Mike Ford (rugby)
Encyclopedia
Mike A. Ford is an English former rugby league
player and current rugby union
coach
. He is the England national rugby union team
's defence coach.
Born in Oldham
, Lancashire
, Ford played rugby league
as a scrum-half, playing for Wigan
, Leigh
, Wakefield Trinity
, Castleford
, South Queensland Crushers
and Oldham
. He won 10 caps for Great Britain.
He retired in 2001 as player-coach of Oldham RLFC after guiding them to the championship Grand Final. Whilst at Oldham, he started coaching rugby union at Dukinfield
RUFC for 5 seasons winning a cup and two promotions. He left Oldham RLFC to take over as Defensive Co-ordinator of Ireland
in January 2002 and stayed for 4 seasons winning a triple crown and guiding Ireland to 3rd in the world rankings. In September 2004 he started working as a defence and skills coach at Saracens F.C.
, before taking over as head coach in August 2005.
He served as a defence coach on the 2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
, a series that the Lions lost 3-0 conceding a record 12 tries, and left his position with Ireland in September 2005. He became defence coach of England
May 2006.
He was part of the coaching team that was severely criticised by senior players in the 2007 RWC.
The England playing record since Mike Ford became the defence coach is;
Played 58, Won 27, Lost 30, Drawn 1,
Against 3N, Played 22, Won 4, Lost 18
Against all comers an average of 22 points conceded per game, against 3N, 31 points per game
Least points conceded in 2009 Six Nations (70) and least tries conceded in the 2010 Six Nations (5)
Ford is a Tigers
Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Two of his sons currently play rugby union, George Ford
plays for Leicester Tigers
and Joe Ford
for Northampton Saints
.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player and current 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...
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 is the England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
's defence coach.
Born in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Ford played rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
as a scrum-half, playing for Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, Leigh
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
, Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
, Castleford
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
, South Queensland Crushers
South Queensland Crushers
The South Queensland Crushers were an Australian rugby league football club based in Brisbane, Queensland. In 1992 it was decided that the team would be admitted into the New South Wales Rugby League competition, along with three other teams, as part of the League's expansion plans for professional...
and Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
. He won 10 caps for Great Britain.
He retired in 2001 as player-coach of Oldham RLFC after guiding them to the championship Grand Final. Whilst at Oldham, he started coaching rugby union at Dukinfield
Dukinfield
Dukinfield is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies in central Tameside on the south bank of the River Tame, opposite Ashton-under-Lyne, and is east of the city of Manchester...
RUFC for 5 seasons winning a cup and two promotions. He left Oldham RLFC to take over as Defensive Co-ordinator of Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
in January 2002 and stayed for 4 seasons winning a triple crown and guiding Ireland to 3rd in the world rankings. In September 2004 he started working as a defence and skills coach at Saracens F.C.
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
, before taking over as head coach in August 2005.
He served as a defence coach on 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...
, a series that the Lions lost 3-0 conceding a record 12 tries, and left his position with Ireland in September 2005. He became defence coach of England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
May 2006.
He was part of the coaching team that was severely criticised by senior players in the 2007 RWC.
The England playing record since Mike Ford became the defence coach is;
Played 58, Won 27, Lost 30, Drawn 1,
Against 3N, Played 22, Won 4, Lost 18
Against all comers an average of 22 points conceded per game, against 3N, 31 points per game
Least points conceded in 2009 Six Nations (70) and least tries conceded in the 2010 Six Nations (5)
Ford is a Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Two of his sons currently play rugby union, George Ford
George Ford (rugby union)
George Ford is a rugby union footballer who plays for Leicester Tigers. He plays at fly-half. His brother Joe plays for Leeds Carnegie. Born in Oldham, Lancashire he is the son of England defence coach Mike Ford...
plays for 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...
and Joe Ford
Joe Ford (rugby union)
Joe Ford is a rugby union footballer who plays for Northampton Saints. He plays at fullback or fly-half. His brother George plays for Leicester Tigers...
for Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
.