Trailfinders Women Rugby Club Part Ways With Their Director
By Priscilla Jepchumba
Trailfinders Women have parted ways with their Director of Rugby Giselle Mather a week before the start of the England premiership women’s rugby Up Series.
The statement by the club described the departure as one arrived at mutually in the wake of what the club said was a difference in philosophy before entering their second season in the premier league.
She achieved the distinction of being the first woman to acquire level 3 and level 4 coaching certifications. Additionally, she was the first woman to guide a men's team to a double-Twickenham victory during a three-promotion, 62-game unbeaten run.
Mather, a player who won the 1994 Fifa World Cup with England, was the first runner-up for PWR Coach of the season for 2023-24 alongside Nathan Smith of Loughborough Lightning who worked wonders to lift the PWR title at the end of this year as well as Sean Lynn of Gloucester-Hartpury who also won his two consecutive PWR titles.
Trailfinders had their first season in the league so they performed remarkably and managed to finish on the sixth position of the league, they concluded their season with a 54-27 triumph over their local rival Harlequins.
Mather joined Trailfinders from Wasps as the Director of Rugby and built Trailfinders from scratch to the top-flight team, where he signed Abby Dow, Kate Zackary, Tyson Beukeboom, and Lindelwa Gwala, all these before the senior season of their premiership.
When she began as England’s head coach in 2022, she brought the combination of experience and youth into the set when developing talented young players while commanding great players.
Currently, there are three female head coaches in the league uninstalled before the beginning of the 2024/25 season which include Vicky Macqueen of Leicester Tigers and Amy Turner of Harlequins, who was changed her role not sacked.
For the first time in history, Mather could be entitled to the title of having been the first female adult coach in the entire masculinized world of the male Premiership side as she was hired as the London Irish Academy Coach and the ASSE Head Coach.
Mather's statement can be found on the club’s website. “I am immensely proud to have built the foundations for future success for Trailfinders Women. Building an elite premiership side from scratch has been an incredible project, and leading it has been an honor,” said Mather.
“Due to a difference in philosophy for our second season, we have reached a mutual decision to part ways. I would like to acknowledge the huge privilege it has been to work with the amazing and talented athletes and committed staff at the Club. I am proud of the momentum we have built during our inaugural season. I wish all those involved every success going forward.”
Mather was one of the founding members of the Red Roses having been given the cap number 35 and he was also the Head Coach of the England U20s Women as well as being an Assistant Coach of the England women’s senior team.
The PWR Up Series is due to start on September 7 and Trailfinders are billed to take on Harlequins on September 8.
JUDY ROTICH