A rugby coach from Oxford has been named a finalist for a prestigious national honour, recognising his groundbreaking work in creating a rugby pathway for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Darren Rea, Youth Chair and coach at Gosford All Blacks RFC, has been shortlisted for the UK Coaching Inclusive Coach of the Year Award, sponsored by Inclusive Employers. The nomination highlights coaches who have shown exceptional commitment to inclusion and accessibility in sport and physical activity.
Reacting to the news, Darren said: “I’m humbled, surprised and at a loss! I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved as a collective through Oxfordshire.”
Partially sighted himself, Darren’s dedication to inclusive sport runs deep. His coaching journey began when his eldest son started playing rugby at the age of four. While coaching alongside him, Darren recognised a lack of sporting opportunities for children with additional needs. In response, he launched the SEND rugby provision in 2023 during his time as Youth Chair.
He said: “I truly believe that giving anyone the opportunity to feel their value and support them to grow can never be underestimated. I love rugby as a sport, but I also love the underlying principles from teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship.”
His vision has since grown significantly. Now co-chair of inclusion, diversity and equality at Oxfordshire RFU, Darren continues to champion collaborative development across the county. Under his leadership, the SEND rugby initiative has expanded to five clubs, a county SEND team, and a county-wide rugby festival, Katiefest. More than 100 children now participate weekly, giving families life-changing access to adapted rugby.
The UK Coaching Awards are regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the coaching community, celebrating contributions at every level of sport. This year’s finalists, selected from a large pool of nominations, span multiple sports and coaching specialisms.
Finalists for the 2025 UK Coaching Awards include:
Change a Life Award (Sport England)
• Kev Burton (Boxing)
• Ian Northcott (Personal Training)
• Peter Tomlin (Equestrian)
Coach Education & Development Practitioner of the Year (British Gymnastics)
• Natasha Britton (Dance)
• Ellie Owen (Multi-sport)
• Rus Smith (Multi-sport)
Community Coach of the Year: Adults (Badu)
• Mark Bigger (Tae Kwon Do)
• Georgina Evans-Goodrich (Netball)
• Zaynab Jogi (Self-defence)
Community Coach of the Year: Children and Young People (Play Their Way)
• Daniel Hankinson (Judo)
• Kerry Norfolk (Boxing)
• Arnie Ladwa (Multi-sport)
High Performance Coach of the Year (UK Sport)
• John Hewitt (Cycling)
• Claire Morrison (Boccia)
• Richard Brickell (Shooting)
Inclusive Coaching (Inclusive Employers)
• Darren Rea (Rugby)
• Carolle & Iman Tennis (Tennis)
• India Perris Redding (Rugby)
Online Coach of the Year
• Johanna Hadley (Dance)
• Sophie Evelyn (Powerlifting)
• Maddi Burchell (Dressage)
Talent Development Coach of the Year
• Peter McGuire (Boccia)
• Lisa Rivers (Judo)
• Shoney Morrish (Gymnastics)
Young Coach of the Year
• Alex Wilson (Athletics)
• Kerry Rutherford (Swimming)
• Dylan Lockyer (Multi-sport)
UK Coaching CEO Mark Gannon praised the strength of this year’s nominees, saying:
“We are excited to announce the finalists of the 2025 UK Coaching Awards. Each year, we recognise some truly remarkable coaches from across the UK at every level, and it is always a challenge to select our finalists from an incredible group of nominations.
“Coaches across the nation can all be proud of the valuable contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of the nation.
“Following a phenomenal summer of women’s sport this year, there has never been a better time to celebrate coaches who make it all happen.”
The awards ceremony will take place on December 04 at The Queen’s Hotel in Leeds.
More information about the awards and finalists can be found on UK Coaching website.
