Rugby legends visits LRGS
Staff and pupils at LRGS were delighted to welcome former England rugby coach Brian Ashton MBE to the school this week. An old boy of the school, he paid a visit to offer top tips for success to some of Lancaster’s young rugby hopefuls.
Brian, who has a reputation as one of the best backs coaches in world rugby, put the 1st XV through their paces on the playing fields, giving them some invaluable coaching practice. One of the young players said afterwards: "It was a fantastic experience being coached by someone of Brian’s calibre. He has been a very influential figure for English rugby and it was a great opportunity for us to benefit from his coaching techniques and hear his views on how the game should be played. Hopefully we can now utilise Brian’s insights to develop as a team and continue our unbeaten start to the season!"
Brian was a pupil at LRGS from 1957 – 1962, where his sporting abilities shone through. The school records describe him as an ‘outstanding games player who was in both first teams’ (rugby and cricket). Since then, his rugby career has included playing for England North, Barbarians and Lancashire, and he has been a club and international rugby coach for 39 years. As England coach, he took the squad from rank outsiders in the 2007 World Cup to within 10 points of victory in the final against South Africa. He now offers a ‘transformational approach’ to sport and business coaching and is Coaching Consultant at Fylde Rugby Club.
