Former Emirates Western Force assistant coach Tom Fearn has been appointed coach of the new Nedlands Under-18 team for the upcoming season as part of a move by Neddies to focus on its Colts in 2011.
Fearn, who was John Mitchell’s assistant at the Force from 2006-2009, made a successful return to Nedlands in 2010 as the club’s inaugural Director of Coaching, with the Royal Blues making a clean-sweep of the Premierships in the top three grades. He has also been continuing his professional coaching career by assisting former Force hooker Tai McIsaac with the Honda club in Japan.

While Nedlands did not field a team in the Under-18s last season, Fearn’s appointment as coach aims to re-establish the club in that grade. Fearn will also continue developing the coaching staff at The Foreshore in his role as Director of Coaching.

Nedlands President Hans Sauer said that after taking out the top three grades in 2010, Nedlands’ number one priority was to win Premiership flags in the Under-18s and Under-20s.

“Our goal as a club is to develop the next generation of premier grade stars and the we believe the best pathway to achieve that is to ensure our under-18 and under-20 players have the best skills development programs available in the State,” said Sauer.

Fearn got a first hand update on the latest international development programs for young players earlier this year when he attended the International Rugby Academy of New Zealand, which is run by former All Black Murray Mexted and features input from other former international stars. He was also invited to attend coaching sessions for the Wellington and Manawatu ITM Cup teams, the latter putting him in contact with coach Dave Rennie, who has coached the New Zealand Under-20 team to three World Cup victories

Nedlands RUFC