PSA Academies are delighted to announce the addition of international women’s rugby stars Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark MBE and Paul Fitzpatrick to lead the Girls programme at the upcoming PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny, running from Sunday 11 August to Friday 16 August.
A key member of the England Women’s Rugby team at four World Cups, Rocky became the second highest capped English player, male or female, of all time with 137 caps. She brings an absolute wealth of playing and coaching experience, not only in the front row & general forward play but also in high performance sports performance as part of her career in personal and athletic training, so we’re really excited to have her in Ireland this August. See Rocky’s coaching Q&A below.
Joining Rocky will be ex-Irish international Paula Fitzpatrick, who as part of the Irish Women’s team at the 2014 Rugby World Cup beat the New Zealand Ferns. Paula played in two World Cups, as well as winning Grand Slams and 6 Nations titles, plus captaining her country. As a qualified S&C coach who has completed some of the toughest international endurance races since her retirement in 2018, Paula will offer an amazing insight into the preparation and training involved in elite athletic performance.
Speaking on the announcement of Rocky & Paula’s involvement, Johne Murphy, Director of Rugby, said “We’re excited to be in a position to announce two stars of the women’s game in Rocky & Paula to lead our dedicated Girls programme for the PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny. We’ve had a really strong interest in the Academy from around the country and expect to deliver a game-changing experience for the girls attending in a few weeks time.”
There are limited places still available for the PSA Rugby Academy Kilkenny so if interested, check out the Academy programme today and book ASAP via https://aspltd.wpengine.com/academies/kilkenny/.
| Question/Area | Answer |
| Full Name | Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark |
| Clubs as Player | Henley, Clifton, Blaydon, Worcester, Wasps |
| Playing Honours | England Womens team, most capped player male or female in England. World Cup winner 2014. |
| Current Coaching Position(s) | Chesham Stags Head Coach, Bucks County Head Coach |
| Coaching Honours | County Head Coach, Finishing my level 4 coaching qualification |
| Coaching Speciality | Scrums, forwards play, breakdown, phase play |
| Coaching Pet Hates | Talking whilst I’m talking, not trying. |
| Most Likely To Say When Coaching | Play heads up, have a go, back yourself. |
| Least Likely To Say When Coaching | Run in upright |
| Best Player You Played With? | Amy Cokayne |
| Best Player You’ve Coached? | Luke Boucher |
| Which C.A.R.D.S. feature is Most Important for A Young Player? (Creativity, Awareness, Resilience, Decision Making, Self Organisation)? | Awareness |
| Favourite Physical Exercise? | Weights and Watt Bike |
| Most Looking Forward To At The PSA Rugby Academy? | Helping young players develop and recognise their potential |
| Dream Coaching Job? | Premiership Coach |
| Best Rugby Experience To Date? | Winning the 2014 World Cup |
| Favourite Current Player? | Sarah Bern |
| Favourite Rugby Ground? | Twickenham |
| Favourite Pro Rugby Jersey? | Wasps |
| Favourite Rugby Podcast/Programme? | Tryhards |
| Who Wins the 2019 RWC? | New Zealand |
