Main Purpose of the Job
This role is split into working with the Academy and Community Department at Gloucester Rugby Club. The primary purpose of this role is to drive the development of young players and expand rugby participation across the Gloucester Rugby community. This includes leading the delivery of the U15-U16 Foundation Phase Coaching Program within the Academy Pathway, ensuring players have access to high-quality coaching, clear feedback, and opportunities to progress to higher performance levels.
The role focuses on strengthening and growing school rugby by supporting sustainable development, enhancing the overall experience for pupils and teachers. This includes leading on the delivery of Project Rugby, Camps, Matchday Experiences and schools cup competitions, for example, EDF. Building strong partnerships with schools and partners will be essential. By developing meaningful relationships and creating high-quality rugby experiences, the role works to grow the game, support schools, transition of players to clubs, and reinforce long-term connections between Gloucester Rugby and the wider school community.
It ensures that all programs and initiatives are delivered to the highest professional standards, aligning with Gloucester Rugby’s strategic objectives:
To Win. For our community and each other.
Key Accountabilities
The successful candidate will be an important part of the Club, working closely with the Head of Community Rugby to deliver the ‘Changing Lives through Rugby’ strategy and to prioritise project delivery and program innovation.
Foundation Phase Lead Coach
The Foundation Phase Lead Coach is responsible for delivering the U15-U16 Coaching
Programme to develop future Gloucester Rugby players. This role supports player progression
across the Academy Pathway by providing high-quality coaching, mentorship, and
collaboration with players, staff, clubs, and schools.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver the Foundation Phase Coaching Programme and aligned curriculum.
- Design, lead, and review training sessions and fixtures across regional centres.
- Support Academy Masterclass sessions and interdisciplinary objectives.
- Identify and nurture talent within the Gloucester Academy catchment.
- Ensure a clear, consistent feedback process for players.
Schools Development Manager:
The Schools Development Manager will lead initiatives to grow rugby participation, improve player experiences, and strengthen community connections within schools and across networks. Working closely with the Head of Community Rugby, this role focuses on providing schools with playing opportunities and delivering innovative programs that align with the “Changing Lives through Rugby” strategy.
Regional Delivery and Growth Responsible for leading the regional delivery of Gloucester Rugby programmes, with oversight of all academy sites. This includes driving business development and expanding Gloucester Rugby’s reach and impact across key focus areas in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Birmingham. The role will support the growth of participation, pathway engagement and community presence across the wider region.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the delivery in schools for our Project Rugby program, Camps, Matchday Experiences and EDF Cups to improve player experiences and opportunities.
Build strong relationships with schools, colleges, universities and community groups to grow participation and performance opportunities.
Support schools in developing and developing players, teachers, referees, and volunteers.
Organise and facilitate ongoing CPD programs and innovative game formats, such as touch, T1 and walking rugby.
Collaborate with schools to strengthen local partnerships and grow rugby participation.
Manage and mentor teachers, ensuring effective local delivery and alignment with strategic goals.
Report on activities, outputs, and progress against objectives, maintaining professional standards.
This role may include community-based delivery, match day events, festivals, cups and other programmes. It will also require working some evenings and weekends as needed.
This job description is intended as a guide to the main responsibilities and is not meant to restrict any individual in performing other duties as required by the Company.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Our commitment to accurate monitoring and evaluation is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness and continuous improvement of our programmes. As an outcomes-driven organisation, we rely on precise data to make informed decisions that maximise our social impact. We expect our employees to adopt rigorous techniques and best practices to ensure the validity of our results, enabling us to uphold our mission of driving positive change through rugby-related initiatives.
Safeguarding
Gloucester Rugby is committed to ensuring that everyone involved in sport and physical activity—whether a volunteer, participant, spectator, or elite athlete—should never have to worry about abuse or harassment.
Everyone has a role to play in keeping others safe, and we expect all our employees to prioritise the safety of themselves and others in accordance with the Foundation Safeguarding policy.
Health and Safety at Work
To comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated legislation, you must adhere to the company’s safety rules and procedures and take all reasonable care to protect the safety of yourself and others.
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months
Pay: £30,000.00-£35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Private medical insurance
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
