MARTIN WOODWARD still itches to pull his boots on when he watches Cirencester’s first XV play on a Saturday afternoon.

But with his playing days firmly behind him, Woodward feels he can best serve the club by coaching the next generation of players.

He first began coaching when his eldest son joined the club’s U8s. Now Woodward is the club’s U16s’ coach and, since participating in the QBE Coaching Club, he also acts as Cirencester’s coaching co-ordinator.

“Many years ago I was a PE teacher and getting into rugby coaching was always something I wanted to do,” said Woodward.

“Rugby has given me so much and I just wanted to give something back. I just wanted to help these young boys and girls who want to play rugby to carry on playing and keep that chain going.

“The QBE Coaching Club has been a real breath of fresh air in terms of giving coaches like me the opportunity to take the level two course.

“There is a financial implication and we are all volunteers but, with QBE offering to pay for the course, it was simply a case of when and where can I get on to it?”

Woodward said the coaching course at the RFU had made him ‘more reflective’ about his methods and also encouraged him to share practices with other coaches.

“The quality of the coaching at the RFU was excellent,” he said. “It made us think and stretched us.

“I think QBE’s goal of having 2,015 new level two coaches by 2015 is one of the best pieces of sponsorship in junior sport I have seen.

“If you want to invest in the future of the game, then you have to invest in the coaches and I think this will make a fantastic impact.

“I have come back to the club here and as well as being a coach, I have stepped up to the role of coaching co-ordinator. So I am now working with other coaches to make sure they are going on the right pathway, getting involved and doing some coaching mentoring with our first-team coaches.

“Through what QBE have done, by offering me the opportunity, I have got more coaches involved within the club and that has to be better for the future of the game.”

If you would like to find out more about QBE’s involvement in rugby head to www.QBErugby.com or follow @QBErugby on Twitter.