The Championship should become the pathway for coaches says Dean Richards

By JON NEWCOMBE

DEAN RICHARDS has backed the Championship as a good breeding ground for coaches and players in light of the latest setback to befall a league that needs all the love it can get.

The government's Sports Winter Survival Package (SWSP) has offered already financiallystrained Championship clubs only loans instead of grants, and London Scottish may not be the only club to withdraw from the league before its planned start date on the weekend of March 6.

Scottish assistant coach Stevie Scott has already left his position at the Athletic Ground to take up a job with Romania Rugby Union.

The fear is many more coaches will move on if they're lucky enough to find another job in rugby, or even away from the game if the Championship doesn't get the treatment it deserves.

Newcastle director of rugby Richards has experienced the charms of English rugby's second tier at first hand, at Harlequins and with Newcastle. The likes of Wasps head coach Lee Blackett and Rob Baxter, Deano's opposite number in today's match against Exeter, both earned their spurs there.

“Somewhere down the line there has to be second tier, and a pathway through to playing topflight rugby, which is competitive and sustain able,” Richards said. “I like the Championship. I think it is a great competition and I think it is a great proving ground for not only coaches but also players.”

The current trend is to promote recently retired professional players straight into Premiership jobs, rather than let them learn their trade in the Championship.

George Skivington, for example, had a brief period as forwards coach at London Irish before landing the top job at struggling Gloucester.

Richards believes young coaches working in England should be offered more support.

“On the whole, people think that because you're a good player you'll be a good coach, and I don't think it is always necessarily true,” he says.

“Luckily, some players have that ability to turn their hand to coaching or management straight away, others don't.

“England used to have a pathway programme for young coaches which is no longer there, which is a bit of a shame.

“There should be something put in place which assists the coaches in getting to that next level.”

Martin Haag, meanwhile, is under no illusions about the worth of the Championship in developing a skillset needed at the highest level.

The former Bath, Bristol and England World Rugby U20 Championship-winning coach also had a successful spell at Nottingham.

“You look at Lee at Wasps, he did a great job at Rotherham when it was probably only him and one other coach,” Haag said.

“I'm not surprised he is doing so well now. Because of a lack of financial resources in the Championship, you pretty much have to do everything, and that gives you experience in the skills you need to be a head coach in the Premiership.”