Navy Rugby’s Former Strength Coach – Inducted in to Hall of Fame
A key component of the 2010 Inter Services success for the Royal Navy was the backroom staff. One of those, Sean Cole, a former POPT has just been inducted into the Royal Navy’s Physical Training Branch’s Hall of Fame.
Sean Cole’s role behind the scenes cannot be under estimated. Building on the foundations laid by Mark Twiggs (now with Exeter Chiefs) and Greg Andrews, Sean redesigned the whole strength and conditioning programme for the Senior XV players. The greatest praise for his efforts probably came, inadvertently, from the Army who commented on how physical and conditioned the side were at the annual Twickenham encounter. Having endured many an Army Navy match when the team fell away in the last quarter it was perhaps apposite that the first time the lead was held, in 2010, was during the last five minutes.
Sean though was not just a backroom coach. During his time with Royal Navy rugby he was still an active powerlifting competitor and it his achievements in this field that have deservedly been rewarded with his induction in to the Hall of Fame. In 2009 Sean became the World Powerlifting Champion for the deadlift and earlier this year was the winner of the Bigger Stronger Faster UK competition. Having been a founding member of the Royal Navy’s Powerlifting Association he bowed out of Royal Navy competition with a personal best squat of 180kg, not bad for someone who is less than 75kg himself.
Sean’s dedication to his sport was infectious and his legacy still remains within many aspects of Navy Rugby. All at the Royal Navy Rugby Union congratulate Sean on being inducted to the Physical Training Branch’s Hall of Fame, at HMS Temeraire, and wish him luck in his new venture with SC Vital Fitness.
By Geraint Ashton Jones