Tom Whyld (Hampshire, UK) will be joining the Bishop's University women's rugby program as an assistant coach.  He will be working alongside head coach Adam Spirk in the growth and development of the women's rugby program in 2017. 

Why did you decide to join the women's rugby program at Bishop's?
I wanted to get into university coaching in Canada.After seeing the investment into and potential of the women's rugby program, the new facilities, and the location of Bishop's it was easy for coach Spirk to sell me on joining the Gaiters. 

When and where did you start playing rugby?
I started playing at Gosport and Fareham RFC in Hampshire, U.K. at the U7 level. I played there until I was 19, during which my team won multiple county championships.

Who else have you played for since your start in rugby?
During my junior years I also represented Hampshire at U14, U15, U16, U18, U20 levels. I played at Peter Symonds College making the quarter finals of the Daily Mail Cup.
When I was 19 I took a break from rugby and played football in the United States at Bridgton Academy, however in the off season I started a rugby team.
After playing in the U.S., I went to university in England at Hartpury College to study sports coaching and conditioning.Here I played rugby and captained the football Team.
Post university I decided to travel and play rugby; In 2016, I returned home to play for the Tring Rugby Club in Herefordshire.We won London 1 north gaining promotion to the national leagues.

Are you currently playing rugby with a club?
After playing at Tring Rugby Club, I came to Canada and am currently playing and coaching with the Ottawa Indians.

What about your coaching career? Where have you coached? What do you know about the current Bishop's Gaiters women's rugby program and what are your goals for 2017?
Specifically for women's rugby, I know despite our record we have the foundations set to build a strong program at Bishop's.We have some new recruits coming in that are going to help us greatly over the next few years. The team atmosphere is very positive and everyone is extremely excited for the upcoming season. 

How will you determine success at Bishop's over the short and long term?
We have a three year plan for the women's rugby program; the first year, we aim to be more competitive against all teams and we have targeted some games for some big performances, implementing a style of play that will bring us success. In year two we will be building on the previously mentioned and aiming for more big performances and results. In the third year we would like to be establishing ourselves as a strong team in our division.
I am really excited and eager to get started with the preseason with all the girls and coach Spirk. After watching a several games from last season I can see the potential of where we can be in the near future especially with the focus made by the school into improving the women's rugby program.