We are thrilled to welcome our new senior coach, Paul Humphreys, to the team! With his expertise and passion, we are looking forward seeing what he brings to the senior set up. Let's give him a warm welcome and show our support!

After his first session, we asked him some questions to find out a bit more about him...

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got into coaching rugby?
So, I played a large part of my career for the other Saints team up the road, then left them and saw my playing days out at Huntingdon, at the ripe old age of 32, this is where I dipped my toe into coaching and helping out their U15s. Through this I ended up coaching the H&P U15s for a season, then stepped away from rugby for a number of years for family reasons. This then finally allowed me being able to go and watch Wasps play as often as I could, until their recent demise!

Then when my son Barney took up rugby 13odd years ago, this ignited my desire to get involved, so started up again with Huntingdon, then onto St Ives, taking up the Head Coach role for the last two years and then to today where I am fortunate enough to join up with St Neots for the next stage in my coaching career.

What are some of the highlights of your coaching career so far?
I think I would have said last year on a wet sodden Saturday winning the H&P final with St Ives, would be fairly high up there, but surprisingly and thinking about it, and as much as it sounds like a cliché, it’s when you work on things on the training paddock and no matter what team, age group , the players take onboard and take these things into the game, it makes it worthwhile, it’s the smaller things rather the trophies, as these things allow the trophies to be won, and the look they give you when I tell them, I told you it would!

What are you looking to achieve at St Neots Rugby Club
From seeing St Neots first hand last year, you can see there is talent, desire and ambition
My aim is to work alongside the coaching Staff and other members of the team to help them reach their goals - its how we can get the quick wins and the longer term development, to create an environment that the players can thrive in, grow the players individually and collectively

How do you motivate your players both on and off the field?
That would be telling and unfair to give those trade secrets away!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time when you’re not coaching?
As my wife says, it’s not gardening!! Most of my spare time is currently taken up by shuttling my son around as he too is coaching currently the U16’s up the road at the other Saints side, so there is not too much time away from rugby or coaching, outside these times its definitely spending as much time as I can with my wife ( my rock), who allows me to follow these dreams to do the things I enjoy.