Brian Ashton explains the finer points of rugby to the prep school players

Learning rugby from a professional

Brian Ashton MBE, a former head coach of the England national rugby union team, visited the College this week to run a skills workshop for players from local prep schools and to put the Epsom senior players through their paces. 

In the morning, 22 boys in years 5 and 6, together with their rugby masters, from Cranmore, Falcons Prep, Fulham Prep, New Beacon, Parkside and Priory had the opportunity to train under the guiding eye of the rugby professional. Sessions covered handling drills and encouraging the youngsters to capitalise on the creation of open space and finished with a game of touch.

Following lunch in Main Hall, the young rugby enthusiasts and their teachers were able to chat to Brian during an informal question and answer session, where he talked passionately about both his playing and managerial career.

In the afternoon, Brian spent a few hours with the College 1^st and 2^nd XV squads, taking the backs and forwards in separate sessions before bringing the whole group together for a conditioned match to assess their decision making capabilities.

A former head coach of the Ireland national team and Premiership side Bath, Brian was appointed England's head coach in December 2006 and led his country to the final of the 2007 World Cup against South Africa in France. He is currently a coaching consultant at one of his former clubs, Fylde RFC, where one of the players is former England captain and World Cup winner Jason Robinson.