Matt Everard promoted to Transition Coach

[RBB]

https://www.wasps.co.uk/news/matt-everard-promoted-to-transition-coach/

[Raggs]

Like the idea, clearly a well liked coach, and hopefully it'll help a smooth transition for those youngsters, and keep them positive (and staying with Wasps).

[Neils]

Interesting. Didn't realise he was so young. I still think new/additional blood is required.

[Rory87]

Really good move by the club. To have such a big crop of players transitionning in one go will require greater care and attention, something that shouldn't come at the expense of the rest of the coaching. So to have someone dedicated to this to allow the rest of the coaching set-up do what they do, means that the chances of these players becoming a success at Wasps has only improved.

[Heathen]

Excellent forward thinking. A very positive move by Dai.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

This is what I was talking about yesterday. Building the coaching team from within. It is what teams like Sarries and chiefs have done so well. Parachuting in big names is all very well, but often does not work, and costs a lot.

[Brandnewtorugby]

This is brilliant news, I have everything crossed hoping this all comes together. There were comments about training in the Costello Tweets, have Wasps been quietly upskilling and developing from within.

[Shugs]

Looks like an eminently sensible move to me. Really looking forward to our seven academy players getting a chance next year and this can only help.

[Lwasp]

Pleased to see this. Just maybe, he whispers quietly with fingers crossed, we are starting to see the positive results following the upheaval the Coventry move caused.

If we see another crop, not necessarily 7 again, but more than 1 or 2, of academy graduates again next year we can have real hope for the future.

[JonnyD]

Interesting. Didn't realise he was so young. I still think new/additional blood is required.

Yes despite Everard looking about 40 when he was 18 he came through in the same Eng U20 side as Jones, Launchbury, Wade, Farrell Ford et al

[InBetweenWasp]

Interesting. Didn't realise he was so young. I still think new/additional blood is required.

Perhaps it me mis-interpreting it (easy to do on these Forums) but reads like a fairly negative comment as I don’t think it was suggested this is as an alternative to new/additional coaching staff which I think we all agree needs bolstering and it appears we’re openly recruiting for.

I like this appointment a lot - It shows continued investment in the Academy players who are offered first-team contracts and seems pastoral as much as technical.  I’m sure it’ll do them a world of good to have a familiar face involved with them day-to-day as they up the pace, power and intensity of training and matches as well as the pressure that it comes with.

Given the continued focus on the mental wellbeing of players it strikes me as an excellent bit of man-management (be it by the board, Dai or any other Member of the team who suggested it).

[Neils]

Certainly NOT negative. This was a comment just after the announcement. I view it as extremely positive especially after looking at his twitty feed line thingy. My very short point was that I still see room for additional coaching staff.

[Chunky24]

I think these transition coach positions are becoming more common and more important and are particularly suited to promotions from within be that current coaches or former players who understand the club, players and difficulties from the inside.
I have just spent 2 excellent days at Sixways where my daughter was attending their first Girls Only Rugby camp, a joint venture between Warriors Men and Women. Over 100 girls attended and the event was led by the Worcester Academy Transition Coach (and former player) Matthew Jones supported by many of the Warriors Women players.
As an aside they are running another one in the summer if anyone is relatively close to Worcester and knows of girls 6 - 16 who might be interested.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

Really pleased this is out in the open now! A fantastic appointment that can only help massively over the next season.

I think its worth mentioning that the powers that be are fully aware that the variable that has been shown to have the biggest impact on a side is the number of coaching hours available to the players. The more there are the better the squad perform. And so I doubt very much if this is the last addition to the senior coaching team.

[Chilham]

Smart move.