New coach interview: Curtis Bradford

With a CV that reads like a student’s inter-railing route, Exeter Chiefs Women’s new assistant coach Curtis Bradford will bring a wide variety of experience from the clubs and national teams he has worked with.

Born in Newport, Bradford left behind his home and his job as a development officer in West Wales to advance his trade around the world.

The 31-year-old explained: “I just wanted a bit of an adventure. I've coached in Malaysia, Australia, Austria, Italy and the last few years in Germany. I've been across the sevens and the 15s programmes for men and women.

“The last couple of years have been more focused on the women, and it's been a really amazing experience. It's been a journey but I'm excited to be back in the UK now and hopefully have a successful time here at Exeter.”

Bradford rose to director of rugby with Germany, meaning he spent less time pitch-side and more hours behind a desk.

He added: “I'm looking forward to being back on the pitch and being a little bit more of a nerd in my area here. I'm really, really excited to start working with the players. I think we've got a really talented group.”

Bradford’s main job this season will be to improve the team’s defence and his philosophy in this coaching area is clear.

“I think great defences mean getting the ball back as quickly as possible, but you also want to be able to go the distance if you need to defend for longer. We want to be really clear on how we're going to achieve winning the ball back so we can attack more and score more points, but I also think it's about togetherness, as much as the technical tactical parts, that are massively important.”

Father to a one-year-old daughter, who already has a mini Chiefs kit, Bradford is keen to showcase women’s rugby and, in his words, the “fantastic athletes we have playing it”. The former scrum-half also wants to see women get the opportunities in rugby that weren’t afforded to so many who came before this modern era of athletes.

“Growing up, I had a lot of friends who played rugby but maybe didn't get the opportunities to continue as they got older. My sister was a really good rugby player, probably a better rugby player than me in primary school, but there just weren't opportunities there.”

He continued: “I think Chiefs are a team that's been knocking on the door and been competitive for a number of years. I suppose it was just attractive to see if I could add value and help them take that next step.

“From speaking to the staff here and speaking to a few of the players, it's just been really clear the appetite they have to develop and evolve, and they're not happy just doing it the same way they've always done it. They want to try and take those next steps and, as a coach, that's really exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing how that develops and learning as well as sharing information and, hopefully, we can all develop towards those final goals.

While women’s rugby in Germany is growing, it has a little way to go before it reaches the strength in depth enjoyed by the Red Roses or, indeed, its growing popularity in this country.

Bradford concluded: “One of the main reasons I came over is women's rugby. It’s something that's got a special place in my heart. It's been something that's taken up most of my waking hours. The rate that the game has exploded in the UK…you want a piece of the pie!

“The PWR has got to the point now where the level is extremely high and particularly the higher calibre teams that have been in and around the play-offs the last few years. I think these are really high performance, high standard teams. For us trying to overtake them all and become the top dogs, we've got a lot of work to do, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't think we had the potential to do it.

“We're building from a position of strength. It's just about that next piece of the evolution towards hopefully achieving what we all set out to do in sport, which is to win things!”