Men's Rugby

Hugh Gustafson, Rugby Performance Manager

Hugh manages and contributes to the strategic direction, leadership and oversight of performance rugby at Swansea University. Hugh delivers continued success in BUCS and Varsity competitions, whilst cultivating a high-performance rugby culture and environment. He ensures a clear and robust pathway into the professional game and to international rugby representation across both the men’s and women’s rugby performance programmes. Hugh is an Ospreys academy skills coach and head coach for Swansea University and Swansea RFC. He is a former front-rower who has played for Ospreys, Dragons and Wales Under-20s.

Assistant coaches:

• Joe Thomas, Head Coach

Joe is a UKCC level 3 head coach at Swansea University. Joe is the attack and backs player coach for Swansea Whites rugby team in the Super Rugby Cymru competition. Joe started coaching at the local club, Morriston RTFC, where he played for the Ospreys rugby team alongside coaching. Joe transitioned into a WRU Hub Officer at Morriston Comprehensive where he started regional age grade blocks before transitioning into university rugby here at Swansea.

• Foard Cooksley, Women's Head Coach

Foard is a level 3 Qualified Coach. Foard an attack minded coach who enjoys allowing the players to make decisions on the field. Foard has a range of experience in several different environments including: Millfield Senior School, Ospreys RAG and Aberavon Green Stars Senior Men’s team, allowing him to offer high-quality advice and situational tactics.

• Lloyd Evans, Defence / Skills Coach

Lloyd has played for the Ospreys and gained Honors playing for Wales 7s. Lloyd has been involved in age grade coaching and Gen 7s Sports Academy.

• Joe Grabham, Defence Coach

Joe is a UKCC level 2 Defence coach at Swansea University alongside his role as defence and forwards coach for Bridgend District u16s. Joe transitioned into coaching after being forced to retire from professional rugby due to injury starting at the Ospreys regional level. He then went on to have a successful campaign with Bridgend District, winning the prestigious Dewer Shield competition. From there, Joe moved on to the challenge of BUCS Super Rugby with Swansea University. Joe likes to base his coaching style through inducing discomfort in training in order to produce winners on and off the field.

• Thomas Jones, Strength & Conditioning Coach

Thomas is the Rugby Strength and Conditioning Coach currently working with Swansea University, the Ospreys Academy, and Aberavon Wizards. Thomas’ previous experience includes coaching Wales U18s. Outside of rugby, Thomas has a strong interest in combat sports and cross-training. His coaching philosophy is centered on embracing the hard work and finding joy in the process of physical development.

How many times does the High Performance rugby team train a week?

In pre-season, the squad trains four days a week, including strength and conditioning (S&C) training. In season, the squad trains three times a week, including three S&C sessions. All sessions in season are carried out pre or post lecture times.

What league does the first team play in?

The first team plays in the Bucs Super Rugby, which is the highest standard of men’s university rugby.

How does the S&C provision work?

We have a lead S&C coach who designs individual programmes to the needs of the individual and squad.  We also use Teambuilder so that we can send and update programmes remotely to players. This allows players to have the flexibility to train around studying and lectures. 

Where does the first team play? 

The first team plays at St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket ground 

Are there trials to be involved in the HPG squad?

There are no direct trials, but you can email your rugby cv and footage to our High Performance Manager. Any questions or queries will be answered directly. 

Swansea University’s High Performance rugby programme involves our first team players competing in the British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Super Rugby leagues, known as BSR. The high-performance rugby team consists of a strong collective of domestic and international players for the 2023/24 season, where Peter Vickers will lead the team as their first team captain. 

BUCS Super Rugby represents the highest level of Men’s University Rugby, which includes 10 university teams from across the UK competing against one another to claim the BSR Champion title, allowing our Men’s team to experience the highest quality rugby games each week.

Competing in the BSR league provides our men’s team with the opportunity to improve their performance by experiencing contrasting rugby methods and challenges, and healthy competition at a similar level.

Check out the teams for the 2024/25 season.