Damian McGrath
Speaker Support
Damian's Role
Damian joins us as a new team member in 2025 and is part of the Speaker Support team. With an esteemed career in coaching and more recently speaker experience in his own right, Damian brings to the team new ideas for supporting and encouraging our speakers.
Work
Damian McGrath is a former professional Rugby League player who went on to forge a distinguished international coaching career across both codes of rugby, coaching in four World Cups and four Commonwealth Games, spanning four continents.
At Batley RLFC, he led the club to its first trophy in 65 years before joining Leeds Rhinos, where he helped secure multiple Academy titles and coached in two Challenge Cup Finals, winning the last held at the old Wembley and the inaugural Super League Grand Final in 1998.
Internationally, Damian coached GB Academy, GB U21s, and the England senior team at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. He transitioned into rugby union with the RFU, helping the England 7s team to multiple Hong Kong Sevens victories, a Commonwealth Games appearance and a 2005 World Cup campaign. He served as Defence Coach for England against the Barbarians and coached England U19s and Junior 7s teams to World Cup and Commonwealth medals. In 2013 he coached GB to a gold medal at the World Student games.
After senior roles in Spain and Wales, he was head coach in Samoa, Canada, Germany, and Kenya transforming national teams and leading landmark successes on the global stage.
Damian is a respected speaker on communication and leadership and author of ‘Can You Be Fluent in Success’ and three rugby coaching books.
Play
Read and play golf.
Lesser Known Fact
His youngest brother played cricket for Yorkshire and England.