Sally Russo: Coaching men offers 'different challenge', says ex-England player
- Published
Sally Russo won 15 England caps and played international Sevens in five tournaments
"I found coaching girls, and in the women's game, I was constantly asked questions, whereas men just want to be told things."
Although female match officials have appeared in the Premiership, the days when a woman might be considered for a senior coaching job with one of the top English clubs feels a way off.
But lower down the pyramid, former England player Sally Russo is making her presence felt as head coach of Burnham-on-Crouch men's first XV.
They have already clinched the Essex North title - at level eight of the domestic structure - and now she is dreaming of a possible trip to Twickenham, where she played against France in the 2013 Six Nations, to round off the season.
Russo has been in charge at Burnham since last summer, having taken the decision to drop down a couple of levels to test her skills in a head coaching role.
"I started coaching in the female set-up. Coming from a playing background, that's the route I went to begin with, particularly with the Essex county under-18 girls that were trying to push into the adult game.
"Then I just fancied a new challenge and I was at Thurrock rugby club at the time, and got involved in being backs coach for the men's side there, and just loved it. It was a completely different challenge working with men," she told BBC Essex.
"From doing the backs role, I wanted to push myself further and take on a head coach role - Thurrock are level six, Burnham are level eight and we're hoping to push on to level seven this season."
Russo, then Sally Tuson, scores a try for England against Wales in 2013
For Russo, her first season has been about gaining respect from her players, and they have responded well to the more structured environment and gameplans she has put in place.
But there have been times in the past when staff at other clubs have found it hard to take on board exactly what her role was.
She said: "In my first year of coaching in the men's game, every single away fixture I turned up to, it was 'you must be the medic, are you the physio?', it was never 'oh you're the first-team coach, how nice to meet you'.
"Even after a game coaching, the opposition coach came up to me and said 'thanks very much for all your work as a physio today'. We have to break down those walls and make it the norm."
But how has she gone about helping the Burnham players adjust to her approach to the role?
"They don't want to ask any questions or delve a little bit deeper into why we're doing something," she said.
"In terms of my coaching style, something I've brought into my club, is to actually challenge them and question them - 'why are we running this move? why are we hitting that line?'
"It really helps their understanding as well. Putting that into the men's game is invaluable."
Big games ahead for Burnham
Russo (far right) took charge at Burnham-on-Crouch in June 2023
With the title in the bag, Burnham are now looking forward to the play-offs and the Community Cup competition in April, in which they have to win four rounds to get to finals weekend on 11-12 May.
"We actually won the league last weekend, we've got two games still to go but we've got a bit of breathing space now to bring in some of the development boys and give them the opportunity," said Russo, who played for Saracens, Bristol and Thurrock T-Birds.
"From then it will be play-offs to hopefully get us into that league above, which we have high hopes for, and then the Papa Johns (cup) competition which will lead us - should we be successful - to that final at Twickenham.
"I think the whole of Burnham-on-Crouch will get on a coach and turn up at Twickenham if we can get there. That's the hope."
With the international success of the Red Roses, the ongoing development of Premiership Women's Rugby and Sara Cox officiating in elite-level men's games, things are changing with the game.
"It would be amazing to see females involved at men's international level, Premiership, that would be awesome, but we've got a bit of a way to go. Hopefully we'll get there," Russo added.
"There's an odd one coaching higher up, but it would be great to see more and more females getting into the game at the top end."