February 17, 2016
Paul Holmes Named Assistant Coach PRO Rugby Ohio Team
Photo: Paul Holmes
PRO Rugby Press Release: February 17, 2017
“PRO Rugby is pleased to announce Paul Holmes as an Assistant Coach for the Ohio team in its inaugural season. A founding partner of Tiger Rugby, Paul has been instrumental in establishing the Tiger Rugby High Performance Academy in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to starting and coaching his local club side 1823, Paul is a noted Sevens coach with significant international experience with Tiger Rugby, and has been directly responsible for the development of elite American players that have placed on USA national teams. Paul is a certified IRB 400 level coach and a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Paul studied in South Africa and England and has a Degree in Sports Physiology. He played his rugby in South Africa, England and UAE and has been directly involved in rugby development and coaching in South Africa, England, the Middle East, UAE and USA, most recently with USA Rugby 7’s program.”
Paul Holmes, PRO Rugby Assistant Coach Ohio Team
Paul Holmes has been at the forefront of developing rugby players in the United States as part of Tiger Rugby, a brand that is known worldwide. The Tiger Rugby Academy is one of the Olympic Development Academies for USA Rugby.
Paul has been elite coach for a number of years since his Eagles playing days. He has managed to play for the Columbus Rugby Club and the Classic Eagles before turning his attention exclusively to coaching. The last two years he coached the Classic Eagles in Bermuda. He has also coached Tiger Rugby Academy players, 1823 Sevens, and Tiger Rugby 7s worldwide in such locations as the prestigious Central Coast Sevens in Australia and nationally in the United States at the Elite City Sevens.
Paul is also a high performance coach that often spends time at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista with high performance camps. Since Mike Friday became USA Rugby Men’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach and Alex Magelby, USA Rugby Director Performance, elite coaches like Paul and Steve Lewis, Director of PRO Rugby Operations, and formerly with the Northeast Rugby Academy, have been involved in the high performance process.
One would be had pressed to keep up with the training regimen at Tiger Rugby. Paul certainly does by example, and his players I suspect will be among the best conditioned athletes of any PRO Rugby team.
Tiger Rugby and their coaches have been been involved with all of the PRO Rugby combines. So far that included two in California and this past weekend in Dallas, Texas and Greensboro, North Carolina.
Paul Barford Head Coach Ohio Team Article