As part of our Year 12/13 Academy reviews we interviewed several Academy coaches. This one was with Tom Redfern who recently took over as Head of Rugby of the newly formed Ealing Trailfinders – Henley College Academy .
Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy Manager
When did you start playing rugby?
I grew up in Shropshire and played my minis rugby at Kidderminster RFC and then as a junior at Bridgnorth RFC from U12’s. One of the most inspiring not only coaches but leaders that I will always remember was John Madden who was my coach at Bridgnorth Rugby Club. I was part of the county team and also became part of the Worcester AASE Academy. During my time there it was headed up my Matt Sherratt (now backs coach at Worcester Warriors). I was not offered a senior academy contract but at the end of my Year 13 I had taken an interest in coaching so Worcester were happy to allow me to stay on and I was going to move to a scholarship programme alongside University.
This did not transpire and so I took on a coaching role in Mantova (northern Italy) where I also played rugby. After a short season there I returned for a season and played 9/10 for Malvern RFC (in Nat 3). In 2013
I still wanted to pursue my coaching and headed to Brazil where I coached and played (near Sao Paolo, Brazil). This gave me great insight into local community rugby and working in this environment was sometimes a challenge but one that I look back on with fond memories. After 18 months after I finished I had a short term contract in the US where I supported the head coach at Dallas Griffins (now Dallas Jackals). I eventually came back to the UK in 2015 and continued my career as a CRC (Community Rugby Coach) in London before progressing to an RDO (Regional Development Office) in Hertfordshire both working for England Rugby. I was moving more and more into a back office role and still very keen to part of the frontline coaching which is what I had enjoyed. After almost 5 years I heard about the Ealing Trailfinders Academy / Henley College development and decided to apply where I could be more dynamic and make a difference. I have been here since August 2020.
Did you play any other sports or was rugby your only sport?
Yes, in fact my main sport for many years was cricket where I was a leg spinner and played county cricket for Shropshire (age grade) but transitioned to rugby as my main sport in my teens.
What is the set-up like at Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy?
Ealing Trailfinders (as part of their comprehensive Rugby & academic programme) decided that they would (on top of their Brunel University pathway) invest in and support the Academy here which is now part of their recognised academy pathway. Off the back of the support and partnership the college has received the installation of a brand new gym. However one of the largest investments is the hiring of several fulltime staff that we do not need to share with other teams within the Ealing Trailfinders Academy. We envisage this will provide an even greater platform of support and engagement for the players who get accepted to Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy.
Our fulltime staff (not session based) include;
| ROLE | STAFF & SUPPORT |
| Head Coach | Tom Redfern |
| Forwards Coach | Max McGinn (ex Chinnor now Henley Hawks) |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Colm O’Sullivan (formerly Bath/Ealing and Munster)) |
| Physiotherapist | Lydia Rampin (formerly Millfield School) |
| Analysis (Coach Logic) | Rhys Mynott |
- Our intention next season is to add an additional forwards coach, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Physio and Girls Rugby Coaches (who will be full time coaches).
How do you manage the players who do not get Senior Academy contracts?
As we know over 95% of players that come through both the Academy (Inc. ACE) programmes, do NOT get a senior Academy contracts. We at Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy have put a large focus on talent development so that the skills and behaviours will support them through University and business. So if Rugby doesn’t fall through for them then they have a degree, a levels or an apprenticeship to fall back on. We work with the players on showreels, references and personal statements for Universities.
As part of the Ealing Trailfinders we also have strong corporate and business partnerships that we hope will help support apprenticeships/employment for those who choose this path based upon the discipline and behaviour traits that we help them to attain .
What is the process for being accepted to Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy?
We have both interviews for players based upon academia requirements as well as rugby trials themselves.
Rearranged Trial Date is 15th May
Do you offer day and weekly boarders at Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy?
Yes, we offer for players to live with hosted families (in Henley) as well as a dedicated student accommodation (based in High Wycombe).and we bus them into Henley daily. So boys have the option of travelling or boarding during the week. In the student accommodation we also will have a house master who will live there to support the boys independent living.
From an education perspective what options are available to students?
Henley College have a strong academic record within the rugby academy and the college currently stated by OFSTED as being “GOOD”. Students are able to study curriculums for both BTEC and A Levels.
With the new season approaching what will a typical week look like?
| DAY | MORNING | AFTERNOON |
| Monday | 7-9 am – Training and S&C / 9.10.30am Training (2 Groups) | Team Run / Units |
| Tuesday | 7-9am Gym /Skills/Units | |
| Wednesday | Travel (if required) * | Match(es) Two teams |
| Thursday | Recovery/Nutrition/Mental Wellbeing/Mental Skills | Analysis |
| Friday Afternoon | 7-9 am – Training and S&C / 9.10.30am Training (2 Groups) |
* We do not expect injured players to travel but they will train/recovery sessions as part of their own IDP. They will have their own individual sessions and programmes to do whilst injured to ensure they use the time off the field as an opportunity to improve in others.
