
Building the future of English rugby, with Steve Grainger
From Rugby Coach Weekly by Dan Cottrell
February 11, 2026 · 51 min · Season 13 · Episode 6
About this episode
Dan Cottrell interviews Steve Grainger about the evolution and current state of grassroots rugby in England.
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell sits down with Steve Grainger, Executive Director of Rugby Development at England Rugby, for an open and thoughtful conversation about the state of the community game. They explore how rugby is changing at grassroots level, from schools and clubs to coach education, workforce models, and the rise of T1 Rugby. Steve shares what has stayed stubbornly the same over decades, what has genuinely evolved since 2011, and...
People in this episode
Host: Dan Cottrell
Guest: Steve Grainger
Topics covered
- rugby
- community game
- grassroots development
- coach education
- sports evolution
Keywords
- English rugby
- community game
- T1 Rugby
- coach education
- workforce models
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