Welcome to Steve Pope
Joining us for the upcoming 2025/26 season in a consulting capacity after assisting last season as interim forwards coach. Steve will now take up a much broader role with a remit and overview to help the clubs playing group, coaching and management teams.
The immediate focus to develop a group that can transition into the next level of competition at senior team level. Working closely with the existing playing/coaching group to build on last season’s successful promotion and look to build an environment that enables the club to become a fixture at the next level and beyond for the long term.
Our New Head Coach joins with over 20 years of varied rugby and coaching experience working across schools, higher education, national league rugby clubs, professional coaching and sports management.
Steve was formerly a professional player with Swansea Whites and London Welsh. He moved into coaching and education after a successful playing career. He has worked in a number of schools (both state and independent), National League clubs and Universities for both men and women.
A warm and personable character, widely respected across the rugby community, with a calm and friendly demeanour, he has a huge appetite for making competitive sport fun, while focusing on players learning and developing.
At the heart of everything is providing an enjoyable environment for the appropriate level of rugby abilities across the whole sports club.
Having worked and coached across an array of age groups and senior teams in a number of representative teams, he has a broad depth of knowledge and vast toolbox of skills as a coach, educator and mentor.
Steve is looking to further enhance the club's rugby programme along with helping to build, develop and strengthen the Coaching and Management team.
Furthermore he will be looking to build links between the senior and junior sections of the club. His focus will be the senior 1st XV and wider senior playing group to begin while helping assist links with local and wider community partners, primary schools, local state schools and surrounding sports clubs.
