Martin Corry Masterclass

On Wednesday afternoon, ex-England rugby captain Martin Corry visited Shiplake to deliver a masterclass in the sport we all know and love so well.

Martin Corry, aged 44, attended Tunbridge Wells Grammar School before being selected by the England National U18 Squad. Martin made 64 appearances for England, before playing for the British and Irish Lions and Barbarians. He then retired at the end of the 2008/2009 season, shortly after the birth of his second daughter.

While he was here at Shiplake, Mr Corry helped to train our U14s and U15s. He spent the afternoon with 140 boys and, according to Director of Sport, Mr Mark Griffiths, 12 very excitable members of games staff, who all thoroughly enjoyed the experience of training with a man who has represented England on many international pitches. The boys engaged in a touch-and-pass game, so that Martin could assess the playing style and technique of each individual.

Before leaving at the end of the day, Martin Corry said, "The boys were a delight to coach and the improvement, especially in the Touch and Pass game, across all levels was very impressive. It is clear they are well coached and have good rugby brains, shown in their ability and more importantly willingness to pick up new information."

Mr Griffiths said, "We were absolutely delighted to host Martin Corry, the ex-England rugby captain, to help train our U14 and U15 boys on Wednesday 3 October. He was full of passion and energy, which really did rub off onto the majority of the boys. He helped to coach every boy from the A to C team, in both age groups and he inspired them all to become better, more focused and passionate players. He worked on a variety of skills, all relevant to the team he was with and it was a wonderful afternoon, full of determination and fun!"

Mr Curtis, Head of Sixth Form and coach of the U15A team, also had his own experience of Mr Corry, though it was a little while longer ago than a matter of days! He said, "In 1991, I coached Martin when he was a schoolboy. I used to coach the Kent U18s, a team which he played for before going on to play for the England U18s later on that year."

A big thank you to Martin, who took the time out of his busy schedule to visit our pupils and deliver an experience they will certainly not forget!