Ty Watson

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Ty James Watson (born 1976 in Australia) is a rugby league player and more recently coach.

Playing career

Canning Bulldogs, WARL 1991-95
Western Reds, Super League (Australia) 1996-1998
Fremantle Roosters, WARL 1998-1999
Sunbury United Rugby League, Victorian Rugby League 2000-2002
Souths Logan Magpies, Queensland Cup 2003
Coventry Bears, NL3, RLC 2004 - 2008
Leicester Phoenix 2009 - current
Leicester Storm - formerly Leicester Phoenix 2010 - 2011

Coaching career

Sunbury United Rugby League, Victorian Rugby League: 2002 - 1st Grade Captain Coach
Coventry Bears, Midlands Premier League: 2005 - 2008 - Head Coach and Captain
Leicester Phoenix, Midlands Premier League: 2009 - Director of Rugby League
Leicester Storm, Midlands Premier League: 2010 - Current Head Coach and Chairman

England Lionhearts: 2008 - Forwards Coach Commonwealth Expats Rugby League Team: 2011 - Head Coach

Ty Watson started his coaching career in Melbourne, Australia captain/coaching the Sunbury United Rugby League Club in 2002. In his first year the Cougars managed to make the VRL Grand Final losing narrowly to St Kilda.

Ty Watson joined the Coventry Bears as head coach in 2006. The Coventry Bears made the Midlands Premier Grand Final losing to the Nottingham Outlaws. Ty Watson won the Coventry Bears Man of Steel of season 2006. Season 2007 saw the Coventry Bears win the Kilkenny Invitational International Nines Tournament. They also won the Midlands Premier Grand Final beating Nottingham Outlaws (Rugby) after an undefeated season. The Coventry Bears narrowly lost to St Albans Centurians in the National Grand Final.

Ty Watson, Player Coach of the Carvell Coventry Bears Rugby League Football Club, was named as the ‘Professional Coach of the Year 2007’ in the 3rd annual Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sports Awards at the Ricoh Arena.

The event was hosted by Awards ceremony was hosted by Vince Mayne (Coventry University), Lorna Bailey (BBC Coventry and Warwickshire) and former World record holder and twice Commonwealth Games gold medal winning athlete and famous Coventrian David Moorcroft OBE, on Thursday 11 October and represented the cream of the regional sporting scene.

Ty Watson was also nominated for the CO-OPERATIVE Rugby League Conference Coach of the Year for 2007. Ty was one of three nominees from 96 rugby league clubs across the country.

2008 was a challenging year for the Coventry Bears and Head Coach Ty Watson. The season started brightly with the Coventry Bears winning the inaugural Midlands Nines. The regular season was blighted with injury resulting in 9 first team members being out of action come finals time. Ty Watson was also ruled out with torn ankle ligmaments the week of the first finals. The Bears still finished on top of the Midlands Premier table equal on points with rivals Nottingham Outlaws.

The post season saw Ty Watson resign from the Coventry Bears role and take up a Head Coaching role with Leicester Phoenix.

2009 has been a year of change for the Leicester Phoenix with Ty Watson taking on the Director of Rugby League role at the club which will see him oversee coaching and development. 2009 was a very successful year for the club with fortunes improving on and off the pitch. The Phoenix spent much of the year on top of the Midlands Premier League but due to a spate of injuries fell away at the end of the season. Watson managed to start an Academy team and steps were made for a junior set up as well. On the field the veteran jointly topped the Phoenix try scoring charts.

2010 has seen Ty continue his role as Head Coach but move up into the Chairman role as well. In early 2010 Watson took the decision to rebrand the Phoenix and become known as Leicester Storm; playing in the colours made famous by World Club Champions - Melbourne Storm. This new identity and sense of professionalism saw the Storm have a fantastic 2010 season finishing 3rd in the Midland's Premier and going on a 6 match winning streak at the end of the season. In 2010 Watson set up the already legendary Storm Academy to develop young and new players to the game and club. This Academy team proved to be a great spingboard for many players including 4 players who represented the Midlands origin team and George Leng who become the first Storm player to represent England at a recent test match in France. The Academy won the 3v Sport Midlands Rugby League in their first season.

In 2010 Ty watson received further acclaim for his coaching winning the East Midlands Coach of the Year and the Volunteer of the Year as well.

In 2011 Watson continued his work with the Storm setting up a full junior programme including U11's, U13's, U14's, U16's and U18's as well as running the Academy again. In 2011 the Storm had 10 players go onto professional clubs or RFL scholarship programmes - a record number for a non heartland club. The 1st Grade team narrowly lost to Bristol Sonics in the grand final. Watson decided to hang the boots after the loss - it proved to be a bit premature with the Australian pulling on the trusty boot again in 2012.

The Club ran a testimonial game for Ty to celebrate his playing career on 9 October.

Also in 2011 Ty became the Head Coach of the newly formed Commonwealth Expats Rugby League Team - the Expats were made up of Commonwealth players that were outside the top 3 tiers of Rugby League. The game was played at Headingley Carnegie on Friday 10 June prior the England vs Exiles game.

In 2012 Ty stepped down as Head Coach to concentrate on the behind the scenes and to carry on building the club. Part of this work was to secure a long term base and home for the Leicester Storm. This led to work with New College in Leicester in which a sports village could be created at the school for pupils and the public. New College, in New Parks, Leicester, has submitted a bid for £1.9 million to Sport England. If successful, the money will pay for the development of two hockey pitches, one of which would be international standard, and three rugby league pitches on of which will be a show pitch as well as pavilion and club house.

On the pitch was another great for the club with the 18s winning the league in their first year and 15 players now on scholarship programmes. The 1st Grade again made the Grand Final in the Midlands Premier this time losing to Northampton.

In 2013 Ty has recruited former Sheffield Eagles Head of Development Dean Thomas to take up the post of Performance Director and Head Coach at the club. The 1st Grade has moved into the new formed National Conference South.

Career

In 2010 Ty started 3v Sport - a fast growing sportswear company with fellow professional rugby league player Greg Hurst. 3v Sport is fast becoming the most have sports brand across a growing number of sports including: rugby league kit, rugby union kit, basketball kit, netball kit, hockey kit, football kit, cricket kit, dodgeball kit, ultimate frisbee kit, korfball kit as well as supplying team wear to a number of National Governing Bodies including the National Ice Skating Association.

References

    External links

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