Clive Woodward
Encyclopedia
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE
(born 6 January 1956) is an English
former rugby union
player and coach
. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
. He is currently the British Olympic Association
's Director of Elite Performance.
in Cambridgeshire
. the son of an RAF
pilot. He was sent to HMS Conway School Ship
as his father disapproved of his ambition to play professional football. At Conway, he played rugby union at centre alongside fly-half Iain Duncan Smith
, who would later become leader of the Conservative Party
. According to Woodward, he was not selected to play for the Welsh Schoolboys side, but he was good enough to play rugby union for a Welsh school.
According to his autobiography, he applied to do a law degree at Durham University
, but was turned down even though he was good enough
and instead, he found a job at a London bank.
but he left to go to Loughborough University
where he gained a Bachelor of Arts
degree
in sports science
followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
(PGCE). He then played as a centre for Leicester
from 1979 to 1985. He made his England debut against on 19 January 1980, as a replacement and went on to gain 21 caps
for his country, playing his last game on 17 March 1984 against Wales. He was a member of the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
and 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand
. He was most noted for his centre partnership with fellow Tiger Paul Dodge
.
in the UK to Xerox in Australia. He joined the firm Portfolio Leasing Australia Pty Ltd which was located in North Sydney. During this time he was joined by fellow Englishman and Rugby Player Steve Holdstock. He was held in high esteem in business circles for his handling of large transactions of computing leasing and rentals which was fairly new to the market in Australia at the time. He continued to play rugby, for Manly
, and even trained once with the Wallabies
. There he learned about Australian rugby which was considered to be at a more advanced developmental stage than that in Britain
. Woodward came to believe that the Southern hemisphere teams were not invincible and with the right preparation could be beaten.
, he was unable to handle the politics of the club and was forced out. He became assistant coach at Leicester's arch rivals Bath
under Andy Robinson
, and when Jack Rowell
retired as coach of the England team in 1997, Woodward acquired the job.
He had the job of transforming the England side from the amateur era into the professional one. Having been quoted as requesting that the press judge him on England's performance at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
, when they were beaten by South Africa, his job was questioned. The team developed and subsequently won a Grand Slam in 2003
followed by the 2003 Rugby World Cup
, beating the reigning champions in the final. He was knighted
in the 2004 New Year's honours.
After the 2003 World Cup, England came third in the 2004
Six Nations
(behind Grand Slam winners France and Triple Crown winners Ireland). His last tour as England coach came shortly afterwards, with an ill-fated tour of New Zealand and Australia. England were beaten by New Zealand in two tests, without scoring a single try, going down 36-3 in the first and 36-12 in the second. The team then went to Australia, where they were beaten 51-15.
In February 2004 he was appointed Head Coach for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
. The Lions lost the test series 3-0. Woodward's management was criticised by many commentators and players for his initial squad selection, his coaching methods, his handling of the players and the media, his selections on tour - particularly for keeping faith with the England players he knew well - and for not allowing the test team any time to play together before the test series began. He returned from New Zealand with his reputation within rugby severely tarnished.
On 24 October 2011, Woodward was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning head coaches and captains from the tournament's inception in 1987 through 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales
).
and Martin Johnson, and some very poor results after the World Cup success, he again struggled to cope with the politics of English rugby, particularly the Premiership clubs' relations with the England management. Woodward was linked with a switch to football and, although he had denied these rumours, on 1 September 2004, Woodward announced that he would be quitting as England coach.
Initially, a move to Southampton Football Club
seemed likely, as Woodward was a friend of chairman Rupert Lowe
. Lowe discussed this possibility with the club's board on 2 September 2004. However, in his resignation press conference, Woodward said that his intention was to take the Football Association
's Grade Two coaching badges after the 2005 British and Irish Lions
tour to New Zealand:
However, Woodward continued his move into the Football League in 2005 by becoming Performance Director at Southampton Football Club, without undertaking any coaching at non-league clubs. With no experience of professional football, he again had problems with the politics of the situation, and was widely believed to have had a difficult relationship with the club's then-manager Harry Redknapp
. For example, his appointee as head of sports science, Simon Clifford
, left the club in November 2005, after only two months, amid resentment from the club's existing staff.
