Andrew
Hay
Rugby Coach
About
Experience
Andrew Hay’s rugby background spans over 25 years of involvement as a coach, strength and conditioning specialist, and player welfare advocate within North American rugby. He has primarily been associated with the Texas Rugby Union and the Austin Huns Rugby Football Club in the United States, though his rugby start traces back to Canada.
His coaching approach blends physical conditioning, safety, and tactical intelligence, with a particular focus on developing new players and ensuring player welfare. He integrates first aid and return-to-play protocols into his match-day plans.
Andrew has coached in both Canada and the United States, with significant tenures in San Francisco, California, Austin, Texas, and special tournaments in Ottawa, Ontario – illustrating a binational coaching career that links grassroots and competitive rugby development across North America.
Andrew Hay has also participated in the Crusaders Coaching Academy (Crusaders Global Academy) in Christchurch, New Zealand, a renowned development programme affiliated with the Super Rugby franchise, the Crusaders. The academy is designed to equip emerging and experienced coaches with elite-level training methodologies, leadership development, and tactical frameworks built from the Crusaders’ high-performance model.
During his time in the Crusaders Coaching Academy, Hay engaged in immersive learning focussed on:
- Game strategy and coach-led performance analysis
- Player development within high-performance environments
- Cultural and leadership principles used by the Crusaders organisation
The Academy’s approach blends technical excellence with leadership culture, giving coaches direct exposure to the operating systems and player management philosophies that define one of world rugby’s most successful professional teams. Hay’s participation underscored his ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and implementing modern Southern Hemisphere coaching principles into his North American rugby programmes.
- Player Welfare/Medical
- First Aid in Rugby
- Concussion Management for General Public
- Mindset for Team Doctors
- Covid 19 – Return to Play Awareness for Coaches and Players
- Coaching
- Introduction to Coaching
- Coaching Children
- Functional Role Analysis
- Key Factor Analysis
- Level 1 Coaching – Introducing Rugby
- Level 2 Coaching – Developing Rugby Skills
- Injury Prevention and Risk Management
- Rugby Ready
- Tackle Ready
- Activate Injury Prevention Exercise Programme
- Officiating
- Introduction to Match Officiating (Pre-Level 1)
- Conditioning
- Introduction to Conditioning – Adult (Pre-Level 1)
- Level 1 Strength & Conditioning
- Advanced Conditioning for Rugby (Pre-Level 2)
- Other
- Keep Rugby Clean
- Laws of the Game
September, 2018 – September, 2024
Coach, Texas Rugby Union (TRU) Men’s Division I, II, and III, Club Forward’s Coach, and S&C Coach
- Designed and executed strategies for forward pod, set-piece, and open field play
- Provided on-field first aid
- Recorded and analyzed game data to aid in the development of players
- Transitioned non-rugby athletes the game
- Instructed new players with no prior knowledge of the game
- Provided on-field first aid
- Provide S&C instruction and guidance to improve in-game performance
Austin Huns RFC / Austin, TX, USA
October 2022
Guest Forwards Coach, St. Edward’s University Rugby Club
- Helped student atheletes perfect rugby skills, communication, and plays
- Executed strategies for forward pod, set-piece, and open field play
St. Edward’s University Rugby Club (SEURFC) / Austin, TX, USA
August 2022
Coach, Mark Kendall Bingham Memorial Tournament (Bingham Cup), Men’s Division II
- Managed rostering and game day tactical execution
- Executed strategies for forward pod, set-piece, and open field play
- Provided on-field first aid
- Qualified for the Hoagland Cup / Plate playoffs
San Francisco Fog RFC / Ottawa, ON, Canada
January 2017 – August 2018
Assistant Coach, Northern California Rugby Football Union (NCRFU) Men’s Division III
- Designed and executed strategies for forward pod, set-piece, and open field play
- Transitioned non-rugby athletes the game
- Instructed new players with no prior knowledge of the game
- Provided on-field first aid
San Francisco Fog RFC / San Francisco, CA, USA
September 1997 – June 1998
Junior Men’s 15s Coach, Ottawa Board of Education
- Instructed junior players under the guidance of the head coach
- Instructed new players with no prior knowledge of the game
Lisgar Collegiate Institute / Ottawa, ON, Canada