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In this episode, Dan Cottrell is joined by Phil Kearney, Associate Professor at the University of Limerick and co-founder of an organisation focused on developing a positive community of practice in skill acquisition

Together, they challenge one of coaching’s most ingrained habits: starting session design with drills, outcomes, and end goals rather than with how players actually learn. Drawing on skill acquisition research, coach education, and applied examples from grassroots to performance sport, the conversation reframes what effective practice really looks like.

Key points covered:

• Why engaging sessions can still produce very little learning.
• How coaches often mistake activity, enjoyment, and busyness for improvement.
• What skill acquisition actually tells us about how players learn and retain skills.
• Why starting with outcomes can distort session design and decision making.
• Practical principles coaches can use to design practices that transfer to the game.

The best ways to engage with Phil are:

University of Limerick (professional email):
mailto: philip.kearney@ul.ie

LinkedIn:
Active in sharing work on skill acquisition, coaching practice, and applied research. Suitable for professional introductions, collaboration requests, and podcast or event invitations.

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In this Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Darren Rea, John Peel, and Gareth Lewis to explore how inclusive SEND rugby has grown from a few Sunday sessions into a powerful community movement known as KatieFest.

Together, they share how simple, values-led coaching has created safe, joyful, and challenging rugby environments for players with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, while also bringing parents, carers, coaches, and clubs closer together. The conversation goes beyond drills and sessions to unpack confidence, belonging, routine, and why rugby is uniquely placed to adapt without losing its essence.

From mash-ups with mainstream teams to national recognition and the ripple effect spreading across clubs and counties, this is a story about coaching with empathy, ambition, and belief. It is not about doing something “special,” but about making inclusion normal, visible, and lasting, and showing how rugby can genuinely be a sport for all.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1477604696958236/

https://checkout.justgiving.com/c/3830429

https://www.ukcoaching.org/news/uk-coaching-awards-winner-darren-rea-captures-hearts-with-‘katie-peel-haka’/

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

To find out more about our Partner Club offer

CLICK HERE

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!

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In this Rugby Coach Weekly episode, Dan sits down with Emily Pratt, Strength and Conditioning Coach for the England Women’s U20s, to unpack the brand new U16 Foundational Athletic Development and U18 Athletic Development programmes reshaping the female pathway.

Emily explains how England Rugby is shifting the landscape for young female athletes. She and Dan explore:

• How potential is identified beyond “ready-made” athletes
• Why movement competency, aerobic fitness and training age matter more than lifting heavy
• The balance between school sport, club rugby, other commitments and recovery
• How to help girls build confidence around body image and training
• Why injury rehab should be seen as an opportunity rather than a setback
• How coaches can approach conversations around the menstrual cycle
• Why the entire development programme has been made freely available to all players, not just those in the pathway

Emily also emphasises that strength training is never about changing how girls look, but about helping them become fitter, faster, more resilient rugby players.

If you coach girls rugby — at club, school, college or county — this episode is packed with practical guidance, player-centred insights and a clear breakdown of what “good” athletic development looks like.

You can find the full programme, including videos and week-by-week sessions, on the England Rugby website:

This link is to the U16 Foundational athletic development section of the website

https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/foundation-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development-

The next link is specific to the U18 Athletic Development at PDG.

https://www.englandrugby.com/play/parents-guardians/player-pathway/development-phase-girls-pathway#foundational-athletic-development-

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

To find out more about our Partner Club offer

CLICK HERE

Also, tap into the library of 4,000 pages of activities, advice, tactics and tips to help you become the best rugby coach you can be!