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Former England hooker named as new Jersey Reds forward coach
Jersey Reds have announced former England hooker Rob Webber as the club’s new forwards coach.
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Webber will take on the forwards coach role following the departure of Neil Tunnah, who confirmed recently that he’ll be leaving the Reds this summer after three years.
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Webber, who is in the final season of a playing career that included 16 international caps and more than 300 appearances at the top level of domestic rugby, will move to the Island this summer to link up with former team-mate Harvey Biljon, the Reds’ Director of Rugby.
Biljon said he was looking forward to welcoming Webber to the Island.
‘We’ve spoken to some very high-quality individuals about the role, but Rob stood out and I’ve had a lot of positive endorsements from people I respect,” he said. “He knows the game and is very articulate and I believe his character will really transmit itself to the others he’ll be working with.
“There’s a lot of excitement about Rob’s arrival and it will be great to have him working in harness with [Assistant Coach] Ed Robinson – two really promising young English coaches.”
Webber, 33, who will move to the Island with his wife Lauren and daughter Ronnie, said:
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“I am really excited about moving to Jersey and joining The Reds’ coaching team. It’s a great opportunity for me and my family as I set out on the next phase of my career.
“It is an exciting squad that Harvey and the guys are putting together and I look forward to contributing to helping the lads push on.
“I’d like to thank Harvey and [Reds Chairman] Mark Morgan for giving me the opportunity.”
Born in York in August 1986, Webber enjoyed a sixteen-year career that has seen him represent Leeds Tykes, Wasps, Bath Rugby and Sale Sharks at the end of season after deciding to pursue other opportunities within rugby.
He started his career at Leeds Tykes in 2003 after growing up playing grassroots rugby in Yorkshire for Pocklington RUFC.
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He made two appearances for Leeds in the European Challenge Cup during his two years at the club, before moving south to Wasps in 2005, where he made his name in the sport. After four seasons at Adams Park, Webber got his first taste of international rugby after being named in the England Saxons squad for the 2009 Churchill Cup.
A call up to the Senior England squad followed in 2010 ahead of the annual summer tour, with Webber making his full debut in a non-capped game vs the New Zealand Mauri in Napier. Webber would go on to win 16 caps in total for England throughout the next four seasons, eventually finishing his international career at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The combative hooker went on to make over 100 appearances for the now Coventry based Wasps between 2005 and 2012, during which time the club celebrated both European and Premiership successes.
After seven years at Wasps, he made the move to Bath Rugby at the end of the 2011/12 season where he played 82 games and helped guide the blue, black and white to a Premiership Rugby Final in 2015, losing out to Saracens at Twickenham.
After signing for Sale ahead of the 2016/17 Premiership season, the then 29-year-old found a new lease of life in Manchester and found some of the best form of his career in a Sharks shirt. Webber has made over 90 appearances for Sale since joining and will likely reach his century of games in navy blue before hanging up his boots at the end of the season.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments