She coaches an under-15s boys’ team and the RGC women’s side, so this is a natural progression for her.
“I canvassed people within the club after Rachel said she was willing to help in some way with perhaps the junior section.
“But they said get her in the senior coaching team and we’ll take it from there.
“We’ve got a team of three coaches and Rachel is one of that team.”
Colwyn Bay has seen an influx of women taking on top jobs at the club in the last few weeks, with the side having a female team manager and fixture secretary in Debbie Irwin, the club secretary is Leanne Bell, the treasurer is Maggie Dobbs while Rebecca Costello oversees marketing.
“After last season in Division One and getting relegated we’ve reset everything,” added Geoff Taylor.
“We had a very poor season, probably the worst we’ve ever had and being in Division Two, it’s not as tough as trying to stay in Division One.”
So what will his daughter bring to her new role at Colwyn Bay when the season kicks off on September 1 at Dolgellau, who were also relegated from Division One last term?
“Rachel has great tenacity with everything she does. She’s always looking to achieve something,” added her father.
“She puts her mind, body and soul into everything she does, and is very driven.
“She won’t be fazed telling men what to do as she does quite a bit of motivational speaking.
“Captaining Wales gave her good communication skills and she can certainly stick up for herself. Being clobbered by the French and English helped in that a lot.”