Sale Sharks are delighted to announce three key coaching appointments to support the transition of the region’s best young talent from the club’s Senior Academy to Alex Sanderson’s first team.
Tom Gilchrist, Jacob Ford and Joe Collins will link up with the rest of Academy Manager Fergus Mulchrone’s coaching team from the start of July, ahead of the new season.
Sharks will welcome five new Senior Academy talents to the club this summer – Jordan Ikeh, Will Bayston, Charlie Bray, Lawrence Ogbonnya and Austin Keogh.
And Tom, Jacob and Joe will play key roles in preparing them, as well as young players going into their second and third years of their Senior Academy contracts, for the rigours of Gallagher PREM rugby.
Forwards Transition Coach Tom will join from the Yorkshire Rugby Academy, where he had been Head Coach since 2021. He’d previously worked as a pathway coach for the RFU and the Scottish Rugby Union.
During his time with the Yorkshire Rugby Academy, Tom oversaw the development of a number of established PREM players including Sharks Tom Burrow, Alfie Longstaff, Oli Spencer and Tye Raymont.
Jacob will be the club’s new Backs Transition Coach, arriving from Champ Rugby club Doncaster Knights, where he held the role of Attack Coach.
Prior to that Jacob, who is the younger brother of Sharks and England star George and the club’s Head Coach Joe, was part of Scottish Rugby’s National Talent Pathway, working in a transition role at Glasgow Warriors under Franco Smith.
Joe will be Sharks’ new Head of Academy Strength and Conditioning, joining from Blackrock College RFC, where he was the Academy Director for Athletic Development.
Joe has worked at Leicester Tigers and Gloucester and has also enjoyed a stint with Manawatu in New Zealand.
Tom said: “On a personal note this is a fantastic opportunity for me to step up into a PREM club and support some really talented lads in fulfilling their potential.
“I can’t wait to work with Tom, Alfie, Oli and Tye again, but there are 17 Senior Academy forwards and I want to push them and help them all play and compete at the top level.
“Speaking to Alex and Ferg, it’s really exciting to hear the direction the club is going in on and off the field and I’m looking forward to playing my part.”
Jacob said: “I’m a Manchester boy so it’s fantastic to be able to come back to my home club after working away in different coaching environments for my whole career.
“More importantly, this is a really exciting role and a brilliant opportunity for me to come and work with some great coaches and really talented young players to help maximise their potential and become established Prem players. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Joe said: “I’m over the moon to be joining Sale. It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to take on a real challenge at a great club, full of brilliant players and coaches.
“The bit that really excites me is that I’m going to be working with talented young players who are trying to reach their potential. I’m looking forward to helping them achieve big things.”
Sharks Academy Manager Fergus Mulchrone said: “We are delighted to welcome Tom, Jacob and Joe to Sale Sharks. This has been a thorough three-month recruitment process and we are confident we have appointed three outstanding individuals who share our vision for developing the next generation of Sharks talent.
“Having observed Tom over the last four years at Yorkshire’s Academy I’m confident he will bring a level of expertise that will accelerate our group of transition forwards from academy to senior rugby over the next 2-3 years.
“Jacob’s experience across school, the national leagues and Glasgow’s Senior Academy will be invaluable in helping our young players develop the skills and decision-making required at the highest level.
“Joe’s appointment as Head of Academy Strength and Conditioning completes an exciting new-look transition staff. He has a great depth of experience working all over the world and joins us from the strong pedigree of Blackrock College RFC in Dublin.
“His role will be fundamental in ensuring our players are physically prepared for the rigours of the professional game.
“The quality of candidates we attracted throughout this process is a reflection of the ambition and direction of this club, and I have no doubt that Tom, Jacob and Joe will make a significant impact on the development pathway here at Sale Sharks.”
