Simon Middleton

BIO

Simon Middleton MBE is a renowned English rugby coach and former professional rugby union and rugby league player whose career exemplifies dedication, high-performance leadership, and cross-code expertise. With over 40 years in rugby as a player, coach, Director of Rugby, and programme leader, Simon has contributed significantly across all levels, from international and professional to semi-professional and amateur rugby, as well as sports education. A former cross-code wing and fullback, Simon played rugby league for Castleford and rugby union for clubs including Leeds Tykes. At Leeds, he transitioned into coaching, holding roles such as defence and skills coach, and later assistant coach, helping the team secure two Premiership titles and their first Heineken Cup qualification. After 11 years with Leeds, Simon joined the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 2014 as head coach of the England Women’s Sevens team on the World Series, while supporting the victorious 2014 Rugby World Cup team.

SKILLS

Leadership & Team Development | High-Performance Strategy | Cross-Code Coaching | Programme Management | Defence and Skills Coaching | Public Speaking | Mentorship | Elite Sports Management | Resilience | Adversity | Mental Strength | Adaptability In 2015, Simon was appointed head coach of the England Women’s team, initially overseeing both Sevens and XVs before focusing solely on XVs. Over his nine-year tenure, he guided the team to three Six Nations Grand Slam titles (2017, 2019, 2020), another Six Nations title in 2021, and the 2017 World Cup final. His achievements with the team also included breaking the world record for consecutive wins by an international Tier 1 team, male or female. Simon was named World Rugby Coach of the Year in 2021, becoming the first coach of a women’s team to receive this honour. Simon was awarded an MBE for his services to rugby - he now applies his expertise to his High-Performance Consultancy, guiding leaders, teams, and organisations across sport.

ACHIEVEMENTS

+ International Rugby Coach + Former Professional Rugby and Rugby League Player + MBE for services to rugby (2021) + World Rugby Coach of the Year (2021) + Six Nations Grand Slams with England Women’s team (2017, 2019, 2020) + Six Nations title (2021) and World Cup final (2017) with England Women’s team + Head Coach of Team GB Women’s Sevens – Rio 2016 Olympics + Assistant Coach, Leeds Tykes – two Premiership titles and Heineken Cup qualification + Launched High-Performance Consultancy – focusing on leadership and team excellence across sectors