Ulster Rugby vs Cardiff Blues

COACH PROFILES

RODNEY BALFOUR CITY OF DERRY LADIES COACH

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

“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

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 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.” “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

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.”

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