Bird and LJ welcome Kate Burke, Lead Pathway Analyst with England Rugby. Kate has an MSc in Sports Analysis. After working in Wales with academy teams, she moved to the RFU in 2008, working with U18s and covering the men’s teams. She then joined Bath for two years as head of analysis, before returning to the RFU to oversee analysis provision across the pathway, women’s, 7’s and referees’ departments.
In the podcast, Bird and LJ asked the following questions:
Why did you choose to study sports analysis?
Has rugby always been the sport you wanted to work within?
What would you say have been your biggest challenges working within rugby?
Have you worked with any coaches or in any environments that have had a lasting impression on how you now operate in your day-to-day work?
What might a typical week look like for a performance analysis working in a professional rugby environment?
Have you seen the analysis role develop/change since you started in 2007?
How/what do you feedback to players/coaches in terms of previews and reviews?
How can a community coach, with a minimal budget, start building analysis into their environment? Are there any key areas that you would suggest focusing on?
Are there any good online platforms/apps that you would recommend to coaches who want to utilise video footage more during their training week?
What equipment would you suggest to get started?
Have you seen any good practices from other sports that you think we could utilise in rugby to help develop our players and coaches?
What current trends do you see developing within the game at the moment?
Where do you see the game going over the next season?
Bird and LJ welcome Katie Sadleir, general manager Women's Rugby with World Rugby since 2016 and was recognised as one of the top 10 rugby influencers (Rugby World Magazine 2020). MORE
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Adams catch up with former England international flanker Maggie Alphonsi MBE. Maggie, who is now a regular TV pundit and writes in The Daily Telegraph, was one of the world's best players, with 74 caps for England and 28 tries. She helped England win a World Cup and seven consecutive Six Nations crowns. MORE
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Sophie Bennett, the Bath team manager. Sophie, having played and coached rugby herself, she was the WRU National Programme Co-ordinator. This role included team management of Wales U16s boys, Wales Women (XVs and 7s) and Cardiff Blues age groups. She was also team manager of Great Britain 7s. MORE
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Worcester Warrior coaches, Jo Yapp and Sian Moore. LJ's team Wasps had just beaten the Warriors, so there was a bit of fun to be had before they delved into the questions. MORE
Liza “Bird” Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Kim Oliver. Kim is currently in her fourth season as head coach at Premiership team Bristol Women's team. She won 43 caps for England as a centre, worked as a community coach with Bath, spent two years in Gibraltar as a rugby development officer. MORE
Liza Bird Burgess and LJ Lewis discuss a round of questions about the practicalities of the game. In this episode, they are with Tania Rosser. Tania won more than 50 caps for Ireland, is a level 4 coach, plus played international netball and touch rugby. New Zealand born, she featured in three world cups for Ireland. She currently coaches the Clontarf J1 men's team, while working as a primary school teacher. MORE