Bridgwater & Taunton College (BTC) has appointed a new Rugby Development Manager as part of efforts to expand and enhance its sporting provision for talented young athletes.

The post has been filled by Roy Davies, a former Women’s Premiership Head Coach. Davies joined BTC in 2020 as the Women’s Rugby coach following a stint as Director of Rugby at TP15s side Worcester Warrior Women. Davies is also a Junior Academy Excel coach with the Bristol Bears Academy, one of BTC’s sporting partners.

Roy Davies said

It’s an exciting time for rugby at BTC. My new role will allow us to focus on growing the performance support elements of our programmes, such as strength and conditioning, injury prevention and analysis, meaning we can provide an elite rugby experience to sit alongside the excellent educational offer already in place.

Bristol Bears Junior Academy Manager Gary Townsend said

We’re delighted that Roy has been appointed as Rugby Development Manager at BTC. Roy has been coaching with Bristol Bears Junior Rugby Academy for several years. The mission to help young people maximise their potential both on and off the pitch aligns itself to the culture of both the Bears and the College; Roy is the perfect person to promote our shared values.

Head of Sports Clare Cavill said

The Rugby Development Manager role is a brand new position within the College. It was created so that we could take our Rugby provision to the next level and continue developing an elite programme for the talented young players in our local area. With Roy now in post, we are well placed to begin widening the scope of our provision, establishing excellent partnerships with respected teams such as Bristol Bears, continuing our work as a TASS Dual Career pathway and more. We will do all we can to nurture the talent in our care and provide our students with the opportunities they deserve.

Follow the links for more information about sport at BTC, including qualifications up to degree level, elite training programmes and membership of Team BTC.