Yorkshire RFU

Press Release

Tom Gilchrist to join Yorkshire Rugby Academy on Full Time Basis

Yorkshire Rugby Academy is pleased to announce that, after a lengthy interview process, Tom Gilchrist will join the staff on a full-time basis as Head Coach.
His role will encompass not only leading the Under 18 group, but to support the design and implementation of an aligned pathway curriculum from Under 14 DPP through to the Academy League squad.

Tom has been leading on the Under 18 programme for the past two seasons alongside his role as Head of Rugby at the Academy’s state school partner, Bishop Burton College.

Programme Lead Stuart Dixon commented: “We were delighted at the strength of applicants and thank them all for making this a tough decision, however, Tom demonstrated a deep understanding of the pathway across Yorkshire, the need to engage with all stakeholders nationally, and the constraints that we operate under in comparison to the other thirteen academies.”
“This appointment will allow us to take the next step into how we support our players better in their own environments, and not just when they come into academy training sessions.”

Tom said of the new role: "The opportunity to be involved full time and provide the additional support needed to our academy group is something I cannot wait to build on. I am really excited by the plans we have in place for the Yorkshire Rugby Academy over the coming seasons.

Stuart has a clear vision for how the Academy will thrive in our unique situation. I’m eager to support him and drive our experienced delivery team in developing our players, by building on the promising work that has already established since the Academy restarted 18 months ago.

We have hugely talented players and a vast playing pool within Yorkshire, combined with the strength of our partner colleges, schools and club programmes, we are confident in our ability to provide the best opportunity for everyone in our academy system. We continue to build genuine routes into professional and semi-professional environments, and set foundations to those looking to pursue a career in the game".