RFU appoints Hayter & Mitchell performance roles
The RFU has appointed Charlie Hayter as Women’s and Sevens Performance Manager, and former England captain Emma Mitchell as Performance Consultant for the women’s game. Hayter will oversee the management of the women’s XVs game at international and domestic level, as well as the returning men’s and women’s England Sevens programmes. He will work closely with the Red Roses, the women’s pathway, Allianz Premier 15s clubs as well as the men’s and women’s England Sevens programme all from a management and strategic perspective.
“This is a hugely exciting time to be involved in women’s and sevens rugby. This year provides some of the biggest events for both forms of the game, with two World Cups on the horizon and a home Commonwealth Games for the sevens as well,” said Hayter.
“The work that has gone into the growth of the women’s game has been incredible to date, and there is a real buzz about the potential future. It is important that we aim to build on the work that has already been done and keep improving. We want to increase the quantity and quality of emerging players in England, as well as further develop a world class domestic offering, whilst continuing to create winning England teams.
“The sevens programme reforming gives an opportunity for a restart which will see a core group of contracted men’s and women’s players, supported by supplementary players invited to camps and competitions. We are all proud to be back representing on the HSBC World Sevens Series, as well as building up to two major summer events with a home Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Sevens World Cup in Cape Town.”
Hayter was named England Women's sevens head coach in 2019 before taking on the GB Sevens team leader role for the Tokyo Olympic Games. He previously represented England Sevens, making his debut at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, and went on to play in 30 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series rounds over five years.
Mitchell was a founding member of Saracens Women in 1989, helping her club side to a league cup and sevens treble a total of three times. From 1987-2002, while working full-time in academic publishing, Emma was awarded 52 England caps and five caps for Great Britain. Following her club retirement in 2004 and while living in the San Francisco area, she began coaching at club, regional and international level in the USA, Canada and the UK.
England’s 1994 World Cup winning scrum-half is a qualified executive coach and mentor who has spent the last 15 years working as a Performance Lifestyle Adviser for the English Institute of Sport, supporting the men’s and women’s Great Britain Hockey athletes, coaches and staff to fulfil their aspirations both on and off the pitch. Great Britain Hockey has enjoyed podium success at three consecutive Olympic Games from London to Rio and, most recently, Tokyo.
“These are incredibly exciting times for the women’s game, from young girls and the grassroots community game all the way up to the Red Roses, who were so impressive during the recent autumn series. It feels as though the domestic and international game is at something of a tipping point with increased sponsorship and wider broadcasting interest and the prospect of a home World Cup in 2025 all offering huge opportunities as well as challenges,” added Mitchell.
“On a personal level, I am delighted to be returning to the game that captured my heart some 35 years ago. As an early Red Rose who appreciates the wonderful legacy we have built over almost four decades, I hope to bring this historical and cultural perspective, along with my experiences within a successful Olympic team environment, to support an incredibly talented group of staff and players as they look to realise their dreams."
RFU Director of Performance Rugby, Conor O'Shea added: “We have an incredibly strong team in place to continue to support the growth of the women’s game and the repositioning of the sevens programme within the pathway.
“Charlie has impressed everyone with how he operated within the Team GB programme, dealing with all the challenges thrown at him and this is a natural progression for him. He will be able to draw on the support of Emma Mitchell who is joining us as a performance consultant for the women’s game. There are huge challenges ahead for both the women’s and sevens game and we have put in place the best team of people to manage that next phase of development.”
