The Team
COACHING &
MANAGEMENT
A world-class team of coaches, conditioners, and support staff delivering elite-level development across every age group.
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Programme Director
Nash Cohen
Head of Elite Youth Development
Founder of the Elite Rugby Academy and architect of the Jamaica UK Rugby Pathway. Nash brings a systems-thinking approach to player development — building structured environments that develop athletes technically, physically, and mentally. His philosophy centres on performance over prestige, decision-making as the foundation of elite play, and creating real progression opportunities for every player in the programme.
How We Coach
Coaching Philosophy
Performance Over Prestige
We don't care about reputation. We care about performance. Every session is designed to make players better, not to look impressive.
Decision-Making as the Foundation
Elite rugby is won and lost on decisions. We build decision-makers first, athletes second. The physical qualities serve the mental ones.
Individual Development Over Group Progress
Every player has a development plan. Every player is tracked. We don't move the group forward at the expense of individual growth.
Intensity and Realism
We train at the intensity of the game we want to play. There is no gap between training and match performance in this programme.
Coaching & Support Staff
Director of Rugby
Hughton Campbell
Hughton is the pioneer of Jamaica Rugby in the UK. Long before the pathway existed, he laid the foundations — building the community, establishing the identity, and proving that Jamaican rugby heritage could compete and thrive on British soil. His vision created the conditions for everything that followed. The Jamaica UK Rugby Pathway exists because Hughton Campbell believed it was possible first.
Head Coach — Girls
Sam Halliday
Sam leads the girls' programme with the same elite standards applied across the pathway. Focused on building technically proficient, physically capable players with the decision-making skills to compete at the highest level.
Backs Coach
Ru Deane
Ru brings specialist backs coaching expertise to the programme, developing players' handling, decision-making, and attacking structure across all age groups.
Head Coach — U17 Boys
Charlie Swerling
Charlie leads the U17 boys' programme, delivering high-intensity, structured sessions that prepare players for the demands of elite academy rugby.
Head of Strength & Conditioning
Bayley Campbell
Bayley designs and delivers the physical preparation programme across all squads. His work ensures every player is physically ready for the demands of elite rugby — building strength, speed, and resilience in a structured, periodised environment.
Team Manager
Danielle Jordan-Taft
Danielle manages the operational and logistical framework of the programme — ensuring every training session, fixture, and tour runs smoothly so that coaches and players can focus entirely on performance.
Head of Medical
Lucy Howard
Lucy leads the medical provision across the programme, providing pitch-side care, injury assessment, and player welfare support. Her work ensures every player is safe, healthy, and able to perform at their best.