U23s Winning Coach Advances to the Senior XV Setup
“This opportunity, the natural next step for me, is a culmination of the past decade where I have coached at Ship and Command level and two representative teams. My recent experience as part of the Commonwealth Cup coaching setup will provide a seamless transition and has demonstrated that my philosophy for rugby, and how it is played, is in line with the team ethos.”
A hearty congratulations to Lt Cdr Andy Vance who having led the Royal Navy u23s to Inter Services success has been selected as the backs coach for the Senior XV for the 22/23 season.
Andy is a highly motivated coach with over a decade of experience. He started his coaching journey during his last two playing years with Gosport and Fareham RFC and the Navy Mariners. Along the way he represented the RN and UKAF at both Rugby Union and Rugby League. In the 2006 edition of the Commonwealth Navies Rugby Cup, he was nominated most improved player in the RN Squad and on the back of this feat he was selected for the end of tournament BaaBaas match against False Bay.
A qualified RFU Level 2 Coach, Andy has progressed through coaching at Ship, Command and Representative (Mariners and u23s) levels as well as civilian rugby, but always with an eye for an opportunity to coach at the pinnacle of RNRU rugby. Keen to improve individual skill sets as the foundation to progress the collective performance; he is also aware of what drives a player/ team to perform “…soft skills allow me to understand the emotional aspects of the group”. An eye for the technical and the human aspect of sport indicate a capable, professional, and empathetic individual who will bring enhanced togetherness to the squad echoing the great NFL coach Vince Lombardi:
‘The challenge of every team is to build a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another because the question is usually not how well each person performs, but how well they work together.’
Primarily a backs coach, he has shown that he can break down the game to the fundamentals and coach the basic skills in rugby as well as develop the higher-level complex game plan. Due to his time as u23s and Fleet Air Arm Head Coach, he has coached about three-quarters (no pun intended) of the current Senior XV squad and his time coaching during Commonwealth Navies Rugby Cup 2022 will enable a simple transition.
Adopting an ‘All of One Team’ approach, Andy regularly attended the Senior XV camps to observe game-plan coaching to inform u23s and Mariners coaching and boost sessions both in terms of the technical aspect and in enjoyment. A natural footballer, Andy regularly played across the backline but appeared most at home in the back 3 hence supporting the Seniors as a kicking, kick return advisor for the wingers and fullback.
Navy Rugby wishes Andy and the rest of the Senior XV staff all the best for the new season culminating in returning the Inter Services Championship to Portsmouth?
The Senior XV come together for a training camp at Norton Manor in the New Year before their first fixture against Oxford University at USSG, Portsmouth on 8th February, KO: 1930.
Images by NavyFit/ Lee Crabb and Mark Deller