Steve Diamond (rugby union)

Steve Diamond is a former rugby union player and coach. He is particularly known for his role as Director of Rugby at Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks from 2011-20.

Steve Diamond
Birth nameStephen Diamond
Place of birthPartington, Lancashire
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight217 lb (15 st 7 lb)
SchoolBroad Oak Secondary School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
-1989 Trafford MV ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1989-2000 Sale Sharks 351 (70)
Correct as of 12 December 2013
Teams coached
Years Team
2001
2002-2003
2004-2006
2010-2011
2012-2020		 Sale Sharks
England Saxons
Saracens
Russia
Sale Sharks

Early life

Diamond is one of 6 children, brought up by his mother after his father died when he was 15. He often worked at weekends.[1]

Rugby career

Playing career

Diamond played for his local club Trafford MV before joining Sale Sharks as a player in 1989. He played over 350 top class games for Sale. He was also called up to the senior England squad as cover for the 1997 England rugby union tour of Argentina and Australia,[2] however he was ultimately not capped at that level. He played in the hooker position.

Coaching career

Diamond became a coach of the Sharks in 2001 with former teammate Jim Mallinder. Diamond then left Sale and began coaching England Saxons for the 2002 and 2003 Churchill Cups again alongside Jim Mallinder.

Diamond joined Saracens in 2004 as a coach and was praised with bringing many successful players to the club, but was sacked after two and half years after failing to qualify for the Heineken Cup.[3]

In 2007 he teamed up again with Jim Mallinder to head up Northampton Saints recruitment process.

He then accepted the Director of Rugby role for the Russian national team, and in 2010, under Diamond's leadership, Russia qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[4]

Diamond returned to Sale Sharks in January 2011 as Director of Sport[5] before taking over as Director of Rugby in 2012.[6] On 8 December 2020 Sale announced that Diamond had left the club with immediate effect for personal reasons.[7] It was later revealed that several family issues were the reason for his departure.[8]

Personal life

Diamond's mother died on 19 November 2020.[1] It was later confirmed his brother had died 12 months previously and his sister had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.[8]

Diamond has had an occasionally direct personal approach.[9]

References
  1. https://www.rugbypass.com/news/a-proper-matriarch-steve-diamonds-poignant-tribute-to-his-late-85-year-old-mother-who-moulded-tough-love-approach-to-rugby-management-diamond-sale/
  2. "England's `second string' trounce Argentina". irishtimes.com. 2 June 1997. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
  3. "Diamond sacked as Saracens coach". BBC Sport. 8 February 2006.
  4. "Paul handed Russian role". Sky Sports. 7 June 2010.
  5. "Sale Sharks bring back ex-player & coach Steve Diamond". BBC Sport. 13 January 2011.
  6. "Bryan Redpath demoted from Sale director of rugby role as Steve Diamond takes control of team for rest of season". The Telegraph Sport. 30 October 2012.
  7. "Club Statement: Steve Diamond". Sale Sharks. 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-08.
  8. "Family reasons prompted Diamond to quit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  9. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/club-rugby/steve-diamond-sam-peters-sale-sharks-vs-gloucester-premiership-journalist-fight-video-a8704176.html
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