Clive Woodward

Sir Clive Woodward
Full name Clive Ronald Woodward
Date of birth 6 January 1956
Place of birth Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
School HMS Conway Naval School
University Loughborough University
Occupation(s) Director of Elite Performance for the
British Olympic Association
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Centre
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
1974
1977-1979
1979-1985
1985-1990		 Harlequins
Loughborough Students
Leicester Tigers
Manly
correct as of 13 September 2006.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1980-1984
1980-1983		 England
British and Irish Lions		 21
2		 (16)
(0)
correct as of 14 September 2006.
Coaching career
Years Club / team
1990-1994
1994-1997
1994-1997
1997
1997-2004
2005		 Henley
London Irish
England U21
Bath
England
British and Irish Lions
correct as of 26 October 2006.
Rugby union career

Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE (born 6 January 1956) is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the England team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

Early life

Woodward was born in Ely in Cambridgeshire, the son of an RAF pilot. He started school at Corstorphine in Edinburgh and was later sent to the school ship HMS Conway, 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 because he was English, but he was good enough to play rugby union for a Welsh school.[1]

According to his autobiography, he applied to do a law degree at Durham University, but was turned down even though he was good enough[1] and instead, he found a job at a London bank.

Insignia of Knight Bachelor

Playing career

His first club was Harlequins but he left to go to Loughborough University where he gained a Bachelor of Science 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 Ireland 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.[2] He was most noted for his centre partnership with fellow Tiger Paul Dodge.

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 Irish, 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.[1]

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 the 2003 Six Nations followed by the 2003 Rugby World Cup, beating the reigning champions Australia 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).[3]

Resignation and football coaching

Woodward's contract with England was due to run until 2007. Following the retirement of key players like Lawrence Dallaglio and Martin Johnson, and finishing third in the 6 Nations after the World Cup success, he found the politics of English rugby difficult to deal with, 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:

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.[4] 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.

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 Association. 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.[5]

On 6 March 2008, he had the privilege to run with the Olympic torch while going through Russell Square, London.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing he acted as Deputy Chef de Mission and undertook a review of practices at the games in preparation for 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

It was announced 4 October 2012, Woodward will leave his post as director of sport at the British Olympic Association after six years.[6]

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 of his personal life, his playing and coaching career. In Winning!, Woodward refers to Yehuda Shinar 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 Society, 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.

Personal life

Clive Woodward is married to Jayne Williams (Lady Woodward). The couple used to run a computer leasing business together. They live near Maidenhead.[7]

Sir Clive and Lady Woodward were guests at the wedding of Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips.

International Matches as Head Coach

Record by Country

Opponent Played Won Drew Lost Win ratio (%) For Against
 Argentina 2 2 0 0 100 45 18
 Australia 10 5 1 4 50 176 272
 Canada 3 3 0 0 100 117 41
 Fiji 1 1 0 0 100 45 24
 France 10 6 0 4 60 247 161
 Georgia 1 1 0 0 100 84 6
 Ireland 7 5 0 2 71 226 106
 Italy 7 7 0 0 100 364 80
 Netherlands 1 1 0 0 100 110 0
 New Zealand 9 2 1 6 22 143 298
 Romania 1 1 0 0 100 134 0
 Samoa 1 1 0 0 100 35 22
 Scotland 7 6 0 1 86 218 88
 South Africa 10 6 0 4 60 217 173
 Tonga 1 1 0 0 100 101 10
 United States 2 2 0 0 100 154 27
 Uruguay 1 1 0 0 100 111 13
 Wales 9 8 0 1 89 359 151
TOTAL 83 59 2 22 71 2886 1490

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Woodward, Clive (2004). Winning!. Great Britain: Hodder & Stroughton. p. 479. ISBN 978-0-340-83630-9.
  2. ↑ "2005 British & Irish Lions Management". British & Irish Lions.
  3. ↑ "RWC legends inducted into IRB Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Redknapp and Woodward deny rift". BBC News. 29 September 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Rugby Union (25 October 2007). "Clive Woodward, Rory Underwood back at Leicester Tigers". Telegraph. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
  6. ↑ Owen, David. "Exclusive: Sir Clive Woodward to leave BOA". insideingames.com. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  7. ↑ Nick Greenslade (4 December 2005). "Inside Clive's world | Politics | The Observer". Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2013.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Jack Rowell		 English national rugby coach
1997 – 2004 		Succeeded by
Andy Robinson
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Bernard Laporte		 IRB International Coach of the Year
2003 		Succeeded by
Jake White