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'We're excited': Bath hero Jon Callard is back working at The Rec
Jon Callard is back at Bath after agreeing to become kicking coach at the club now headed up by Johann van Graan for the 2022/23 season. The former England international is currently director of rugby at Leeds Tykes, the National One club.
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A statement read: “Bath Rugby is delighted to welcome back Jon Callard as kicking coach ahead of the 2022/23 season. A blue, black and white legend, the five-time England full-back spent a decade at The Rec between 1989 and 1999, playing over 200 senior matches.
“He also collected over 2,000 points during his time at the club and it was his tally of 19 which helped Bath become the first ever British team to win the European Cup in 1998. Callard was appointed Bath’s assistant coach to Andy Robinson in the summer of the same year before becoming head coach two years later.
“The 56-year-old was first-team coach at Leeds Tykes from 2002 until 2005, winning the Powergen Cup, and he returned as head coach in 2021. He has also coached England U20s as well as having a kicking coach role with the senior England side which reached the 2007 World Cup final.”
Bath boss van Graan said: “Jon has over 20 years of coaching experience as well as a deep connection with Bath Rugby. We are excited for Jon to be working with our kickers to develop their skills in such a key part of the modern game.”
“There are some special clubs in Yorkshire but Leeds needs a rugby club… I am not going to say here ‘Oh, we are a Premiership club’. That would be delusional.@heagneyl ??? talks to Jon Callard about the rebirth of former Premiership side @LeedsTykeshttps://t.co/KtE3qKT7kN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 19, 2021
It was last December when Callard spoke to RugbyPass about his reasons why he got back involved with Leeds after the club fell on hard times and were relegated from the Championship. “It’s an eye-opener, to say the least, but the game of rugby still fulfils its enjoyment at whatever level,” he explained about why an ex-England assistant under Brian Ashton and Martin Johnson was giving back to a club located down the road from his Harrogate home.
“There is that emotion as I have been there before with the club and also it is on the doorstep as a local club as well. It hasn’t gone too well. I have been very critical of it not going well and somebody said, ‘Well put up or shut up’. I decided to try and give a hand and see where we can go with it.
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“I had three years of good memories at Leeds in the Premiership and to see it just slip away… if it weren’t for some very generous people it probably would have fallen as a club. There are some special clubs in Yorkshire but Leeds needs a rugby club.
“It has got a lot of young people who are playing the game in the local area and it just needs a rugby club, simple as that. That is why I was critical to see it nearly folded and luckily there were a few hard-working people who really saved the club and have given it a chance in National One.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
37 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
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