Following the departure of Redknapp in December 2005, Woodward was suggested as a possible candidate for the manager's position at the Championship
club, despite his lack of experience in the game. He was subsequently appointed Director of Football
to work alongside newly appointed Head Coach, George Burley
. On 31 August 2006 it was confirmed by Southampton that he was no longer working at the club.
. This is a role similar to that for which he was believed to be a candidate at his former employers the Rugby Football Union
(Rob Andrew
was eventually appointed to the position).
In 2007 he was appointed to the board of directors of Leicester Tigers
as a non-executive director
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2324113/Clive-Woodward,-Rory-Underwood-back-at-Leicester-Tigers.html
On 6 March 2008, he had the privilege to run with the Olympic torch while going through Russell Square, London.
At the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games he acted as Deputy Chef de Mission and undertaking a review of practices at the games for preparation for London 2012
as one of the people who helped to turn the team around and who helped them win the World Cup. A biography of him, 'Clive Woodward: the biography', written by Alison Kervin, was published six months later.
, a children’s charity that harnesses the support of the rugby world.
Sir Clive has also played in the annual Gary Player Invitational charity golf tournament to assist golf icon Gary Player raise funds for various children's causes.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 6 January 1956) is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. He is currently the British Olympic Association
British Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
's Director of Elite Performance.
Early life
Woodward was born in ElyEly, Cambridgeshire
Ely is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
. the son of an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilot. He was sent to HMS Conway School Ship
HMS Conway (school ship)
HMS Conway was a naval training school or "school ship", founded in 1859 and housed for most of its life aboard a 19th-century wooden battleship. The ship was originally stationed on the Mersey near Liverpool, then moved to the Menai Strait during World War II. While being towed back to Birkenhead...
as his father disapproved of his ambition to play professional football. At Conway, he played rugby union at centre alongside fly-half Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
, who would later become leader of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. According to Woodward, he was not selected to play for the Welsh Schoolboys side, but he was good enough to play rugby union for a Welsh school.
According to his autobiography, he applied to do a law degree at Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, but was turned down even though he was good enough
and instead, he found a job at a London bank.
Playing career
His first club was HarlequinsHarlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
but he left to go to Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
where he gained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in sports science
Sports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
followed by a Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
The Postgraduate Certificate in Education is a one-year course in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for undergraduate degree holders that allows them to train to be a teacher....
(PGCE). He then played as a centre for Leicester
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
from 1979 to 1985. He made his England debut against on 19 January 1980, as a replacement and went on to gain 21 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for his country, playing his last game on 17 March 1984 against Wales. He was a member of the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
1980 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa . The tour was not a success in terms of international results, the Lions losing the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth...
and 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand
1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand
In 1983 the British and Irish Lions toured New Zealand for the first time since 1977. The Lions went down to a 4-0 whitewash for only the second time in history - the previous was also inflicted by the All Blacks on the 1966 Lions. Overall the Lions played eighteen matches, winning twelve and...
. He was most noted for his centre partnership with fellow Tiger Paul Dodge
Paul Dodge
Paul William Dodge is a former English rugby union international footballer who gained 32 caps for his country between 1978 and 1985. His Leicester Tigers career earned him 436 appearances....
.
Australia
In 1986 he transferred office from XeroxXerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
in the UK to Xerox in Australia. He joined the firm Portfolio Leasing Australia Pty Ltd which was located in North Sydney. During this time he was joined by fellow Englishman and Rugby Player Steve Holdstock. He was held in high esteem in business circles for his handling of large transactions of computing leasing and rentals which was fairly new to the market in Australia at the time. He continued to play rugby, for Manly
Manly RUFC
Manly Rugby Union Football Club are a rugby union club based in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. The club was formed in 1906 and competes in the New South Wales Rugby Union competitions, the Shute Shield and Tooheys New Cup. Manly, known as the Marlins, play their home games at Manly...
