Coaches Education Roundup

10th November 2025 By The Editor

A view of the Youth Coach Award in UL

It has been a busy few months throughout the province as the Munster Rugby Coach Education programme got underway for the 2025/26 season.

There have been a total of 14 courses hosted so far this season with 489 coaches in attendance.

The Coach Education programme got underway in September with four Children’s Coach Awards taking place across two weekends.

The first weekend saw the University of Limerick and Clanwilliam FC host with 20 attending the UL course and 21 making the trip to Clanwilliam.

Week two of the Munster Rugby Children’s Coach Awards were hosted by Tralee RFC and Kinsale RFC. Kinsale had 50 coaches in attendance while Tralee hosted 25.

Such was the success of this season’s Children’s courses, a further two were hosted in Virgin Media Park and one UL in October with 52 attending in Cork and 20 attending the Limerick course.

The remaining Children’s Coach Awards will be held on the 10th and 11th of January in the University of Limerick and Virgin Media Park.

To find out more information and to book your spot on one of the upcoming courses click here.

Scroll down to check out some of the best photos from this season’s Children’s Coach Award.

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Virgin Media Park

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Virgin Media Park

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Tralee RFC

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Tralee RFC

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Kinsale RFC

A view of the Children’s Coach Award in Kinsale RFC

The Munster Rugby Youth Coach Award is an introduction to coaching the 15-a-side game for coaches and helpers with limited experience in rugby.

A total of four courses have been hosted so far this season with 261 coaches in attendance.

Two courses were hosted in rugby clubs as 40 coaches attended the Dungarvan RFC course while 28 coaches headed east to Killarney RFC.

UL and Virgin Media Park also hosted two very successful courses each with 93 coaches making the trip to Limerick while a further 100 attended the Cork based course.

We caught up with coach Tadgh O’Donovan after the course in Virgin Media Park to find out what he had learnt a the course and how he found the day.

Video | Youth Coach Course 2025

Scroll down to check out some of the best photos from this season’s Youth Coach Award.

A view of the Youth Coach Award in UL

A view of the Youth Coach Award in UL

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Virgin Media Park

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Virgin Media Park

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Virgin Media Park

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Killarney RFC

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Killarney RFC

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Dungarvan RFC

A view of the Youth Coach Award in Dungarvan RFC

As well as our Children’s and Youth’s Awards we also hosted a well attended IRFU Senior Coach Award.

40 coaches attended UL on the day.

The day consisted of the coaches learning about athletic development, scrum and line-out, backline play, general play in both attack and defence, and kick restarts. After being educated by the tutors the coaches were then encouraged to lead their own drills at different stages to teach them how best to coach certain aspects of the game.

We caught up with Rugby Development Officer Euan Gee and Old Crescent coach Brian Collins after the course to find out more about the day.

Video | Behind The Scenes At The Munster Rugby Senior Coaching Course

This season also saw the continuation of our Active Coaching Badges (ACBs).

Active Coaching Badges are continuing professional development programme to supplement coaching awards.

They are intended to provide coaches who have achieved the IRFU Children Coach, Youth Coach or Senior Coach Award(s) with information and opportunities to ensure that learning and development of your coaching skills continue throughout the season.

We recently held a well attended Scrum Workshop hosted by Seamus Toomey, current IRFU Performance Pathway Scrum Coach, and Stephen Archer, former Munster and Irish international prop.

The new Centre of Excellence dome in Virgin Media Park was the perfect location for the workshop where coaches were taken through the nitty gritty elements of the scrum and the best way to coach it.

Check out some of the best shots from the workshop below.