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Matt is the second of our presenters to have an exciting new opportunity, as he embarks on the next stage of his journey, having been appointed England A Men’s Scrum Coach.
Matt is one of the most respected scrum coaches in the country and beyond. He joined Northampton Saints in the summer of 2018, having coached England Women for three seasons, taking them to the top of the world rankings and appearing in the RWC final in 2017.
Matt began his coaching career as an RFU Rugby Development Officer and soon became National Tag Development Officer. During this time, he pursued and honed his craft as one of the top scrum coaches in the country by using his spare time to learn from and work alongside coaches Graham Smith (England Women) and Graham Rowntree (Leicester & England).
As an avid student and creative thinker, Matt worked with England Women from 2009–2011, was scrum consultant for London Irish, and held coaching roles with Cardiff Blues, Bristol Rugby, and London Welsh before rejoining the England Women coaching staff in 2015.
Matt continually seeks new ideas and innovations in developing the players he works with. He is an excellent communicator with exceptional interpersonal skills. His humility, ability to simplify complex concepts, and commitment to constantly developing all aspects of his (and others’) coaching have earned him the respect, admiration, and loyalty of the players and coaches he works with.
Matt is an advocate of coach development and education and has presented at many CPD events in North Midlands and beyond, with an emphasis on establishing a positive culture and liveable values at the heart of developing units and teams. His practical coach education sessions have gained notoriety as he encourages coaches to participate in the practices to “feel” what they are doing and gain a better understanding of what the players are experiencing.
His coaching equipment has included a Swiss ball, broomstick, and a tyre. Time and time again, his approach and the culture he builds have created performances in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Matt Ferguson, Northampton Saints Forwards Coach
“My coaching philosophy is built on a pyramid—the three Ps. The base of the pyramid is the person. The centre is the player, and at the top is performance.”