· We would also hold training sessions at Brunel University when/where we deem it appropriate.
· We will also create IDPs (Individual Development Plans) for the players. From this we will create additional coaching “layers” into the programme and sessions and additional support available with sessions such as “speed” or “power”.
Do you support players who are in other Academy’s?
Two of our players are also in the main London Irish Academy. Over and above the Henley College Academy squad we also have the ability to play within the Ealing Trailfinders EPP. For those selected for other premiership academies OR Ealing Trailfinders Academy they will also train on a Monday evening.
So are you saying there is not a limit on the players exposure by coming to Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy?
We have a player supportive arrangement with London Irish to ensure that any players that are good enough to play in the London Irish Academy can continue to do so if they wish. At the end of the day, we are an academic institution looking to support the development of young players. If a player comes to us that is at an RFU academy then that is great for their development. We can always offer them a different route whilst training at Henley into Brunel university if they so wish. Our pathway enables players to have opportunity to develop whilst ensuring they get a good educational qualification to succeed in society.
What other benefits do the Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy get that we might not be aware of?
We intend to play our home matches at both Henley but when the opportunity permits also play at Ealing Trailfinders home ground as a curtain raiser for 1st team fixtures. We believe this will give the boys a greater sense of the occasion and development.
As we have an established pathway with Brunel as a University pathway we will hold additional training sessions at Brunel University where we deem it appropriate and work with players (if they choose to) transition to Brunel.
One of the major developments that we will have at Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy is the launch of a girls Academy for Season 2021/22. This will run alongside the boys Academy and it that it will be based at Henley but will have its own staff and structure. They will also have the option of dedicated student accommodation OR hosted family living. We have also had further investment set aside to provide some scholarships for the girls academy.
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Can you expand on the Girls Academy as this is a great new initiative, how will this be run?
We will be running the girls academy as a parallel academy to that of the boys. Our intake for 2021/2022 Season will be for 40/45 girls and we have already had interest from more than 60.
We already have Heads for the Girls Academy in Kat Merchant (former England Rose player who will be assisted by Kim Oliver (also England Rose player and former head of Women’s rugby at Bristol Women). They have a blank sheet and we are already starting to recruit for new fulltime physio, S&C ready for the new season.
What fixtures will the girls teams play?
The will play in the SE Development league and so will also play teams like Worthing, Exeter, Hartpury, SGS Filton etc. so it will be a unique and competitive level and aims to be one of the most comprehensive rugby schemes in the country.
Do you allow players to play for their clubs or county?
Yes, we do allow players to play for clubs or county so as long as it fits within their Individual Development Plan to balance out their game time.
Who are some of the Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy Alumni?
| PLAYER | UNI / CLUB / HONOURS |
| Arun Watkins | Ealing Trailfinders Senior Academy / Brunel University Scholarship |
| Luke Talbot | Ealing Trailfinders Senior Academy |
| Scott Harman | Ealing Trailfinders Senior Academy |
| Mason Nichols | Nottingham Trent University Scholarship |
| Jack Willis | Wasps 1st XV & England |
| Tom Willis | Wasps 1st XV |
| Will Simmonds | Wasps 1st XV |
| Dan Barnes | Jersey Reds 1st XV (Championship) |
| Alec Hepburn | Exeter Chiefs 1st XV |
| Mario Pichardie | Wasps Senior Academy (on loan 2020/21 with Coventry 1st XV -Championship) |
We understand that Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy Alumni have not been given ACE Academy status for the 2020/2021 season, how will this affect players coming to you?
We have already put plans into place on how we will provide the most comprehensive U18 Rugby offering in the country. On reflection, given that 70% of players who are signed to senior Academies come from private/independent schools we have decided to ensure that we play many of these schools to provide a stronger fixtures list. As we are looking to run upto 3 teams this will also ensure that players can all maximise their game and rugby development skills in a rugby environment rather than trying to simply focus on a single team winning games. We have already setup pre-season matches against teams such as Cranleigh, Campion and Shiplake College and will be working on others to challenge the new intake of players.
Finally, as the Head Coach what would you say to your younger self if you were given the opportunity to join the Ealing Trailfinders / Henley College Academy?
“Enjoy the journey, the hardwork, the attention to detail and know that resilience and hard work will always prevail and will open up doors for you”
Tom Redfearn
Ealing Trailfinders Academy Manager (Henley College)
