'My words had impact': How Laura Delgado is finding her feet in full-time coaching

Tuesday 30 June 2026. A day that I will never forget. The day that I became a full-time coach.

48 hours before arriving in the USA, I was playing for the Barbarians in my last official game at Allianz Stadium. I shared the locker room with so many friends and colleagues. After the game, I went to the Harlequins cottages to get my things and boarded the plane, my destination set for Minneapolis, to join Women’s Elite Rugby’s Twin Cities Gemini as an assistant.

It was an intense start to this new adventure. I headed straight to practice after arriving. The girls were incredible from the get-go. However, I have to say it was weird to be involved in a training session without being a player. After so many years working on my skills, honing my scrummaging abilities, I was there to solely coach and help players become better.

While I had already started to advise the team via Zoom calls, this was a completely different and new experience, one that I relished for a long time. From the players to the staff, it has been amazing these first new steps, especially because we have connected from the very start.

I couldn’t go to sleep, even if I were beyond exhausted, because my adrenaline kept pumping energy and stamina. When you leave behind something you’ve dedicated nearly two decades to embrace a new challenge, the transition can take a significant mental toll.

Fortunately for me, it hasn’t, as I am ambitious to take this step. I want to grow as a coach, hone my communication and coaching skills so I can help my players flourish as well. I can’t deny that I still want to put on my boots, but I’m channelling that desire and ambition to them, because it’s their turn.

However, my transition to becoming a full-time coach truly felt complete when I delivered the half-time speech to my new team. It wasn’t just a few words like when I was captain — it was as a coach! And feeling that my words had an impact on the players was very important to me.

That’s, in my opinion, the role of a coach. To help players evolve; to make rugby flourish and grow; to push for our sport to become bigger, stronger and more ambitious. As coaches, we have to push for a high-performance mindset and give players the right tools to become the best versions of themselves.

And this has been the reality I have encountered here in the United States of America. They are highly athletic and driven by ambition. They are constantly seeking to progress and improve their skills. Their athleticism is incredible. It helps that they play a wide variety of sports while they are growing, developing physical and psychological qualities. At the same time, rugby has grown in the USA since the last time I was here. People understand it better and are way more familiar with it, especially the players.

To help them, my approach is to help them understand their strengths and weaknesses and how they can embrace them. For me, it is vital to highlight what players do well rather than immediately addressing what needs to be worked on, because a positive mindset has to be the foundation for growth.

With that in mind, I have to say one of the biggest challenges was moulding and adapting the way I communicate with them. While my playing experience helps me to understand them better, I need to find a way to connect with them so the message reaches its desired destination.

The adventure with Gemini has been an eye-opener, not only because I’m having the chance to become a better coach, but also because I’ve discovered that my time as a player mattered. Players from the opposition ask to take photos with me and share a few words. Pundits have even mentioned my name on the stream.

It has been a truly mind-blowing experience, and it strengthens my determination to help every player create memories and opportunities like these for themselves.

Concerning WER, I have to say that the league is quite enjoyable and enticing. It is growing, and you can tell by the number of people watching it. Despite having a big room to grow, it has the raw materials to help players get to the next level. This is a country that has great infrastructure and an athlete pathway like few others.

I have to say that my early days in the USA have been packed with surprises and discovering a whole new world. Everything is different! The cars are bigger, the roads and streets are wider; the food is exaggerated in size and design!

I had the chance to enjoy the Fourth of July, and it was quite the experience – sorry for saying this word so many times! We went water skiing and did several other water sports during the day, then we went to watch a drone show at night—the Statue of Liberty and the USA flag were made with drones.

And, of course, the fireworks! I also had the chance to enjoy Spain’s men’s team winning the FIFA World Cup with people giving me congratulations. However, I was far more focused on the day before, when Los Leones were facing the Eagles in the Nations Cup.

Players had a bit of a laugh because I became very serious for quite a while, a side of me that people rarely get to see.
These moments have shown me that, even after retirement, there is still so much left to discover.

And before I close my column, I want to say a colossal ‘Gracias’ to Sylvia Braaten, who gifted me this opportunity. To work beside her in developing a new generation of players is something that I always dreamed of doing, and she made it happen. Her commitment to the women’s game is inspiring and I hope people get to acknowledge that. Gracias.