Rob Webber: Time right to move into coaching, says ex-England hooker

Rob Webber made 16 appearances for England between 2012 and 2015

Former England hooker Rob Webber says the time was right for him to retire from playing and take up coaching.

Webber, 33, was named as Championship side Jersey Reds' forwards coach in March, ending a 16-year career with Sale, Bath, Wasps and Leeds.

"You've always got to go with your gut ultimately," said Webber.

"It started to feel as though I was getting more excited about coaching the teams I was coaching and the prospect of becoming a full-time coach."

Webber, who won 16 caps for England and played for Bath in the 2015 Premiership final, started his coaching qualifications while at Sale and spent a long time deciding to hang up his boots.

He told BBC Radio Jersey: "I was playing well and really enjoying my rugby, but deep down that desire to do something different - obviously staying in rugby but being on the other side of it - was burning brighter than playing.

"The body was starting to feel a bit sore and I thought to myself 'why not, let's stop talking about it and do it'.

"I spoke to Sale and (Sharks director of rugby) Steve Diamond about it and I don't think he was overly happy because he expected to have me next year, but once he got his head around it he was brilliant and has helped me and been supportive."

Jersey role 'got the juices flowing'

Webber says his decision to join Jersey was based on the freedom that director of rugby Harvey Biljon has given him to mould the club's forward pack.

Although he has yet to move to the island because of travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Webber has been involved in more than half a dozen of the Championship club's summer signings while rugby union matches have been halted.

"I wanted a role where I could go in and put my ideas in place, and not be beholden to a more senior coach or a director of rugby who was really overbearing with their opinions - for example if I was to be an academy coach or something like that," Webber added.

"When the opportunity came up to go to Jersey as full-blown assistant coach looking after the forwards and a couple of other aspects of the game, where I could put my marker on it and be left for it to be my forward pack so to speak, that really got the juices flowing.

"I spoke to a number of people that I respect and trust and they advised me that having something that you can put your mark on is a pretty good place to start from in coaching and that's what tipped it that way for me."