Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Ex-England hooker Tommy Taylor's coaching career moves up a step

BRIDGEND, WALES - APRIL 06: Tommy Taylor of Sale Sharks looks on as he walks out of the tunnel to inspect the pitch prior to the EPCR Challenge Cup Round Of 16 match between Ospreys and Sale Sharks at Brewery Field on April 06, 2024 in Bridgend, Wales. (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images for Sale Sharks) (Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images for Sale Sharks)

Former England hooker Tommy Taylor has been appointed as forwards coach at National 1 side Sedgley Park, after impressing as new England coach Byron McGuigan’s sidekick at Lancashire outfit Rossendale.

ADVERTISEMENT

The former Sale Sharks team-mates led Rossendale to promotion to National 2 North in 2024/25, but Taylor will be working a level up at nearby Sedgley Park next season, alongside his new full-time job in leadership and performance.

Taylor, who was capped against Wales in 2016, confirmed last month that he’d been forced to retire from playing due to injury, having not featured at all this season.

He played around 250 games of pro rugby during two spells at Sale, either side of five seasons at Wasps, but now his focus is on his new day job, coaching and recovering from the nerve damage that led to him hanging up his boots.

“Every player wants to retire on their own terms, but sadly, that hasn’t been the case for me,” he said in a column in The Rugby Paper.

“My back went into spasm during training, and then over the next few days, I started to get a lot of nerve pain and my leg just switched off. I lost a lot of strength down the back of my left leg, in my calf and hamstring, and it still hasn’t come back.  I’m alright driving, but it’s left me with a bit of a limp and I definitely can’t run.

“I had a back operation to remove the disc that caused the nerve damage and now it’s just waiting for the movement to come back. I’d like to play football with my kids, I’ve got a three-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy, and I am hopping around after them at the moment, which isn’t ideal.

ADVERTISEMENT

“As much as injuries stalled my career at times, and ultimately finished it off, they gave me a great opportunity to get out of the bubble of professional sport and explore how I can develop outside of the game,” he added.

“I did a Leadership & Management degree in my early 20s and have always found leadership coaching fascinating. This has led me to Leading-Edge-Performance, who have been brilliant to work with over the past few years, and now to work for them full-time.”

While Taylor’s coaching is trending upwards, McGuigan, the defence coach at Sale, has reached the top, having been selected to be part of Steve Borthwick’s backroom team for this summer’s England tour to Argentina and the USA.

“I couldn’t imagine not being involved in rugby to some degree, and this year I’ve been coaching Rossendale with Byron McGuigan. I’ve taught him everything! He needed my help getting promotion after three years of trying, which we got, and now he is an England coach! I’d say he owes me a pint.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Next season I’m going to be at Sedgley Park, as part of Scott Barrow’s coaching team, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Related

 

Download the RugbyPass app now!

News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now!

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

France v New Zealand | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

England v Wales | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Tattoos & Rugby: Why are tattoos so popular with sportspeople? | Amber Schonert | Rugby Rising Locker Room Season 2

Lions Share | Episode 3

Zimbabwe vs Kenya | Rugby Africa Cup Semi Final | Full Match Replay

USA vs Spain | Men's International | Full Match Replay

Portugal vs Ireland | Men's International | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

P
PM 35 minutes ago
Why Henry Pollock's x-factor could earn him a Lions Test start

Nick,

I am a long suffering England fan, who has had to endure watching 4 years of dull rugby, poor selections and painful defeats. Steve Borthwick talks about GPS and picks squads by numbers and then we put in a poor performance on the pitch - it’s been a consistent trend.


Something changed in the Six Nations and we totally changed our style (literally overnight) and played some really good footie, which finally felt like positive rugby for a change.


Genge has regained his pore-Covid form and is looking back to his best and is head and shoulders above Porter.


Chessum has had a good year and hasn’t played a poor International game this season.


Tom Curry was outstanding in the 6 Nations but they have been playing him at 6, wheras he is better at 7 and is lethal at the breakdown.


Tom Willis was brought into the starting team at 8 and has been one of the best England players over the last year, who should have been on this Lions tour at 8. Earl had his best game since 2020 last week - not sure 1 game warrants Lions selection over a poor combination side and he is certainly second choice for his club 7 country behind Willis.


Pollock will be a good player but like all young emerging players, he is inconsistent and can go quiet in games, which is why Curry should be the starter at 7. He brings energy to games, which is why he is good from the bench but there is an argument to say he is the 5th best England openside (Curry x2, Underhill & Earl are currently better) but will improve over the next 5 years. We just need to stop the media building him up for a fall, let him play and develop and you will see a sensational Henry Pollock for the Lions in 4 years time.


Lions will be too powerful over 80 mins, so doesn’t really matter who they pick. Just please don’t put too much hype on Pollock. His 20 mins of International rugby going into this tour were positive but the media caused a frenzy and no other player would be selected on this basis.


Let’s enjoy the rugby and give Pollock the space and time he requires.

100 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Joe Heyes' coming of age has wiped out a key England weakness Joe Heyes' coming of age has wiped out a key England weakness