The WRU, through their coaching development pathway aim to create a coaching system that develops the right coach for every player at every stage of their development. In the process, it is the WRU’s objective to develop Welsh coaches to lead the world in player and team development.
By offering Level one, two and three courses the Welsh Rugby Union will reduce the number of non-qualified coaches in the game, improve the quality of coach provision at junior, youth and senior rugby, increase the level of support for practicing coaches and enhance the coaching in the young player pathway programme.
Welsh Rugby Union run coaching courses have seen steady intake in the past year with student uptake showing a pleasing rise.
The Tag rugby coaching course hosted an impressive 531 students this year and interest in coaching rugby is continuing with 20 new coaches starting their level three course, the top level qualification, in September.
WRU coaching development manager Gerry Roberts is confident that his department has maintained levels of interest in rugby coaching courses due to the competitive pricing structure in place, which he says compares favorably to other sports.
The WRU’s top level coaching qualification, the level 3 course, is actually the cheapest of its type across a variety of sports where there are comparable qualifications in Football, Swimming and Netball, as well as the same qualification run by the RFU in England.
“Over the past five years the WRU coach development department has resisted putting up the price of our educational coaching courses,” said Roberts.
“Taking into account the fact that the price of resources has gone up, and also the price of facility hire, we have had to make some changes to our costs this year, but we remain extremely pleased with the take up we have on our courses and know we are competitive.”
As from 1st January the cost of a level one course will go up by twenty pounds and the level two and three going up by fifty pounds – prices will be £350 for level three, £250 for level two and £140 for the level one course.
Roberts says his department has put off these increases for two years, but remains confident the courses offer great value for money.
“Throughout the year we have seen a steady intake to our formal courses, students taking up tag courses have been promising, with five hundred and thirty one attending the course,” added Roberts.
“Candidates attending our level one course have been on par with last year, six hundred and sixty two coaches attended.”
Clubs and their coaches who wish to attend WRU courses can apply for funding from the Sport Wales community chest, which has gone up from £750 to £1,500.
This money is there for clubs to access for their coaches to attend WRU coaching courses and is accessible through their local unity authority sports development department.
To apply for any level please contact WRU website http://www.wrucoaching.co.uk/