, and even trained once with the Wallabies
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
. There he learned about Australian rugby which was considered to be at a more advanced developmental stage than that in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Woodward came to believe that the Southern hemisphere teams were not invincible and with the right preparation could be beaten.
Rugby coaching career
He returned to the UK in 1990 to start his own IT leasing company and he became coach of the then obscure Henley, who were promoted to the national leagues. After a short but successful spell of coaching at London IrishLondon Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
, he was unable to handle the politics of the club and was forced out. He became assistant coach at Leicester's arch rivals Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
under Andy Robinson
Andy Robinson
Richard Andrew 'Andy' Robinson OBE is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He is currently the head coach of Scotland.Robinson played as an openside flanker for Bath, England and the British and Irish Lions...
, and when Jack Rowell
Jack Rowell
Jack Rowell OBE is a former coach of rugby union sides including Bath and England.-Coaching:Between 1978 and 1994 Rowell coached Bath during their golden era, winning eight John Player/Pilkington Cups and five League Championships....
retired as coach of the England team in 1997, Woodward acquired the job.
He had the job of transforming the England side from the amateur era into the professional one. Having been quoted as requesting that the press judge him on England's performance at the 1999 Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, when they were beaten by South Africa, his job was questioned. The team developed and subsequently won a Grand Slam in 2003
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
followed by the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
, beating the reigning champions in the final. He was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in the 2004 New Year's honours.
After the 2003 World Cup, England came third in the 2004
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
Six Nations
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
(behind Grand Slam winners France and Triple Crown winners Ireland). His last tour as England coach came shortly afterwards, with an ill-fated tour of New Zealand and Australia. England were beaten by New Zealand in two tests, without scoring a single try, going down 36-3 in the first and 36-12 in the second. The team then went to Australia, where they were beaten 51-15.
In February 2004 he was appointed Head Coach for the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
. The Lions lost the test series 3-0. Woodward's management was criticised by many commentators and players for his initial squad selection, his coaching methods, his handling of the players and the media, his selections on tour - particularly for keeping faith with the England players he knew well - and for not allowing the test team any time to play together before the test series began. He returned from New Zealand with his reputation within rugby severely tarnished.
On 24 October 2011, Woodward was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame
IRB Hall of Fame
The IRB Hall of Fame is a hall of fame operated by the International Rugby Board that recognises special achievement and contribution to the sport of rugby union. The IRB Hall of Fame covers players, coaches, administrators, match officials, institutions and other individuals...
, alongside all other Rugby World Cup-winning head coaches and captains from the tournament's inception in 1987 through 2007 (minus the previously inducted John Eales
John Eales
John Eales AM is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby.-Early life:...
).
Resignation and football coaching
Woodward's contract with England was due to run until 2007. Following the retirement of key players like Lawrence DallaglioLawrence Dallaglio
Lorenzo Bruno Nero "Lawrence" Dallaglio, OBE is a retired English rugby union player and former captain of the English national team. He played as a flanker or number eight for London Wasps and never played for another club, having arrived at Sudbury as a teenager...
and Martin Johnson, and some very poor results after the World Cup success, he again struggled to cope with the politics of English rugby, particularly the Premiership clubs' relations with the England management. Woodward was linked with a switch to football and, although he had denied these rumours, on 1 September 2004, Woodward announced that he would be quitting as England coach.
Initially, a move to Southampton Football Club
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
seemed likely, as Woodward was a friend of chairman Rupert Lowe
Rupert Lowe
Rupert James Graham Lowe is a British businessman, who was the chairman of Southampton Football Club from 1996 to 2006. He regained his power in May 2008, teaming up with Michael Wilde, who had previously forced Lowe out, becoming chairman of the club's parent company, Southampton Leisure Holdings...
. Lowe discussed this possibility with the club's board on 2 September 2004. However, in his resignation press conference, Woodward said that his intention was to take the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's Grade Two coaching badges after the 2005 British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour to New Zealand:
- I'm interested in football, I intend to do the awards but I may end up coaching Maidenhead under-nines. You have to start at the bottom and I intend to do that.
