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Rhys Edwards is a Level 4
Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
coach. He is currently Director of Rugby at
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
, overseeing all
Rugby Union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
activities for both the Men's (
Loughborough Students RUFC Loughborough Students Rugby Football Club represents Loughborough University in rugby union competition. Of the British universities, Loughborough has unparalleled success, having won the BUCS championship (in its former guises as the BUSA and ...
) and Women's ( Lightning Rugby) programmes. Between 2010 and 2016 he coached the WRU Women National Rugby Union Squad who competed in the
Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...
and
World Rugby World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...
Women's World Cup in 2014.


Early life and education

Edwards grew up in
Laleston Laleston () is a village and a community in Bridgend County Borough, south Wales, directly west of Bridgend town centre. The village takes its name from the Norman Lageles family who settled in the area. Buildings of note in the village include ...
(near
Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...
),
South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...
. He attended the Welsh-speaking primary school Ysgol Gynradd Penybont and then went on to Welsh-speaking secondary school
Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari Ysgol Llanhari is a Welsh-medium school for 3-19 year olds situated in the village of Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. History Llanhari is one of the Welsh medium secondary schools in the area, having opened in 1974. It followed Ysgol Gyf ...
, where he completed his GCSEs and A-Levels. Edwards attended
Cardiff Metropolitan University Cardiff Metropolitan University () is a public university located in Cardiff, Wales. Formerly known as the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC; , ) which was established in 1996. The university offers degree courses in a variety of d ...
, where he completed his undergraduate degree in BSc Sports Coaching. In 2006, Edwards completed a MDip in Performance Analysis. In 2013 he studied toward an MSc in Sports Coaching.


Playing career

Rhys started playing rugby union at Ysgol Gyfun Llnahari. His primary position was Outside Half, but has also played Full Back and Wing. In 1999 he signed for
Bridgend Ravens Bridgend Ravens () (formerly Bridgend RFC) are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in Super Rygbi Cymru and are a feeder club to the Ospreys regional team. Origin Bridgend RFC first fo ...
. He later played for
Bedwas RFC Bedwas RFC () is a rugby union club located in the Wales, Welsh village of Bedwas. Bedwas has two senior teams, their 1st XV competing in the Welsh Championship and their development side, the Bedwas Barbarians. The club is a member of the Welsh R ...
in the Welsh Rugby Union Premiership. Edwards suffered a serious arm fracture in 2004 which required numerous surgeries, which unfortunately led to him having to retire 2007.


Coaching career

Following his playing career, Edwards worked as a physical education teacher at Caldicot School. During this time Edwards worked for the
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...
as Head Coach of their U16 Academy Pathway team. His first senior coaching role was Head Coach of
Caerphilly RFC Caerphilly Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team founded in 1887. Their home ground is The Mollex stadium in Caerphilly and their nickname is ''The Cheesemen''. Caerphilly RFC currently play in the WRU Division One East Central and ...
in 2007. He was appointed Head Coach of
Beddau ; ) is a large former mining village (and electoral ward) situated within the South Wales Valleys Davies (2008), page 507. around from Llantrisant and from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales. ...
in February 2010, and served until early 2013. Edwards was appointed as Attack Coach for the
Welsh Rugby Union The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU; ) is the governing body of rugby union in the country of Wales, recognised by the sport's international governing body, World Rugby. The WRU is responsible for the running of rugby in Wales, overseeing 320 member clu ...
Women's Team for the
2011 Six Nations The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship, and the 117th edition of the international championship. The annual rugby uni ...
campaign, before being stepping in as Head Coach for the final two games. Following that Six Nations campaign Edwards was appointed as the full-time Head Coach overseeing a further 6 Six Nations Championships. During this period, Edwards re-structured the Women's programme at the WRU, introducing a Sevens Programme and a U18s Pathway, which produced numerous players including Wales' only rugby union Olympian
Jasmine Joyce Jasmine Joyce-Butchers ( ''née'' Joyce; born 9 October 1995) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays wing for the Wales women's national rugby union team, Team GB and Bristol Bears. She made her debut for the Wales national squad in 2017, and re ...
. Edwards' role developed over his tenure and in 2015 became the Performance Lead for Women's Rugby "Rhys Edwards takes new Wales women rugby role."
''BBC news'', 29 July 2015. for both the XVs and VIIs across all women's age grade and senior pathways. In May 2016 Edwards became the skills coach for
Rotherham Titans Rotherham Rugby Union Football Club, or Rotherham Titans is a rugby union club from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, currently playing in the third tier of the English rugby union league system, following their promotion from the National League ...
, in the
RFU Championship The RFU Championship is an English rugby union competition comprising twelve clubs. It is the second level of men's English rugby and is played by both professional and semi-professional players. The competition has existed since 1987, when Eng ...
, working under the guidance of Justin Burnell, the former
Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...
Head Coach. During this period Edwards had responsibility for delivering both Attack and Defence. In June 2017, Edwards moved to
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
as Head of Women's Rugby, to establish the new Lightning Rugby Franchise that would compete in the new
RFU The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby (WR) in 1886. It prom ...
funded Tyrrells Premier 15s competition. This league has quickly established itself as the best domestic league in the world. In August 2019 Edwards succeeded Alan Buzza as the Director of Rugby at Loughborough University, to oversee the strategic delivery of the Rugby Union programme.


Personal life

Rhys is married and has 3 children, and lives in Leicestershire.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Rhys Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Welsh rugby union coaches Alumni of Cardiff Metropolitan University Loughborough Sport People associated with Loughborough University Sportspeople from Bridgend County Borough Welsh rugby union players Coaches of international rugby union teams Rugby union wings Rugby union fullbacks People educated at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari Bedwas RFC players Bridgend RFC players