Gilbert was, this month, put through his paces on a WRU accredited Level 1 children’s coaching course – designed for volunteers running teams at U7 to U13 level throughout rugby clubs in Wales – as part of filming for his ‘Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience’ show culminating in an appearance at a rugby festival on Sunday.
The Carmarthenshire-born star also trained with the Women’s national side at the WRU National Centre of excellence to sample what coaching is like at the elite end of the game, before putting his newfound knowledge into practice with Whitland Junior Borderers RFC in West Wales.
The comic has been taking regular training sessions with the U8s on Friday nights at Parc Dr Owen in preparation for the climax to his show, the season opening invitation festival hosted at the club held on Sunday morning.
Gilbert, who grew up in Carmarthen, was fast-tracked by the WRU to a position where he felt comfortable coaching the Tag version of the game.
The 47-year-old, who also hosts a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio Wales, played rugby locally until well into his 20s and professes to have never scored a single point despite a 10 year plus career as a back, but has relished the opportunity to coach.
“Rhod took to the task extremely well, he was the life and soul of the group as you’d expect, but he also took things very seriously and wanted to get things right and do a good job when he went out to his chosen club,” said Jonathan Evans, the coach development officer at the WRU who trained Gilbert in the fine art of coaching at the junior level of the game, when he joined one of the regular courses held around the country.
“Just like a lot of the coaches who come to do the Level One course, which is specifically designed to help the volunteers that are the lifeblood of the game throughout the country, I’m sure he was sceptical about what advice he would receive and maybe even worried about what would be required of him.
“But we offer a general grounding in coaching for all and we are extremely accessible. We do try to set a standard so we are all coaching in the same way, but the main aim of the course is to give the volunteers, who are out safeguarding the future of our game, the resources, knowledge and confidence to do the best job they can.
“We have a relevant course out there for every coach at every level and we are very much hoping that Rhod Gilbert will inspire people to follow in his footsteps – both existing coaches to get themselves officially qualified and for new coaches to join a local club.”
The course is a 1st4sport Qualification developed in partnership with the RFU, SRU and WRU and is open to anyone coaching the game of rugby union at a junior level, with clubs in Wales incentivised to get their coaches trained up by a WRU reward scheme.
Last year more than 800 coaches passed through one of the WRU courses at various levels as the Union aims to upskill, enthuse and support its network of volunteers throughout the grass roots game.
Whitland RFC chairman Jason Bowen Gilbert an honorary vice-president of the club after the TV comedian led his clubs U8s side this Sunday.
“Rhod has made a great impact on the club and you only have to look at the hundreds of children and parents who came along to our festival this weekend to be able to see that in real terms,” said Bowen.
“He has sprinkled the club with a little stardust and the children and parents will remember the experience for many years to come.
“We are blessed to have a great pedigree of ex-players supporting Whitland RFC, not least three current internationals in Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies and Mike Phillips, who is still a kit sponsor for the junior sides.
“And now with Rhod as an honorary vice-president and his show airing next year everyone in Wales will be able to see what a great club this is.
“We are all now very much looking forward to watching now next year when I’m sure the children will be the stars of the show.”
Whiltand’s U8s squad took on sides from Loughor, Llangwm, Milford and St Davids at the invitation tournament on Sunday.
“In TV, there’s an old saying.. “never work with children or animals”, but in my experience, that’s always the most fun, and the Whitland kids were no exception…natural TV stars, all of them,” added Gilbert.
“The children have been hilarious, and the experience of coaching at this level of the game is one which I’ve found to be particularly rewarding.
“You don’t necessarily realise all the hard work that goes into a weekend festival like the one in Whitland, with up to fifteen visiting teams from around the area across all the junior age groups.
“The coaches and managers at Whitland and the many other clubs throughout Wales are all volunteers and they give up their time for the love of the game and so the kids can play.
“I have found the whole experience to be exhilarating, not without its challenges, but ultimately, very, very rewarding.”
Local school club hub officer Geraint Evans, who is charged by the WRU with the task of uniting schools and club rugby in Carmarthenshire hailed the Whitland festival as success.
“There were hundreds of children in Whitland today and over a thousand people when you include the parents here watching,” he said.
“This is what rugby is all about at the community level and it is on the generosity of spirit and dedication of volunteers like these, in terms of giving of time and experience, that Welsh rugby is built.”
To book a WRU accredited Level 1 course or for any further enquiries about the range of coaching courses available visit wrucoachinglocker.co.uk
‘Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience’ will be shown on BBC One Wales next year, full schedule information to be confirmed.
