Where are they now - Kevin Maggs
To have worked in a kitchen, done ground work for a civil engineering firm, been a director of rugby and a talent identification specialist for the world’s number four ranked nation you have to be a man of many talents.
That’s before we even mention 70 caps for Ireland – including appearances at the 1999 and 2003 World Cups – and upwards of 250 games in the shirts of Bath and Bristol.
Kevin Maggs is a remarkable man who has packed more into his 47 years than most of us manage in a full lifetime. He also remains as full-on and direct in person as he was when crushing the ribs of his opposite no.12 in a typically thumping tackle in one of the world’s great stadiums.
The Bristolian’s Premiership playing days came to an unhappy end more than a decade ago, but since then he has remained in the sport which has always been a big part of his life – albeit in some less visible roles.
“My playing career didn’t end how I wanted it to when I was released by Bristol,” he acknowledges.
“My whole world had fallen apart following my daughter’s leukaemia; it was a three-year battle and they paid me off perhaps because they thought it was all a bit of a distraction.
“When my daughter was going through better phases I worked at Rotherham with Craig West – I originally went in as a player with a view to also helping out with areas where there were gaps.
“We did as good a job as we could in the circumstances considering the budget we had and managed to keep Rotherham in the Championship.
“I’d always wanted to go into coaching but making the move from being a player is a difficult one and in the end because of my situation I almost fell into it.
“That said, I still miss playing every day. I miss the ‘craic’ with the lads, being in the changing room and the competitive element of being in a high-performance environment day-in, day-out.
“People tell you they don’t miss any of it but I know I certainly do.”
Ever mischievous… https://t.co/15gSkQVMbR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 6, 2021
Having started his career in the amateur era, Maggs knows plenty about earning a living outside professional sport, but describes himself as “incredibly lucky” to have spent his post-playing days working in rugby.
“I originally played for Bristol’s first team as an amateur in the mid 1990’s while I was at college studying sport and exercise science,” he says.
“Alongside that I had all sorts of different jobs; my brother’s best mate was head chef in a restaurant so for a while I went there and worked in the kitchens in the holidays and I also worked for a civil engineering and groundworks firm before the game went professional in 1996.”
This time appears to have equipped Maggs with life skills in more ways than one.
During his time as director of rugby at Birmingham Moseley it would have been impossible to find a set of players more committed to their boss.
The old cliché says they would have run through a wall for him – but had they tried you suspect there would have been a Maggsy sized hole there ahead of them.
The world of semi-pro rugby is far from easy, but in Kevin Maggs Moseley had a man who was far from scared of getting his hands dirty.
On more than one occasion he slept in his office deep underneath the Billesley Common stand in order to save his cash-strapped club some travel expenses.
And when the Birmingham Mail’s rugby man called for his weekly team news update he was more than a little alarmed by Maggs’ request to call back “because I’m on the roof of the stand fixing a few loose slates.”
One for Eddie Jones to ponder? ?https://t.co/ANvzkwnyxJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 6, 2021
So how has Maggs spent his time since leaving Moseley in 2017? The man himself picks up the story…
“I’ve been in my current role around four years as a talent ID coach for the Irish RFU,” he says.
“I’m part of the high-performance unit based in the UK with a brief to identify players to play in and for Ireland.
“In particular we look at the under 18 to under 20 age range looking to give players the opportunity to take the same route that my career took thanks to my grand-father being from Limerick.
“Joe Lydon, Steve McGinnis and myself watch lads who are eligible on that basis, monitor their progress and hopefully provide opportunities for them to be part of the Ireland under age pathway.
“We try to educate the players about how they should be doing things and also provide support for them through their education which can involve finding ways for them to study and play in Ireland.
“I am currently mentoring a number of boys with their careers and assisting them to move things forward.
“I love the job and still being involved in rugby. In particular helping players with their journey to eventually being a professional player and maybe an international provides me with plenty of job satisfaction.”
If his work results in Ireland getting another Kevin Maggs, you suspect few will object.
Plenty of parallels here…https://t.co/ieno718CaI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 6, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
82 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments