Wheelchair Rugby League trailblazer James Simpson MBE has achieved another significant milestone, having become the first England Wheelchair international to earn his UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Rugby League.
For the 38-year-old, confirmation that he had passed his final assessment completed a memorable October, following on from victory for his Leeds Rhinos team against Halifax Panthers in the 2024 Betfred Wheelchair Super League Grand Final.
Richard Tunningley, the RFL’s Coach Education Manager, said:
“Level 3 is our advanced level coaching qualification for coaches operating in a high-performance environment, so it’s a pleasure to congratulate James on this significant achievement.
“I think it’s also a big moment for Wheelchair Rugby League, which has made such amazing strides since the success of the England team in winning the World Cup two years ago.”
James Simpson said:
“To be honest, I’ve loved it – and I hope more and more people do it, especially in the Wheelchair game.
“I’ve been coaching for five years now, since I became player coach at Leeds in 2019. I did my Level 2 qualification four years ago, and when I retired as player after the World Cup, I wanted to do my Level 3 to get my proper professional qualification.
“I was initially a bit daunted by it, because it is a lot of work, and a big commitment. I left school at 16 to join the Army, and I’ve definitely not written this much since – 10 of the 12 units are written, with two practical assessments.
“But after speaking to a couple of people at Leeds Rhinos, they persuaded me to throw myself into it. I started in January, and although you get two years to complete the course, I wanted to do it in one – and I’ve made it in 10 months.
“A big part of that has been doing it organically, and using it in my actual coaching with the Rhinos. It’s helped me massively through the year – I’ve brought in some of the stuff I’ve learned, and I noticed a huge difference in myself as well, because coaching is so different to player-coaching which I’d been doing in previous years.
“Rich Tunningley has been a fantastic support, and the great thing for me was when I needed to do my last assessment all my Leeds players gave up a random Wednesday night to let me run a session with them. That meant a lot, showed they have my back.
“I want to coach Wheelchair Rugby League for the foreseeable future, and go to the highest level possible, but I’d love to coach in the Women’s game as well, and the wider game. I’m only 38, so I’ve got plenty of time. And I really do hope we see more former Wheelchair RL players taking this route into coaching.”
For more information on the Level 3 Certificate in Coaching Rugby League and how to apply, please see link below.
