Young players, coaches and parents from amateur rugby clubs in Shropshire were treated to professional-level training at a coaching event hosted by Malvern College.

The first ever Under-12s and Under-13s Pre-Season Coaching Day brought together an exceptional coaching panel of ex-professionals and elite-level coaches.

It was masterminded by former Worcester Warriors player Nick Tisdale, who is now Malvern’s Master in Charge of Rugby.

Coaching was led by high performance skills coach Warren Abrahams from Rugby Creative, with support from Tom Mitchell (UR7s specialist coach), Stu Bradfield (Cardiff Blues Academy), Harry Jones (Gloucester Rugby Academy), Gareth Richards (Malvern Rugby Club), and Malvern College’s own rugby coaches including Rob Cook, Chris Pennell, Morgan Monks, Jack Hughes, and colleagues from the College’s wider sports staff.

Among the 250 players and coaches in attendance were representatives from Bridgnorth RFC and Whitchurch RFC.

“Rugby is a great game that builds collaboration, confidence and resilience. It is the perfect team sport,” said Nick. 

“However, for the game to thrive, it’s vital it is nurtured at grassroots. A large focus of this inaugural event was to give the coaches from the visiting clubs training and coaching skills from some of the best in the profession. 

“These coaches are often unsung heroes, volunteers and parents who are coaching teams for little recognition. It was a privilege to gather a team of experts and give these coaches some of our professional experience.”

The day was structured to benefit both players and coaches. Morning sessions saw the expert coaching squad demonstrate key skills - including kicking, catch-and-pass, evasion, decision-making, and tackling - to the club coaches, who then delivered the same drills back to the players with expert guidance. In the afternoon, six conditioned tactical games allowed players to put their new skills into practice.

This dual-focus model ensured that while players received a high-quality pre-season workout, grassroots coaches gained invaluable professional development and teaching strategies to carry into the season ahead.

The event follows closely on the back of Malvern College’s pre-season coaching session for prep schools earlier this term, that was attended by 80 pupils from The Downs Malvern, The Elms, Moor Park and Kitebrook Prep School, underlining the College’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of rugby talent and celebrating the unique values of the sport.

Following the success of the inaugural Coaching Day, Malvern College has already begun plans to make this an annual fixture.