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The ‘eyes on it’ reason why Tom Biggs is aiming for Thailand success
Whatever happened to Tom Biggs, the 2008 England Saxons pick who won a Powergen Cup medal with Leeds before also playing for Newcastle, Bath and Worcester? It was early last Sunday when RugbyPass bumped into him in the Hong Kong Stadium tunnel.
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The 39-year-old these days is coach of the Thailand women’s 7s team and they had just been beaten 0-24 by China, who later that afternoon went on to win the Melrose event that was staged as a Hong Kong outlier.
It was the second loss of the weekend for the Thais as they had been beaten on Saturday by Hong Kong 10-28, but those results didn’t at all dim the enthusiasm Biggs has for a fledgling team new to the Challenge Series.
Krakow in mid-May is the finale for that second-tier series and while Thailand are currently placed seventh, their coach hasn’t given up hope of securing the top-four finish that would qualify his girls for the promotion/relegation tournament in Madrid against the HSBC SVNS bottom four teams.
The Hong Kong invite did them the world of good despite the results. “It’s been fantastic,” Biggs told RugbyPass. “For the girls to be out in Hong Kong amongst some of their favourite players, amongst teams on the world series has been great for them.
Delighted to have joined @thailandrugbyunion to be Head Coach for @thaiwomenrugby
The staff have really looked after me, and the girls are really hard working, have a lot of energy, and are great fun to work with. Also a huge bonus that they can braid my hair. pic.twitter.com/Bv7PU3ZXAm
— Tom Biggs (@tombiggs11) October 16, 2023
“A lot of the teams have taken their time to speak to the girls and have pictures with them. They really appreciate that. It’s massive. They watch all the world series on TV and they particularly look up to the Australian women’s side. For the girls to meet them means an awful lot.
“Everything this week has been excellent, all the organisation, the hotel, the travel, the food, it’s been awesome. Absolutely outstanding. We have been treated like royalty. The girls couldn’t be happier.”
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Bridging the gap is quite the challenge given that set-ups like Thailand aren’t full-time. Biggs’ coaching role is full-time, but his players juggle their rugby timetable with either work or education.
“I’m based in Bangkok and we typically train early in the morning and evening which allows the girls to study and do their work throughout the day.
“Some are in the airforce, the navy, but most are at university. There is a big rugby culture in the forces in Thailand and that is where a lot of the players come through from.
“I wouldn’t like to single one out because all the girls work really hard. We have got some great young players who I’m looking forward to giving more experience to.
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“We’re on the Challenger Series, a step below the world series. The top four teams get to go to a play-off and the quality that we have in our squad is really good. We’d love to have more opportunity to play against more teams of a high calibre.
“We want to get into that top four of the Challenger Series so we can have a go against teams that come in the bottom four of the world series. But first and foremost we want to win the Asian series. That is important to us.”
— Hong Kong Sevens (@OfficialHK7s) April 12, 2024
What is also important to Biggs is taking positive strides forward in his coaching career. It was October 2017 when the winger was told to retire on medical grounds from playing. Six and a half years later, he explained he is enjoying the path he has taken and has long-term aspirations of achieving higher up the ladder.
“It was a slow transition out of the game. I did a bit of coaching, strength and conditioning work and then gradually got back involved with coaching. I did the strength and conditioning with China and it was great to see the China men’s team out here on Hong Kong as well and see and few familiar faces.
“I’m really enjoying Thailand. It was just a good opportunity, an exciting opportunity to work with a lot of young players and there is real potential to grow the sport. The girls are a great bunch to work with. They want to get better and they want to improve and I’m able to have my own input on the squad.
“I’m in Bangkok full-time so it’s typical hours in the job. That is the hardest thing, you are away from family and friends and the language barrier is a little bit difficult. That’s going to take a bit of work but I get a lot of support.
“I’m very happy at the moment coaching Thailand. Obviously in the future I’d like to progress as a sevens coach. It’s a fantastic sport and with the Olympics, eyes are on it.
“The production values as a sport are excellent and more and more people want to see and watch it. At the moment I am happy coaching with Thailand, but I want to progress at some stage in my career.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The problem is the officiating & changing rulings,& TMOs.Last weekend I saw a 9 penalized for a crooked scrum feed! the last time I saw that rule applied was In about 1975!!!!!!!!.Late or not the incident is history & Australians alleging that Kiwi rugby supporters wear eye patches is a bit rich.Try listening to Australian Commentators.Every new player who has an above average game is suddenly the next great sensation.
19 Go to commentsEvery Irish fan in the stadium celebrated like they had won the tournament after the SA and Scotland games so yeah, the way Etzebeth tells it stacks up. It was definitely ‘In Their Heads’!
61 Go to commentsEtsebeth is right about 1 thing. Boks after winning a RWC have been crap. Only in 2009 did they reach the heights of what a RWC Champion should look like but that was only after 3rd/last in the TriN 2008. Lost a home series in 1996 (vs ABs); didnt win even 1 x Rugby Championship after 2019. ABs and Wallabies and England at least played like Champions after winning RWC.
61 Go to commentsCrusaders will knock one of the top seeds out in the first round, hope it’s not my Chiefs
27 Go to commentsEben really seems like just a deeply unpleasant man.
61 Go to commentsDMac. BB crabs too much at 10.
2 Go to commentsIt is every boys dream to be a Springbok. I managed it in a discipline other than rugby…But rugby, I have always engaged with passion. It does my old heart good to see the mix of people in the team and this displays the possibilities for this wonderful country. The logo “stronger together” says it all. This current edition of the Boks is nothing short of inspirational.
