About LSRFC 2011-12

Introduction from John Wells (England Forwards Coach)

I was lucky enough to Captain Loughborough in the 1983-84 season. Coached by Rex Hazeldine and Morgan Thomas we had an outstanding side that swept just about all before them. This included a Nick Farr Jones inspired Australian Universities team beaten in front of a rapturous home crowd, a Leicestershire Cup victory at Welford Road and a magnificent Triple where Loughborough took a clean sweep of the 1st , 2nd, and 3rd team tournaments, the first time this had ever been done. The 1st XV beating a Brian Moore led Nottingham University 19-6 at Twickenham.

What a night in London and what a year of sport it was at Loughborough with the Football, Cricket and Hockey teams all winning their respective UAU titles. These were glorious times, great rugby, great spirit and great fun. The years have rolled on and leagues and professionalism changed our game hugely across the turn of the century. Loughborough Students had to adapt and boy have they done this.

The Loughborough programme includes high quality coaches across all the teams. They are backed up by strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, psychologists and game analysts. Combined with some of the finest Sports Science resources and training facilities in the country it is no wonder that the Loughborough programme is the envy of many Premiership clubs. With a top quality fixture list, an ambition to dominate the National leagues, a trophy cabinet bristling with success and Loughborough voted University of the Year 2009, you can be sure that you will develop as a player, but you will also grow as a character.

Enjoy your education at Loughborough but most off all enjoy your rugby. These are, I can assure you, the best years of your life!

John Wells
Loughborough Student 1982-85

We aim to give our club members a fantastic rugby experience.

At the elite end of the club this means preparing players for full time professional rugby.

For the rest of the club it means providing a top class rugby programme which gives them;
i. The opportunity to develop and progress through the club
ii. Experience of a strong and well run rugby programme that they can take with them wherever they travel after Loughborough.
iii. The opportunity to develop themselves as coaches [see BOOST page]
iv. The opportunity to develop in a range of voluntary posts from fitness coaching to marketing [see Club Jobs].

Across the club we provide the context for players to make friends for life.

"Your years with Loughborough Students are the best of your life. You're playing top class competitive rugby, with your best mates. The competition is brutal but the club spirit is unreal and there's loads of rugby to go around. Student life keeps you busy but there's still time to train like a full time pro."

- Andy Vilk (Treviso and England 7s)

Recent history

2011
Second on National 2 North and playoff finalists
Real Varsity Winners

2010
BUCS Champions
BUCS Trophy Champions
Real Varsity Winners
Second in National 2 North and playoff finalists

2009
Winners Dan James Memorial Trophy
Loughborough Students 23 20 England U20 [World Cup finalists]
Sixth in National 3 North
BUCS Trophy winners
Real Varsity Winners

2008
Midlands 1 League Champions
BUSA Championship finalists
Real Varsity Winners

2007
Midlands 2 East League Champions and Promotion
Real Varsity Winners

2006
BUSA Champions
BUSA Trophy Champions
BUSA 7s Winners
Leicester Cup Winners
Real Varsity Winners

2005
BUSA Champions
BUSA Trophy Champions
1st Real Varsity Winners

The Programme:

We provide a fully competitive and varied fixture list in order to maximise the development of our players along with a support team of top class coaches, sport scientists and medics. We have an empowering culture that means players have to develop their ability to take responsibility for their own performance whilst being encouraged to develop their leadership skills as far as they can take them.

On top of this we sit in the middle of a genuinely world class athletic environment. To quote Lord Coe:
"Loughborough now has the best integrated sports training environment in the world."

We run five teams supported by a strong coaching, medical and sport science support network.
1. RFU National 2 North
2. BUCS North Premiership
3. BUCS North Premiership B
4. BUCS Midlands 1A
5. Development fixtures

We believe that the fixture list is the strongest competitive fixture list in the country. All three of out BUCS teams are playing against other institutions' first XV's giving challenging fixtures all the way through the club. The depth of talent that we attract ensures that we compete strongly across all these levels.

