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Rory Teague is returning to the club where it all started for him

Rory Teague in action in 2017 during his time as England skills coach (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The Teague name has long been associated with Gloucester and that link has been renewed with the development that Rory Teague has returned to the club where he started his playing career as he takes on the role of skills coach.

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Gloucester-born Teague began his playing career at Kingsholm before moving down the M5 to join Bristol. He subsequently spent several years playing in France before moving into coaching at a relatively young age as he took a role at Harrow School.

He has since gone on to build an impressive coaching resume, spending time with Saracens and Wasps before moving into the international arena with a successful spell as backs and attack coach with England under-20s, a period that included the team winning the Junior World Championship in 2016.

Teague then worked with the senior England team as skills coach until he returned to France to join Bordeaux-Begles. Initially undertaking the role of backs coach, he then became the youngest head coach of a European top-flight club when he moved into that role in January 2018.

However, he now returns to where it all began as he joins Johan Ackermann’s coaching staff at Gloucester as the club’s new skills coach. Director of Rugby David Humphreys told the club website that he will be a valuable addition. “In a relatively short space of time, Rory has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience coaching at a number of different levels. 

“Working at age-group and full international level with England, as well as with English and French clubs, Rory has developed a coaching philosophy that we fit well into our current set-up.

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“As a club, we made some real progress last season. But we have to keep moving on, looking forward and continuing to make improvements. Rory’s appointment will complement the existing coaching structure and help us to move to the next level.”

Teague himself can’t wait to get stuck into his new role. “I’m delighted to be joining Gloucester. Most people will be aware of the family connection with the club and it’s exciting to be coming back home and working with my hometown club.

“I’ve watched the progress that the club has made over the past couple of seasons, and have been very impressed with how things have moved on under Johan Ackermann. When I spoke to Johan and David Humphreys about their ambitions for the club, I quickly decided that it was something that I very much wanted to be part of.

“It’s a talented squad, it’s a strong coaching set-up and I’m looking forward to sharing the experience I’ve built up over the past few years. It’s incredibly exciting and I can’t wait to get started, especially the matchdays at Kingsholm in front of the incredible Gloucester supporters.”

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GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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