Contributor

Brendon Ratcliffe

The Rugby Site's Waterboy

About Brendon Ratcliffe

Brendon Ratcliffe is The Rugby Site’s waterboy (aka CEO and founder). His professional career began in 1992 as Rugby Development Officer for Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union. Progressing to a 7 year term as Director of Player Development for New Zealand Rugby Union. Brendon then moved to England where he spent two and a half years as forwards coach for the Northampton Saints before being moving back to New Zealand to take on the head coach role for National Provincial Cup team Hawkes Bay.

Brendon Ratcliffe's latest articles

News & Opinions
Word from Rats: Look beyond the scoreline at Soldier Field

As we approach another great weekend of Autumn International matches the dust has well and truly settled at Chicago’s...

Brendon Ratcliffe
over 11 years ago · 0 comments
Leadership & Management
The influence of match analysis in the modern game

Match analysis has a huge influence in the modern game. Brendon Ratcliffe explains the history of match analysis, sha...

Brendon Ratcliffe
almost 12 years ago · 0 comments
Breakdown
Forwards have to think on their feet

Forwards are conditioned from a young age to make sure that they get to the breakdown, but sometimes it is the worst ...

Brendon Ratcliffe
about 14 years ago · 2 comments
Breakdown
The Rolling Maul II

When the perfect rolling maul is on the move it is almost impossible to stop. It is like discovering the secret of pe...

Brendon Ratcliffe
about 14 years ago · 3 comments
Set Piece
Bringing a top lineout drive back down to earth

Martin Johnson’s great Leicester lineout was a mighty hard thing to stop, but American Football provided a few clues

Brendon Ratcliffe
about 14 years ago · 1 comments
Set Piece
The Rolling Maul Part I

Brendon Ratcliffe loves the rolling maul. If forwards are piano shifters, then the rolling maul is the Steinway of ru...

Brendon Ratcliffe
about 14 years ago · 1 comments
Set Piece
When Lineouts Go Bad

A young Sean Fitzpatrick once copped a mouthful of abuse after missing Andy Haden at lineout practise. He soon found ...

Brendon Ratcliffe
over 14 years ago · 1 comments
Set Piece
Band of Brothers

Brendon Ratcliffe wants to know if your forwards are hard enough to survive the ordeal that he put his Northampton pa...

Brendon Ratcliffe
over 14 years ago · 6 comments
Set Piece
The Mana of The Scrummage

Brendon Ratcliffe, the Rugby Site’s professor of the dark arts, stumbles out into the sunlight in order to talk about...

Brendon Ratcliffe
over 14 years ago · 3 comments