Statement: Bath RFC trio sign new contacts
Yesterday at 03:41 AM
Bath Rugby have locked in their senior coaching dream team, with JP Ferreira, Lee Blackett, and Richard Blaze all signing long-term contract extensions.
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The announcement cements the trio’s vital roles in the club's resurgence under Head of Rugby Johann van Graan.
Since van Graan took the reins in July 2022, Bath have been on an upward trajectory. Last season, they reached their first Premiership final since 2015 and are currently flying high at the top of the Gallagher Premiership after ten rounds of the 2023/24 campaign.
JP Ferreira: The Defensive Maestro
Ferreira, who doubles as Defence Coach and Coaching Co-ordinator, was part of van Graan’s team at Munster before the duo made the switch to Bath. He's thrilled to continue the journey:
"I'm really happy to be signing on, and I'm so excited to be carrying on with the journey. To have the opportunity to build more memories with the players and staff here at the club is so exciting. We have an amazing group of young men that I'm privileged to coach, and I'm really happy to be staying on."
Lee Blackett: The Attack Architect
Blackett joined Bath at the start of this season after stints with Wasps and Rotherham Titans. His influence on the team's attack has been profound:
"We have a group here that really trust each other, and that is so important, especially in the coaching team. There is a real feeling that we are all in this together and we all want to win together as a group. I'm so pleased to renew with the club, and I'm so excited to continue the journey."
Richard Blaze: The Forward Thinker
With a CV that includes Leicester Tigers, Wasps, and England's U20 and Women's teams, Blaze brought his wealth of experience to Bath this season as Forwards Coach. He said:
"I'm very privileged to do this role at a club with such a rich history and loyal fanbase. There are exciting times ahead on this journey, and I'm proud to be working alongside some great staff and a hungry, driven playing group who want to get better every single day. I’m grateful for the opportunity to extend my time here at Bath Rugby, and I’m excited to see where this group can go together."
Van Graan's Vision
Bath's Head of Rugby, Johann van Graan, couldn't be happier to see continuity in his coaching team:
"One of the things we are striving for at the club and have become very good at is continuity across our heads of department, coaches, and players.
"JP has become one of the very best defensive coaches in Europe and has done excellent work as our coaching co-ordinator. Lee has been fantastic since he's come into the club, and what he has done with the attack and backs has been brilliant. Blazey has brought a real consistency to our forward pack and has given clear direction as to where we are going.
"Most importantly, all three are very good men who always put the team first, are making players better, and I trust them because they care for this team so much."
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Several of these individuals have participated, or are presently participating, in the contemporary era of rugby.
Can you identify how many of the top 20 most-capped England rugby players you can name?
We’ve supplied the total number of caps and their respective playing positions for each player. Your task is simply to complete their surnames.
You have a 5-minute window to attempt to guess all 20 players.
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