Ulster Rugby vs Cardiff Blues

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39 ULSTERRUGBY
RODNEY BALFOUR
CITY OF DERRY LADIES
COACH
“I am delighted to have won the Ulster
Rugby Coach of the Year Award and
it is a real honour. I didn’t know the
team were nominating me so I was
shocked when I found out I had been
shortlisted. I try my best but as a
coach you don’t often get recognised.
“I have completed several regional coaching courses
and I would take advice from Ricky Huey from Ulster
Rugby. I like to watch other coaches and learn from
them. In terms of inspiration, there was a guy Devon
Lynch that was at City of Derry. I could always see how
much he enjoyed coaching and I try to emulate his style
- you have to have a fun side, you can’t go out there and
keep preaching at the players.
“There is nothing worse than going out there and doing
the same thing every week, so I try to spice things up
whilst pushing the players on. I really enjoy seeing
players improve, it is a credit to themselves and the club
when they put in the work on the pitch and in the gym
and it is a great feeling when you can see a noticeable
improvement in their ability.
“This is great for rugby in the North West and for
women’s rugby. We are working with Gaelic clubs
to encourage more ladies to get into rugby so this
recognition might get more people out to play rugby and
encourage others to give the sport a go.”
WILBERT LEACOCK
HEAD COACH
INSTONIANS RFC
“It is a great honour to even be
nominated for Coach of the Year,
never mind win an award. It was
a great surprise; Ken Keane,
Chairman of Instonians, put me
forward and I am very honoured and proud to be a
finalist. We have had a couple of tough seasons but it’s
a great club - we have a great rugby committee and a
good coaching set up so we are back to being a rugby
club where everyone is valued.
“I have completed my Level 2 coaching qualification.
Chris Galway took me through that with the Ulster
Branch last year and I continue to keep in contact with
him. The thing I enjoy most is being around the guys, we
have a great group of players and we have worked really
hard over the past couple of seasons. The boys want
to learn and we have set up an environment where they
can do that, with 32 guys who train twice a week.
“I am coaching at my home club, which has come a long
way over the last few years so it would be fantastic. It
would be a great achievement for Instonians Rugby Club
and for the players who have bought into what myself
and the other coaching staff are trying to achieve.”
GARY DONALD
BALLYMENA BEARS
COACH,
BALLYMENA RFC
“I am over the moon to have
won the Ulster Rugby Disability
Coach of the Year 2014/15.
It is a great reflection on the
Ballymena Bears, who train every
other Sunday. There are so many people involved from
a coaching perspective and we have 26 players. This
recognition will hopefully put us on the map and help us
reach 50 players!
“I got involved in raising money for Wooden Spoon,
who support kids with a learning disability, so that
sparked the idea of establishing the Bears. I met with
Justin Fitzpatrick, who had started the Sharks team in
Dungannon for advice, and we got the Bears going in
2012.
“Tim Craig, Disability Inclusion Officer at Ulster Rugby
and Disability Sport NI have been a tremendous help in
establishing and running the Bears. I have completed
different certifications around disability inclusion and
working with children with autism. I have also completed
the Foundation coaching course with Ulster Rugby.
“There is nothing better than watching the laughs of
the kids involved on a Sunday. That really gives me a
buzz and warms my heart, I wouldn’t swap that feeling
for anything. The proudest moment for me this season
was the Wooden Spoon International Tag Festival, I was
involved in getting it off the ground and then on the day
itself the Ballymena Bears won the Fair Play Award which
was brilliant.”
STEPHEN CLARKE
HEAD COACH
FIVEMILETOWN COLLEGE
“It is a great honour to be put
forward for Coach of the Year. I
feel that being recognised as part
of the Ulster Rugby Coaching
Awards will be a great benefit for
the community - hopefully it will
lift the interest and the participation levels of rugby within
the school and also at Clogher Valley RFC.
“I went to Omagh Academy and was under the tutorage
of Jack Reid. He was a big influence on my playing
career and now as a coach. I loved the game and the
attitude of players and the culture he created so when I
went into teaching it was important to me to improve on
the work done by Kenny Towers in Fivemiletown College.
“I have completed a Referees Course, my Level 1
Coaching and I am planning on completing Level 2.
The main satisfaction that I get from coaching is seeing
the kids improve their game. My proudest moment as a
coach has to be the first time we got to a Danske Bank
High Schools’ Trophy Final in 2009, when Chris Farrell
captained the side. It was a great achievement and to
play at the home of Ulster Rugby was great.”
COACH PROFILES