Steve Bates

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Steve Bates


caption =
birthname =
nickname =
birthyear = 1963
birthmonth = 03
birthday = 04
placeofbirth = Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
height =
weight =
ru_position = scrum-half|capital=yes
ru_nationalteam = nrut|England
ru_nationalyears = 1989
ru_nationalcaps = 1
ru_nationalpoints = (0)
ru_ntupdate = 15 January 2008
ru_clubyears =
ru_proclubs = London Wasps
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
ru_clubupdate =
ru_sevensupdate =
ru_coachclubs = England Saxons (part-time)
Newcastle Falcons
Scotland A
Border Reivers
Newcastle Falcons
ru_coachyears = 2008
2007-present
2006
2003–07
1995–2003
ru_coachupdate =15 January 2008
other =
occupation =
family =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
school =
university =

Steve Bates (born 4 March 1963 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) is a former English rugby union player and current rugby coach. He played at scrum-half for London Wasps, where he formed a successful partnership with fly-half Rob Andrew. He was capped once for England, against nrut|Romania in Bucharest in 1989, and toured South Africa with England in 1994.

In 1995, when Andrew left Leicester to become Director of Rugby at Newcastle Falcons, Bates followed him, becoming the Falcons' head coach. Under Bates, Newcastle were promoted to the Premiership at the end of the 1996–97 season and went on to top the league at the first attempt, in 1997–98; they reached the final of the Tetley's Bitter Cup in 1999 and won the trophy (by then known as the Powergen Cup in 2001. Bates left Newcastle in March 2003 and, a year later, was appointed as head coach of Border Reivers, taking over from New Zealander Tony Gilbert, who was returning home. cite web | url=http://www.scottishrugby.org/sru/hdn/border-reivers-news-archive.cfm?news_uuid=2E36842E-C551-5354-BF39EE8144BA81F2 | title=Bates Confirmed as Borders Head Coach | accessdate=2008-01-15 | publisher=Scottish Rugby | date=2004-05-27] Bates successfully guided Borders back into the Heineken Cup in 2006–07 and, during his time with the club, also coached Scotland A to the final of the 2006 Churchill Cup, which they lost to the New Zealand Māori, after wins against England Saxons and nrut|Canada.

When the Scottish Rugby Football Union announced that Border Reivers was to be disbanded at the end of the 2006–07 season, Bates was headhunted by Newcastle Falcons to become their Coaching and Technical Director and rejoined the club in June 2007. cite web | url=http://www.scottishrugby.org/sru/hdn/border-reivers-news-archive.cfm?news_uuid=7B6C4AC6-E8F2-2C59-E06A-768265565B7B | title=Bates Returns to Kingston Park | accessdate=2008-01-15 | publisher=Scottish Rugby | date=2007-05-11]

In January 2008, the Rugby Football Union announced the appointment of Bates as head coach of England Saxons on a part-time basis. cite web | url=http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=18516 | title=England Saxons squad announcement | accessdate=2008-01-15 | publisher=England Rugby | date=2008-01-09]

During his days as a player, in the amateur era, Bates was a schoolteacher at Lord Wandsworth College in Hampshire, where one of his pupils was the young Jonny Wilkinson and he was instrumental in attracting the fly-half to Newcastle in the summer of 1997.

References

External links

* [http://www.wasps.co.uk/PlayerDisplaySS.ink?skip=1&squadno=7133&season=95/96&seasonl=1995/1996&Playertype=P Wasps profile]

Persondata
NAME=Bates, Steve
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Former English rugby union footballer.
DATE OF BIRTH=March 4 1963
PLACE OF BIRTH=Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=