Robin Cowling

NAME: Robin Cowling

POSITION: Academy Manager

BIRTHPLACE: Ipswich

DATE OF BIRTH: 19/2/1978

JOINED CHIEFS: 1997

ABOUT ROBIN: The former England international has been credited as one of the driving forces in bringing through the conveyor belt of homegrown talent within the Exeter Chiefs Academy.

Under his guidance, the Chiefs have unearthed a plethora of young gems, including the likes of Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Henry Slade, Jack Maunder and the Simmonds brothers, Sam and Joe.

During his own playing career, Cowling - the nephew of former Gloucester captain John A’Bear - played over 200 games for the Cherry & Whites.

In 1974, however, he moved to Market Harborough to take a post as a farm manager and joined the Leicester Tigers. Again, he established himself within the first team ranks at Welford Road, going on to win eight caps for his country between 1977 and 1979.

Although he didn’t play in the losing John Player Cup Final against Gloucester in 1978, he took part in Leicester’s three successive Cup Final wins in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and he was also capped by the Barbarians.

His involvement with the Chiefs first started in 1997 and has continued ever since, bar a two-year stint with the Cornish Pirates. As well as working heavily within the Chiefs set-up, Cowling has been a prominent figure at Truro College, helping unearth a wealth of talent from the Duchy and producing a rugby academy set-up that is the envy of many.