The Melbourne Women’s XV team will be led by Head Coach, David Marshall this season. He is a highly experienced coach with a wealth of knowledge.
Originally from New South Wales, Marshall has coached various teams to winning premierships.
“As a player, I loved the contact and the aggression and being part of a hard-working unit. As a coach, I enjoy building things. I love imparting knowledge and seeing it reflected on the paddock, and I get great satisfaction from seeing players improving to levels they may not have been confident about achieving,” explained Marshall.
His strategic approach will see that new players will gain a valuable learning experience and development, and experienced players can maximise and intensify their skillset.
“Nothing beats seeing a well-drilled unit playing as a skilled, cohesive, high-intensity team to nail the opposition. I very much enjoy being part of a harmonious, committed unit where everyone feels valued and appreciated, and I am allergic to d*ckheads!”
“Being an optimist by nature, I genuinely believe achieving all that will result in a winning culture and thus a winning team. 2022 will be a rebuilding year for the Unicorns. We will be focused on developing a squad that plays fast, attractive and hard-edged rugby. All players will be encouraged to utilise their ability and skills to react quickly and play what is in front of them”, Marshall added.
The team offers opportunities for player development and pathways towards playing at State and National levels and encourage personal development. Players are supported with further education to ensure the athletes have a balanced lifestyle outside of rugby and offer assistance for players to reach their professional goals.
Reflecting on the season ahead Marshall added “The plans we have in place will result in a cohesive, skilled and confident team taking the field. And I am looking forward to surprising a lot of teams with our level of play – the premiership may be a step too far in 2022 but we will be contenders!”
Players of all experience levels, those considering playing rugby, or volunteers are welcome to join a training session. The coaching staff are experienced and dedicated to growing the women’s game here in Victoria.
During the season (April – August), the team has training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Orrong Romanis Reserve alongside the men’s teams. Matches are played on Saturdays and rotate around rugby grounds throughout Melbourne.
Visit the Melbourne Unicorns Women’s Instagram and Facebook page for details on training and social events during the season.