However, Woodward continued his move into the Football League in 2005 by becoming Performance Director at Southampton Football Club, without undertaking any coaching at non-league clubs. With no experience of professional football, he again had problems with the politics of the situation, and was widely believed to have had a difficult relationship with the club's then-manager Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp
Henry James "Harry" Redknapp is a former English footballer who has enjoyed a long career in football management starting in 1983 with Bournemouth. He is the current manager of Tottenham Hotspur....
. For example, his appointee as head of sports science, Simon Clifford
Simon Clifford
Simon Darcy Clifford is an English football coach, and a businessman known for introducing Brazilian training techniques into the UK with his Brazilian Soccer Schools....
, left the club in November 2005, after only two months, amid resentment from the club's existing staff.
Following the departure of Redknapp in December 2005, Woodward was suggested as a possible candidate for the manager's position at the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club, despite his lack of experience in the game. He was subsequently appointed Director of Football
Director of football
"Director of football" is a term describing a senior management figure at a football club, most commonly used in Europe. The exact nature of the role is often unclear and extremely variable and causes much debate in the sports media...
to work alongside newly appointed Head Coach, George Burley
George Burley
George Elder Burley is a Scottish football manager and former player and manager, formerly the manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Burley had a professional career spanning 21 years as a player making 628 appearances and earning 11 Scotland caps...
. On 31 August 2006 it was confirmed by Southampton that he was no longer working at the club.
British Olympic Association
On 6 September 2006 it was announced that Woodward would be returning to sport as the new director of elite performance for the British Olympic AssociationBritish Olympic Association
The British Olympic Association is the national Olympic committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1905 in the House of Commons, and at that time consisted of seven national governing body members from the following sports: fencing, life-saving, cycling, skating, rowing,...
. This is a role similar to that for which he was believed to be a candidate at his former employers the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
(Rob Andrew
Rob Andrew
Christopher Robert "Rob" Andrew MBE , nicknamed "Squeaky", is a former English rugby union footballer and currently Director of Operations at the RFU. He was formerly the Director of Rugby of Newcastle Falcons. As a player, Andrew was assured in his kicking and defensive skills off both feet...
was eventually appointed to the position).
In 2007 he was appointed to the board of directors of Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
as a non-executive director
Non-executive director
A non-executive director or outside director is a member of the board of directors of a company who does not form part of the executive management team. He or she is not an employee of the company or affiliated with it in any other way...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/2324113/Clive-Woodward,-Rory-Underwood-back-at-Leicester-Tigers.html
On 6 March 2008, he had the privilege to run with the Olympic torch while going through Russell Square, London.
At the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games he acted as Deputy Chef de Mission and undertaking a review of practices at the games for preparation for London 2012
Books
Woodward released his autobiography, 'Winning!' in 2004. He writes of the triumph of England in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the preparations and celebrations, and his personal life, playing and coaching career. In 'Winning', Woodward refers to Yehuda ShinarYehuda Shinar
Yehuda Shinar is a graphologist, life coach, and the owner and CEO of the Shinar Institute, established in Israel in 1976. The institute's expertise is in analyzing and evaluating job candidates for managerial positions throughout the world....
as one of the people who helped to turn the team around and who helped them win the World Cup. A biography of him, 'Clive Woodward: the biography', written by Alison Kervin, was published six months later.
Charity
Woodward is an Honorary President of the Wooden Spoon SocietyWooden Spoon Society
Wooden Spoon is a children's charity founded in 1983, when the England rugby team received the Wooden Spoon in the 5 Nations. Spoon is dedicated to helping children and young people who are disadvantaged physically, mentally or socially by using sport as a method of improving lives while...
, a children’s charity that harnesses the support of the rugby world.
Sir Clive has also played in the annual Gary Player Invitational charity golf tournament to assist golf icon Gary Player raise funds for various children's causes.