Director of Rugby

About St Leonards Madras Blues & Saints Rugby Club: St Leonards Madras Blues & Saints Rugby Club is a community-focused club that takes pride in developing rugby players of all levels. The Blues & Saints overarching priority is to provide a safe, enjoyable yet challenging environment for as many high school aged boys and girls as possible to play rugby within the local community. The aspiration is for U16 and U18 teams to be able to compete regularly in future Schools Conference and Cup Competitions – the Blues. We also aim to build a competitive girls pathway across all age groups – the Saints.

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Director of Rugby to lead the club's rugby programs and provide leadership to boys and girls rugby at all levels (U13 to U18). The Director of Rugby will have a critical role in the development and delivery of rugby at both the school and club levels, with an emphasis on youth development, player growth, and maintaining high standards of rugby, sportsmanship and cohesive and engaging culture.

Job Overview: The Director of Rugby will be responsible for managing and delivering rugby programming within both St Leonards School and the wider St Leonards Madras Blues & Saints Rugby Club. This will include overseeing coaching programs, delivering games-based lessons, organizing competitive fixtures, and managing the training and development of coaches and volunteers. This is a hands-on role that requires both strategic planning and operational management, as well as the ability to inspire and develop players and staff at all levels.

Key Responsibilities:

• Delivery of Games-Based Lessons: Lead the delivery of rugby-based lessons within St Leonards School and Madras High School, ensuring a focus on skill development and enjoyment for all students.
• Training Program Management: Oversee and manage the SLM Blues & Saints training programs on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, ensuring high-quality coaching and player development.
• Fixture Organization: Organize and manage the competitive fixture program, coordinating with coaches, teams, and opponents to ensure smooth delivery of games and tournaments.
• Coach and Volunteer Management: Lead, mentor, and manage a team of volunteers and coaches, ensuring consistent delivery of training sessions and support in upskilling staff. Foster an environment of continuous learning and development for the coaching team.
• Rugby Program Coordination: Align the club’s rugby programs with the broader mission of St Leonards Madras Blues & Saints, ensuring the strategic goals of both the school and club are met.
• Player Development: Provide coaching and leadership to players, focusing on developing both individual skill and team cohesion. Support players’ progression from youth to senior levels.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as a key point of contact between St Leonards School, Madras High School, the rugby club, and Active Schools to ensure rugby development programs are aligned and progressing.
• Administration and Reporting: Ensure accurate reporting and administration of rugby programs, including player development progress, coaching qualifications, and fixture coordination.

Essential Skills & Qualifications:

• Proven experience in rugby coaching, with a strong understanding of the game at all levels.
• Experience in a senior rugby leadership or coaching role (e.g. Director of Rugby, Head Coach, or similar).
• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to inspire and lead a diverse team of players, volunteers, and coaching staff.
• Experience in the development and delivery of rugby programming at schools and youth levels.
• Demonstrable commitment to inclusivity and promoting rugby for all.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple programs and fixtures simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with students, players, staff, and external stakeholders.
• A passion for player development and a commitment to fostering a positive, inclusive culture.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience working in schools or educational settings with youth sports programs.
• Understanding of the local rugby landscape and the feeder system from primary schools to senior rugby.

What We Offer:

• The opportunity to shape and lead rugby programming at both St Leonards School and St Leonards Madras Blues & Saints Rugby Club.
• A competitive salary and benefits package.
• Potential residential duties within school boarding house.
• A supportive, passionate team environment with a shared focus on player development and club success.
• Access to resources and facilities at St Leonards School and Madras Rugby Club.
• The chance to influence the future of rugby in the community through involvement with schools and local youth programs.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties. It is expected that the post-holder will participate in other reasonable activities which may be required to meet the needs of the School or for better fulfilment of the role.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS: St Leonards is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture, where all members of the community - colleagues, pupils and families - are seen and valued. This culture ensures that St Leonards delivers an outstanding global education in a multi-cultural living, learning and working environment. Applications should be made via our School Talent/Teacheroo portal. The closing time and date for applications to be received is 12 noon on Wednesday 20th May 2026. If you have not been contacted by this date, we thank you for your interest in the post; however, your application has not been progressed to an interview on this occasion. Any questions may be directed to Daniel Main, Director of Sport in the first instance. Early applications are encouraged as St Leonards reserves the right to interview and close the post early. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a Criminal Record check and either hold or be accepted for membership of the Disclosure Scotland Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.

About St Leonards: St Leonards is a friendly and forward-looking independent, coeducational, boarding and day school situated on an historic campus at the heart of the university town of St Andrews. The school enjoys an unrivalled location - there are sandy beaches, world-class Links golf courses, and historic sites on its doorstep. St Leonards delivers the inspiring, globally-recognised International Baccalaureate curriculum for pupils aged five to 18, and was the first school to be accredited as an all-through IB school in Scotland. It is one of just two schools in the UK to actively offer all four IB programmes, ensuring a seamless learner journey. The youngest pupils follow the Primary Years Programme, which goes hand-in-hand with the vibrant Outdoor Learning programme at St Leonards. This is followed by the Middle Years Programme and (I)GCSEs. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between the Career-related Programme and the Diploma Programme. St Leonards enjoys a rich sporting heritage, and continues to boast a strong record of achievement with pupils representing the school nationally in golf, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, horse riding, and small-bore rifle shooting. The leading five-tier Golf Programme continues to go from strength to strength, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is the fastest growing of all Scottish independent schools, and an exciting calendar of trips and activities ensures pupils leave St Leonards equipped with the skills required to succeed in today’s ever-changing world. Truly an education ‘Ad Vitam’ (for life).