Cushion comes on board

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs Academy manager Robin Cowling has welcomed the appointment of Irishman Ruairi Cushion as the new lead coach for the Development Player Programme (DPP) in Devon.

Working in conjunction with the Chiefs, Devon RFU and the Devon Schools Union, the former Plymouth Albion scrum-half will help provide specialist coaching for young players aged between 13 and 16 years-old.

Set up initially in 2002, the Devon DPP programme, formerly Schools of Rugby and EPDG’s, has been helping to develop young players with the Chiefs and Devon Schools for a number of years and includes the likes of current Exeter players Dave Ewers, Sam Hill, Henry Slade, Sam Simmonds, Sam Skinner, Stuart Townsend and Jack Maunder among it's success stories.

Chairman Rob Taverner and Player Pathway Manager Charlie Guppy have been the guiding lights for much of that time, nurturing raw talent into potential stars of the future, and they will continue to play a prominent role in the future, working alongside Cushion and Marc Dibble from the Chiefs who will help to manage the programme.

DPP coaches work with up to 600 players each year through their regional and Sandy Park programmes with players - if selected - getting the chance to represent the Devon Schools county teams at Under-15 and Under-16 level, as well as the opportunity to potentially represent the Chiefs Academy from Under 14-16 level.

The most talented players at U15 & U16 level can then progress into the Exeter Chiefs Academy Elite Player Development Group (EPDG).

Welcoming Cushion, who played 143 times for Albion across six seasons in the Championship, Cowling said: "We're delighted to welcome Ruairi on board with the programme. Not only is he a very talented coach, especially working with young players, but he knows Devon very well and I think from his experiences playing professionally down in Plymouth, we feel he will be able to give real, quality training to those involved in the DPP.

"What he will bring to the programme in terms of his knowledge is invaluable, plus it also provides an excellent link between ourselves, the Devon RFU and the young players themselves. We see this is as a "win-win" for everybody concerned and a great development programme moving forward."

In what will be a full-time role for Cushion, he added: "This is a great opportunity for me to take my coaching career onto the next step. Obviously I've done a bit of coaching down at Plymouth during my time there, but this role will allow me to help develop what is some of the best young talent in Devon.

"The success of the programme over the years is clear to see with the number of players who are now playing not just at the Chiefs, but at some other Premiership and Championship clubs. I hope I can add something from a personal perspective, but at the same time build on the excellent work that has been carried out by the likes of Rob, Charlie and the other coaches over the years."