How England head coach Steve Borthwick discovered his love of rugby
England Senior Men’s head coach Steve Borthwick talks about choosing rugby over football, and his route into coaching on the England Rugby Podcast: O2 Inside Line.
Discovering rugby
As a child, Borthwick was obsessed with football and his dream was to play for Preston North End. Born in Carlisle before his family moved to Preston, rugby was not a consideration for the young Borthwick and he used to watch his relatives play for Carlisle Rugby Club before walking to watch Carlisle United.
In fact, he never picked up a rugby ball until he was around 10 or 11. However, the significance of the sport wasn’t lost on him, particularly when he watched his first Six Nations game.
“I remember being sat on the floor in front of the TV, as little kids do, watching England versus Scotland,” said Borthwick. “I knew nothing about rugby, but I remember the feeling when the anthems were being sung. I remember that feeling, the excitement and the anticipation.
“With no understanding, I thought ‘this is the most spine-tingling, awe-inspiring moment' and I remember just being hooked on these great sporting occasions.”
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A potential career path
After starting a secondary school that was more rugby-oriented, Borthwick began to play the sport for the first time and soon fell in love with the oval ball.
The support of his teachers and coaches at the school, as well as at his local club, Preston Grasshoppers, helped to nurture his love of the game and set him on the path to becoming a professional rugby player.
The professionalisation of rugby in 1995 brought the possibility of rugby as a career for Borthwick and his teachers again supported his route into the sport.
“On one of my school career days, I wrote that I wanted to be a professional rugby player, and I remember thinking the teacher would say ‘only a handful of people become professional rugby players. It’s a dream that won’t come true, stay in reality.’
“My name got called out and I was expecting this idea to be dismissed, but the teacher said ‘you want to be a professional rugby player? Well you’d better learn how to spell professional!’
“It would have been so easy for that teacher to dismiss my dream. A lot of people in life get their dreams dismissed or don’t even express their dreams.”
How Borthwick coaches now
Borthwick went on to play for Bath and Saracens at club level, as well as making 57 appearances for England, and the faith that others showed in him on his journey has informed the way he coaches now.
He explained: “I like helping people and coaching gives you an opportunity to do that. I’m trying to help the players I coach now to achieve their dreams.
“What I’d love to help these guys with is feeling like the shirt brings them energy. When they walk out at Allianz Stadium, I want them to feel like the whole of England is with them and to have the time of their lives.
“We’re playing in front of 82,000 people screaming for them and there are millions of people watching on TV jumping up and down on the sofa wanting the team to do well and at the very essence of it is these guys are very talented rugby players who love playing rugby.
“So to go on the pitch and have that energy and excitement they have when they pull on their club shirt, or when they were at school or minis. I want them to have that same enjoyment.”
A caring approach
As well as wanting his England players to experience this enjoyment and energy, Borthwick wants them to feel cared for, just as he would want his sons to be coached.
This stems from being asked ‘would you want your boys being coached by you?’ The question made him stop and think.
“The answer at that point in time was no. Categorically no,” said Borthwick.
“It made me think why the answer was no and how would I want my boys to be coached? I’d want them to feel cared for and loved.
“There are people who were part of my journey who went over and above because they cared. They got more out of me because they cared so much and at the same point there is always that ability to find more so you have to be demanding.
“There is always more that people can find when they feel ‘this person really cares’ and that’s the balance I’m always trying to seek as a coach.”
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