3 Go to commentsIrish people about the best damn people on the planet. OK, in the NH. Fijians are the World’s best happiest friendliest people. But as far as European cultures producing good people, Ireland stands alone. But on the rugby pitch there is a creeping arrogance that has detached from humility. eg Sexton abusing a match referee, and not for the 1st time. He was extremely lucky to make it to the RWC, strings were pulled. And O’Mahoneys sledge to Cane was lowballing, attacking an opposition Captain seems opportunistic and gutter talk. Cane is a real gentleman. Have never seen ABs unleash after the whistle like they did on O’Mahoney after QterF, it was well deserved. Unlike Bok supporters, the Bok players understand history. Massive amount of respect between Boks and ABs is evident, they get on well and have throughout history. Even Pinetree Meads best mate (except his old cobber Kel Tremain) were Springboks, friendships forged after tours. And Meads was always targetted given his star status (he even played 2 x Tests with a broken arm). On the contrary, ABs and Wallabies famously dont get on, bad blood after Aussies not taking offer of beersies postmatch.
61 Go to commentsHaha god NZ journalism is so crap listen to this guy “We’ll be proven in a few weeks if our baseless bs can stick” lol Everywhere else uses experts to write stuff but here they’re just career guys that don’t care about what they write, NOT CONCEDED A TRY IN YEARS lol > “Naturally, you’re looking for performance, sometimes that means you can’t think logically or use evidence to arrive at any sort of clarity of decision. Pretty much sums it up to a tee Paul ignores the articles in here about then runs off each team this year, that Penney is just a yearly stop gap until, who, Ellison is released by ABs, the huge imbalance of the injury front between teams at each end of the table, or who it was that _should_ have been coach. But of course if they actually do evidence and investigative work theyre shy of their article not hitting that sensationalism boundary and lose revenue. Leaving us non the wiser. They look like they would have been best with a geeup coach this year to turn around the razorless depression the clubs obviously going through. Hard to think of someone fitting the Bill to have been chosen instead, the clown Cheika? Id have been tempted to double play and entice O’Gara down. Hell maybe that is who they are waiting for, he wants a international gig and it could be after Scmidt or razor
27 Go to comments_Dan Carter weighs in on who should be Scott Robertson's All Black 10_ Dan: “It’s a toss up between Beudy and Dmac, although Mounga would be nice - but he can’t… so…” The Rugby Public: “Thanks Dan. For nuthin!”
2 Go to commentsEngland did this way back for the Croke Park match in the 2000’s. The shame actually seemed to weigh on them during the match. It will not be easy for Northhampton players to rationalize how their army went into a stadium of a major city of the then United Kingdom and opened fire indiscriminantly into terraces killed 14 and wounding scores. I am sure with a pro setup they will get this balance right. I live beside the stadium. A very old woman on the street remembers as a very young girl the crowds of people filling the street to escape the massacre. A lot of water under the bridge and the match has really little historical relevance for Irish/Leinster supporters any more. Those ghosts were freed in the trashing of England in the 2000’s match. Sure, it will motivate Leinster but Northhampton should not overly consider it or weigh on it in my opinion. Dowson is right to learn the historical importance and Northhampton are indeed giving the occasion due respect. It is important to show respect. But that’s enough for Northhampton. Fair play to them. On to the rugby now.
16 Go to commentsDouble World Cup Champions ? Wow since when did 4 become 2!
213 Go to comments“See you in the final” from a winning (Irish) team is just away of wishing a team well for the rest of the tournament. It’s actually saying I hope we both make it to the final. Etzebeth was the only player who PUBLICLY said that his team would make the final after that match. Does anyone honestly think Ireland who took 100 years to beat NZ and got hammerred by them in 2019 would for the slightest moment not take the perilous threat as seriously as it should be taken? Getting sick of Boks and Kiwis who spend all year every year trying boasting about how great and humble they are and then accusing others of arrogance. Respect people by trying to understand them before hitting a pretty humble people with this crap.
61 Go to commentsThe feelings of gratitude I feel when thinking about the Boks is difficult to describe. It really means a lot to people here. I would flat out ask Ox for a big hug if I met him in person. And then probably pass out after the squeeze. Totally worth it.
3 Go to commentsFarrell seems to be an outstanding coach and Ireland a very well prepared team. But they looked like they had no plan B against NZ. Maybe they really were looking past them, as Eben says.
61 Go to commentsMaybe if you come once in your life in France you won’t writte so much nonsense 🙃
1 Go to commentsWhy did they kill 14 people at a gaelic football match? What had happened earlier that day? Dowson sounds absolutely pathetic, believing what the Irish say about his people, rather than believing what his people say about the Irish.
16 Go to commentsI haven't really experienced the Irish as arrogant but I guess the players maybe got ahead of themselves after a big win. Just thought it being Ireland and their love afair with WC QF exits and it being the ABs maybe they would have taken it a bit more seriously. Maybe they did and just lost anyways, who knows.
61 Go to commentsNot surprising, they tend to get very carried away with themselves very quickly. I’ve never seen a team so devastated at the final whistle than those irish players in that QF, you’d think they had lost the final.
61 Go to commentsJust a roundabout way of claiming to great fun. Self -praise is no praise, frenchie.
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