Back in November, after six incredible years as part of the England Students Men’s coaching team, Darren Fearn stepped down as head coach of the programme.
Following a three-month search for his replacement, Loughborough University boss Martin Webdale has been appointed as Fearn’s successor and he is relishing the opportunity.
“It’s a huge honour to do anything with your country, and the honour of being the England Students head coach is fantastic,” Webdale exclusively told TRU.
“Darren and his group of coaches did a brilliant job over the last few years, really establishing the programme and being super competitive in the Test matches against France [Universities]. Hopefully, I can continue that legacy.
“I’m really looking forward to helping the guys at the pinnacle of student rugby and achieving the goal of beating the French on foreign soil.”
Webdale stepped in as interim head coach at Loughborough for the end of the 2022-23 season, having previously been a part of the set-up as a performance coach.
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By the end of that campaign, Webdale had steered Loughborough to a BUCS Super Rugby league title and a first-ever Championship final against Exeter University at the Stone X Stadium in what, to this day, is still described as “the greatest game university rugby has ever seen.”
Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Webdale moved into the head coach role on a full-time basis and he yet again guided Loughborough to the BUCS Super Rugby Championship final, this time getting the better of fierce rivals Exeter and taking the crown.
This term, the African Violet are currently top of the pile in BUCS Super Rugby and look favourites to defend their title at Rodney Parade in April.
And whilst Webdale will be eager to lead Loughborough to more silverware, he may also have one eye on his new role with England Students as he aims to continue the legacy of the representative side.
“I see it [England Students] as a really vital part and focal point of the student game,” Webdale adds. “It’s potentially the highest accolade that some of these players will achieve in their rugby careers, and for some, it will be a stepping stone, but putting that rose on your chest is special.”
The England Student Representative XV was first formed in the early 1970s and boasts a rich history of players who have come through the pathway and gone on to achieve great things in the game.
Names have included Lawrence Dallaglio, Will Greenwood and Tom Dunn, and now Webdale is ready to elevate the next crop of university talent.
“I think from our point of view, our challenge now is to start to identify and understand potentially where our squad can come from and really make sure we leave no stone unturned in terms of the whole of the student game to find the squad of 23 that can best represent England Students.
“The beauty of BUCS Rugby, as a whole, is the huge number of players playing every week at multiple different levels. BUCS Rugby is not just BUCS Super Rugby. As we’ve seen in previous years, there are a number of players who have come from those leagues below Super Rugby and have excelled in England Students shirts.”
Despite not representing a BUCS Super Rugby side, the likes of Jay Ecclesfield (Nottingham Trent) and Newcastle University duo Joe Mounsey and Oli Fletcher were included in the ‘Class of 2024’, and Webdale is clear about casting the net wide in order to achieve the right blend in his squad.
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— Talking Rugby Union (@TalkRugbyUnion) May 3, 2024
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England Students face France Universities this weekend and @Will_Gupwell spoke to some of those who will be representing their country on Saturday...??https://t.co/AmpYCXDGQF pic.twitter.com/yGVWowHQJG
The annual fixture against long-standing rivals France Universities is the epitome of student rugby and the highest honour for any university rugby player.
The academic version of ‘Le Crunch’ always delivers top-class and entertaining fixtures and last year was no different with a strong French side claiming a thrilling 48-43 victory for the first time in three years.
This year, Webdale and his side will be returning to the scene of their famous 2023 win at the Stade Beaudry Stadium in Terrasson-Lavilledieu on 24th May.
“There’s always going to be pressure in environments like that with a new group of players coming together and a bit of an unknown going out to France of the opposition and their experience,” Webdale explains.
“Also, there is the pressure of representing your country, wearing the rose on your chest and singing the national anthem because you want to perform.
“But at Loughborough, in my time here, we’ve experienced those pressure moments, and that pressure is a privilege being in those positions such as the league win or both of those Championship finals.
“We’ll probably go to France being the underdogs, but having that opportunity and that desire to come out on top and fight for that man next to you is a real honour and experience.”
Webdale’s choice to label his England Students side as ‘underdogs’ comes from the fact that every single player in the French Universities side last year was a contracted player, with the majority attached to Top 14 clubs.
However, the 2024 England Students team was full to the brim with emerging talent. Such examples were the Hancock twins, Connor and Callum, who signed contracts and made their debuts for Newcastle Falcons this season as well as Lucas Dorrell, the Exeter University captain who skippered the Students last May.
Increasingly, BUCS Super Rugby is proving to be a viable and prosperous pathway for aspiring young players to not only receive a top-class education but also to play an elite level of rugby.
And Webdale is a core believer in the league’s value.
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— Talking Rugby Union (@TalkRugbyUnion) April 18, 2024
Reaction from another brilliant @BUCSsport finals day...
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Report from @Ben_King91: https://t.co/bHdjuIFYtg#BUCSSuperRugby pic.twitter.com/3t47EGuZcB
“The standard of BUCS Super Rugby is getting higher year on year. There are absolutely outstanding players plying their trade [in the league] - as you see in the England Under-20s squad at the moment - and there are guys who have played Premiership Rugby or United Rugby Championship who have come from BUCS.
“I always say to players that rugby is part of the experience. You come to university to get a fantastic degree and play brilliant rugby that you’re going to remember for the rest of your life because you’re playing with your best mates, and the degree element is so important for life after rugby.
“But also clubs are now recognising and seeing the value of players getting an education and getting good minutes at a high standard.
“If you look at the Premiership squads now, they’re littered with current and former BUCS Super Rugby players, and Directors of Rugby are recognising its quality, and players are coming out of it ready to play.”
The 2024-25 BUCS Super Rugby campaign resumes on January 22nd with Webdale’s Loughborough travelling to second from bottom Cardiff University.