Trusted by players and coaches across academy, school, and performance environments.
About GDD Coaching
GDD Coaching is shaped by my experience working across academy, school, and senior rugby environments, alongside a strong academic background in sport science and educational leadership.
Over time, this combination has influenced how I think about coaching, learning, and performance. I have seen first-hand that progress is rarely driven by more information or more activity, but by clearer thinking, better alignment, and a deeper understanding of the game and the people within it. GDD Coaching exists to provide that clarity.
Professional Background and Experience
My coaching experience spans more than 20 years in professional and performance-focused environments, supporting players and coaches at different stages of their development.
This includes:
- 1st XV Backs & Attack Coach at Leicester Tigers - 4x Premiership Cup Campaigns
- Lead Academy Coach Leicester Tigers
- Lead Academy Coach Gloucester Rugby
- AASE Coach Hartpury College
- BUCS Coach Loughborough University
These environments have involved coaching players, contributing to development programmes, supporting coaches, and working within multidisciplinary teams. They have also highlighted the complexity of performance settings and the importance of context when making coaching decisions.
Academic and Coaching Credentials
Alongside applied coaching experience, my work is underpinned by formal academic study and advanced coaching qualifications.
Academic Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science: Loughborough University
- MEd Educational Leadership
- PGCE (QTS)
Coaching Qualification
- RFU Level 4 Advanced Coaching Award
This background supports an approach that values evidence, reflection, and learning design, while remaining grounded in the realities of coaching environments where time, pressure, and context matter.
A Coaching Philosophy Built on Clarity
At the core of my work is the belief that clarity drives performance. Rather than prescribing solutions, I focus on developing understanding. This allows players and coaches to adapt, make better decisions under pressure, and perform more consistently over time.
A Professional, Person-Centred Approach
Across all work, GDD Coaching is guided by a professional and person-centred ethos. Every player, coach, and organisation operates within a unique context. Effective support therefore requires listening, understanding constraints, and working collaboratively rather than imposing systems or ideas. This approach allows development to be meaningful, sustainable, and relevant to the environment it sits within. GDD Coaching is designed for players, coaches, and organisations who value thoughtful development, clarity of purpose, and performance that is built to last.