National 2 North and BUCS 1
The first two teams train together as the Performance Squad. One team plays in RFU National 2 North and the other in the BUCS North Premiership on Wednesdays. The competitive fixture programmes are backed up by various friendlies such as Cambridge University, England U20 and The Real Varsity Match.
 
BUCS 2 and BUCS 3
The next two teams both play in the BUCS Trophy competition on Wednesdays as well as occasional friendlies.
 
Development Side
Development matches give young players the opportunity to play against adult teams of varying standard. It is used to test players in a more physically robust environment.
 
Leavers
Squad 1 players leaving the University take a variety of directions but rugby-wise would typically play in the Championship or National 1. Many players have gone on to take further degrees at Cambridge and Oxford and we have strong links with both these Universities.

Players in 2011 to sign for top tier clubs:

Charlie Matthews: Harlequins
Mike MacFarlane: Esher
Will Chudley: Newcastle Falcons
Dave Vincent: Bedford Blues

Others currently involved with Premiership clubs:

Camillo Parilli: Support package with Leicester Tigers

Questions to ask when you're choosing your University rugby programme:

1. Are there full time rugby staff? How many?
2. Does the University play on a Saturday or do players play out at clubs?
3. Would you be expected to play once a week or twice a week?
4. What coach coverage is there through the club?
5. How many teams does the University run and what level are they playing at?
6. What is the quality of tertiary support?
7. How good is the University and what is the quality of the course?

Loughborough's answers:

1. We have three full time staff. Our Head Coach, David Morris, our Skills and Attack coach James Farndon and our Rugby Club and Coach Development Officer, Alex Laybourne. We also have 9 other part time and honorary coaches working with our various squads.

2. LSRFC plays in RFU National 2 North which involves a full programme of 30 matches as well as pre-season training and matches during August. Players do not play out at clubs. The exception to this is in Squad 1 if players are getting game time in the RFU Championship or Premiership.

NB: Players on our programme are generally expected to be 100% committed to our programme.
We do have examples of joint development with Premiership Clubs. The programmes of these players are scrutinised so that they are not overplayed or over-trained. In the main we encourage players to play and train on campus during term time and spend out of term time with the partner club. We are developing more links with Premiership clubs whereby players can be released for Premiership A matches where the players development is being furthered.

3. We play players once a week. It is imperative for players development that they are suitably rested and have a constructive training and playing programme. Playing twice a week regularly, produces a heightened risk of injury, a lack of constructive strength and conditioning, a lack of training for skill development, and staleness.

4. and 5.

Club coaches [see below]

National League XV:

RFU National 2 North

Lead: David Morris
James Farndon

Manager: Haydn Coley

BUCS 1:
BUCS Premier North A
BUCS Championship

Lead: James Farndon
Dave Morris

Manager: Haydn Coley

BUCS 2:
BUCS Premier North B
BUCS Trophy

Lead: TBC
TBC

Manager: TBC

Development XV:
20 Fixtures including Oxford and Cambridge U21s.

Lead: David Doig
Richard Marelli

Manager: TBC

BUCS 3:
BUCS Midlands 1A

Lead: Alex Laybourne


Manager: John Nicolson

Women's Club:
BUCS Women's Premier North, RFU Midlands Challange 1

Chris Byrne

Physiotherapy

Lead: Aileen Taylor

Rob Leather
Phil Evans

Strength and Conditioning

Lead: John Walton

Colin Harris
Craig Holland
Chris Kinloch
Marco Dartorra

Press & PR:

Lead: Position Vacant

Media Services:

Peter Allison

6. Tertiary support:

Strength and Conditioning:
John Walton is our Strength and Conditioning coach. Our four voluntary assistants this season are Colin Harris, Chris Kinlcoh, Craig Holland and Marco Dartorra

Analysis:
We video every match from our elevated remote camera on the 1st XV pitch and have a team of student analysts working with the Sportscode analysis system. The DVDs are also available to players who are expected to inform their game through their own analysis.
Away from home at National 2 level we receive a copy of the match from the opposition. At all other levels in the club we video the match ourselves.

Performance life skills: www.loughboroughsport.com/pls

7. Loughborough University was the Times Higher University of the Year for 2009. For more information please click on the University website at www.lboro.ac.uk .