Paul Anderson and Stuart Barrow will begin 2022 in significant new roles at the RFL as Head of England Talent Pathways for Male and Female Rugby League respectively.
Anderson’s appointment means the former Bradford Bulls, St Helens, England and Great Britain forward will continue as Head Coach of England Knights, a role he has filled since 2018 including the groundbreaking tour of Papua New Guinea and home victories over Jamaica in 2019 and 2021.
He has left Warrington Wolves, where he had been working as Academy Head Coach, to join the RFL on a full-time basis.
Paul Anderson said: “My job is simply to help England win a World Cup. I genuinely believe this is something we can achieve in 2022 – beyond this, it will be achieved through a connected Pathway from Academy to Knights then on to Shaun Wane and his senior team.
“I would like to thank Warrington Wolves and Peter Riding for giving me the opportunity to work with a lot of good people and to coach the next generation of Wire players over the last three years – this is something I have thoroughly enjoyed and will look back on with great memories.”
Stuart Barrow, who has extensive coaching experience across the game with Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers and as the Warrington Wolves player development manager, had previously been working with the RFL as Women’s and Girls National Talent Manager.
In the new role, he will be responsible for the strategy, management and implementation of a world leading player and coach development programme for England Rugby League’s Female Talent and Performance Pathway.
Stuart Barrow said: “This role shows the significant growth in the Women’s and Girls’ game over the last few years and the need now to continue and develop the performance pathway from the National DiSE programme [Diploma in Sporting Excellence], through our England Women Knights set-up and on to the senior squad as we prepare for future World Cups. I am looking forward and excited to be supporting and working with coaches and players across the whole of game.”
Dave Rotheram, the RFL’s Chief On-Field Officer, said: “These are two key roles in the evolution of the male and female talent and performance pathways to build on the work already being done, with an eye to building towards future World Cups.
“As well as playing a significant role within the England Teams, a key feature of these roles will to be offer support to coaches at the front line of coaching within Club Academies and the Betfred Women’s Super League.”
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