New Director of Pathways and Performance appointed

In line with the Association’s on-going organisational review and restructure, England Touch is delighted to announce the appointment of Sammie Phillips as the Director of Pathways and Performance.

Sammie currently holds the employed role of General Manager and the voluntary role of Head of Elite Coaching. The appointment into this newly-created position - superseding her previous two roles - reflects her broad skill set, but in particular her knowledge in the player pathway from schools, clubs and leagues through to performance Touch. Sammie has represented England in international tournaments as an athlete, coach and member of the High Performance Team over a period of 20 years, as well as coaching and playing at regional level for West Wildcats and club level for Thames Valley Vikings.

The move will see Sammie taking a more strategic approach to delivery for England Touch and will sit alongside some soon to be announced changes which will support her in her role and deliver enhancements to players throughout the pathway. Crucially, the work Sammie has done in creating a stronger schools delivery will be a key focus for her new role, as we seek to grow the next generation of Touch players and significantly increase the number of young people who can access Touch in schools and their local clubs.

Sammie said: “I have been extremely fortunate during my time with England Touch to work with many incredible people and teams and experience lots of different aspects of the performance pathway from community to elite level.

“I hope to use the knowledge and insights I have gained to not only grow the game at the bottom end of the pyramid - and introduce many more participants to our fantastic sport - but also to play my part in raising standards at the top end and closing the gap between us and the best in the world. Touch is growing at a rapid rate in England and I am very excited about the opportunities the future holds.”

Vince Mayne, CEO of England Touch, said: “We are delighted that Sammie has taken on this new role. She brings a wealth of experience and some really specific knowledge which will be of huge benefit to England Touch. I am excited to work with Sammie in the coming years to really create some significant impact and further enhance the reach and accessibility of Touch to more people across different communities in England.

“Additionally, we intend to keep performing on the pitch at international level and absolutely have Australia and New Zealand in our sights for the World Cup in New Zealand in 2028!”