Multi-tasking player, coach and mother
Ofure Ugiagbe grew up in Rugby so has “always been aware of the sport” but her own rugby career has been far from straightforward.
Her mother is from Jamaica, her father from Nigeria and, although Ofure, known to friends as Fuzz, started playing aged 15, her dad “stopped me playing rugby as he was very academically focused and it was all about studying,” she says.
Once she arrived at Leicester University, however, she began playing Number 8 and having played lots of sports in school, decided rugby was her favourite sport. “We played Varsity matches at Welford Road which was fantastic,” she recalls.
Devastating injury ended playing career
After graduating, Ofure played prop for Loughborough Lightning before a serious injury curtailed her career. “I ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament. My knee dislocated and two surgeries failed to repair the nerve. I had a walking aid as I couldn’t physically lift my foot. I couldn’t move my foot until a couple of years ago when it started moving again.
“I didn’t have the best exit from playing, the first six months after my injury was written off and I didn’t feel like I had any support. I still wanted to stay in the game, having done what was then Level 2, now the England Rugby Coaching Award. The Leicestershire County Under 15s Head Coach stepped away from the role and, having been involved for a couple of seasons assisting, I stepped into the Leicestershire Head Coach position for the 2019-20 season. The girls were so full of life and energy, it reminded me why I loved the game and my experience of leaving it made me a very player-centred coach. I met the Derby Head Coach on an England Rugby coach mentoring programme ahead of the 21/22 season, and did a couple of guest coaching sessions. I’m now my second season into being the Head Forwards Coach there."
Despite the 120 mile round trip from her home in Rugby, Ofure is still coaching at Derby, has coached the Leicester county girls set up, and now, with her partner Steven Baker, a full time coach with Leicester Tigers Community Department, she has a two-year-old daughter Adaze and a full-time job with the Ministry of Justice.
Amazingly, as she built back in the gym and began running again, she also returned to the pitch, playing tight-head prop for Leicester Tigers women’s team.
Plans for PhD studying racism in rugby
“I didn’t really have closure so it’s great to play again. I’m 31 now, so playing is not for ever and I would love to do a PhD in rugby once I retire from playing, looking at the leadership perspective and the racialised experience within rugby union. It would look at how to improve participation and performance of those from racialised backgrounds. You hear a lot about people’s experiences but there is no detailed research looking at the statistics so that we can make things better for the player.
“My rugby heroes were always Maggie Alphonsi and Maro Itoje, largely because of our heritage. What Maggie did on the pitch was amazing and she’s also a trailblazer for what she has done since stopping playing. Maro is very proud of his Nigerian heritage while being proud to be British.
“Writing my proposal for a PhD, I was very conscious that my own personal experience might bring preconceptions, but there will be methods to mitigate that, and I hope my own experience will help drive some good on a bigger scale.
“I have certainly encountered prejudice, a couple of times from other players and a couple of times from the crowd. However, I’m very fortunate that my teammates have called it out and I have never felt I was alone, I’ve always had that support. I’ve played lots of sport but in rugby, where you are putting your body on the line for each other, there’s a really strong bond and real support.”
Advanced Coaching
Ofure is now on the England Rugby Advanced Coaching programme, having been on a scholarship which served as a six months’ precursor for women coaches. She speaks very highly of the mentoring she has had throughout her coaching career and for the network built on the scholarship.
“Originally I think I suffered from impostor syndrome. I thought advanced coaching was for the likes of Simon Middleton, but the scholarship and programme has made me reframe what success looks like.
“I was very taken with the response from Sara Cox when she became the first woman to referee a men’s Premiership match. She said it was just another game. That’s what I see now and I realise that it doesn’t matter whether you are coaching girls, women, boys or men as long as you are coaching to the best of your ability and performing at your best. As a coach, I just want to make sure that the players I am coaching have the best possible experience.”
