Why training on a Monday and Tuesday night means we field six men's teams a week, with Alex Hadley

·45 min·4 clips

Discover how the RCW Partner Club programme helps grassroots rugby clubs recruit and retain volunteer coaches with ready-made session plans.

This episode features host Dan Cottrell interviewing Alex Hadley, Director of Rugby at Battersea Ironsides and a logistics manager for England Rugby. They discuss the practical challenges and strategic solutions for coaching adult players at the grassroots level. The conversation focuses on structuring training sessions to fit the demanding lives of amateur players. Alex Hadley explains that his club trains on Monday and Tuesday nights to accommodate players who work long days in London. He advocates for a "power hour" model of focused, efficient training after work. The club dedicates Monday sessions to "big picture" and pitch-specific strategic work. Tuesday sessions are reserved for more detailed, unit-based skills and contact preparation. A key insight is that high-intensity, time-constrained sessions can increase player engagement and retention. The approach acknowledges that tired players arriving from work need concise, well-planned activities. This model helps balance the need for quality coaching with the volunteers' limited preparation time. Structuring the week with specific nightly focuses provides clarity and progression for the squad. The tone is conversational and experience-based, drawing directly from Alex Hadley's long tenure at his club. The style is practical and advisory, aimed at sharing actionable club management strategies. Grassroots coaches and club administrators seeking to improve training efficiency and player commitment would find this episode highly relevant. Listeners looking for advanced technical drills or youth coaching tips might find the focus too specific to adult amateur structures.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Rugby Coach Weekly