Olney RFC has announced its new look coaching team for next season, bringing in two specialist coaches with big ambitions for the Buckinghamshire club. Phil Powell takes up the Head Coach position, and Edd Rhodes becomes Assistant Coach.
Phil Powell, 29, is a Level 3 Coach and has recently worked with Northampton Saints Junior Academy, the Developing Player Programme and the U18s. He worked with Bedford Blues academy, is part of the senior coaching team with Bucks county rugby, and has been appointed head coach for the East Midlands U18 side.
Phil said: “I am delighted at being appointed Head Coach of Olney rugby club. It was an easy decision to move to a club that relishes success on the pitch but also remains a family centred club with huge support from the local community. I want to make Olney RFC the most dominant team in Buckinghamshire and a force to be reckoned with in the East Midlands.”
Edd Rhodes, 25, started playing rugby at Olney at the age of 10, and was a semi-professional player at Hull Ionians before a heart condition led to his retirement in 2012. Since then he has focused on coaching, working for the Northampton Saints Elite Player Development Group and coaching Olney’s U17s to the National Cup semi-finals and the Olney Colts to the finals of the Oceanic Cup. He is Director of Rugby at Samuel Whitbread Academy and is working towards his Level 3 coaching qualification.
Edd said: “There are many young players with huge potential at Olney. We are in a good position to develop them and build a very strong squad which I believe can achieve promotion to a higher league.”
Pre-season training at Olney RFC starts on Tuesday 28 June.