Kicking mentor to greats such as Wilkinson, Barrett, Sexton and Ford launches online grassroots club

Kicking coach Dave Alred, the man behind rugby kicking greats such as Jonny Wilkinson and Morne Steyn, has launched a global club specifically for kickers, including an online coaching platform called The Kickers’ Club which has already garnered support from the likes of Wallaby James O’Connor, All Black Beauden Barrett and England's Emily Scarratt.

The Kickers’ Club builds on the work of Alred’s School of Kicking, offering expert coaching via the online platform Learnworlds. The club has been designed to provide unprecedented access to top-level coaching to kickers at all levels, as well as supplementary courses on subjects like nutrition, strength and conditioning, mental resilience, sports psychology, injury prevention and more. 

The club is also designed to provide a community for kickers to connect, support each other and share resources. Kickers’ Club founder Alred said: “Even for professional kickers at the top of their game, access to specialist coaching is hard to come by. We wanted to change that, to level the playing field and give all kickers access to the best coaching available. 

"The online platform enables kickers to learn in their own time and at their own pace, whether that is putting in the extras before or after training or school, they can follow the courses in their own environment.

“We also recognised the need for a global community for kickers. While kickers are just as much a part of their team as any other player, often it can feel like the loneliest place in the world and can be an immense mental challenge. 

"Kickers shoulder added pressure, responsibility and expectation and often spend hours on their own honing their craft. We wanted to provide a place where they can feel supported, learn to master their own minds and connect with players experiencing what they do.”

Over a career that has seen Alred involved in World Cup triumphs, Lions tours and even a stint in the NFL, he continues to work with the biggest names in the game such as Johnny Sexton and George Ford and he is also currently the kicking coach for Queensland Reds.