Ashridge, one of the world’s leading business schools, is to help deliver the RFU’s Elite Coach Development Process (ECDP).

Coaches currently working for the RFU and leading Premier Rugby clubs will attend the only programme of its type anywhere in the world. The process, due to start in July, has been designed to ensure that English rugby has a strong selection of coaches working at the highest level so that the Zurich Premiership continues to be the strongest domestic club rugby tournament in the world and to keep England at the pinnacle of the international game.

Kevin Bowring, RFU Head of Elite Coaching said, “The ECDP develops the leadership, coaching and professional skills of each coach. To maintain the success of the World Cup, we need to develop smart coaches who know what it takes to achieve the highest levels of performance and then go beyond it, continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible.”

The ECDP, catering for up to 15 coaches, will feature a series of assessment events, workshops and group seminars over a 10 month period. Each participant then has the opportunity to demonstrate their learning in open forum. After a short break, they re-enter the process and are developed according to their progressive needs. This is repeated annually. Each coach will have a personal development programme, based on initial assessment at Ashridge, which will include the use of the first ever elite coach psychometric evaluation developed by Ashridge, the RFU and Zurich Premiership. This unique tool will enable each coach to identify learning areas and to then attend, at Ashridge and sites throughout the country, relevant masterclasses addressing such areas as: change management, team dynamics, emotional intelligence and behavioural coaching.

John Neal, Programme Director at Ashridge said, “To prosper and maintain success in sport or business at the highest level, you need to continually evolve and move forward, examining new and innovative ways of doing things. The ECDP is a ground breaking initiative and will contribute to the future success of rugby in England.”