Mike Forshaw

Mike Forshaw
Personal information
Born (1970-01-05) 5 January 1970 (age 55)
Wigan, Lancashire, England
Playing information
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight15 st 8 lb (99 kg)
PositionSecond-row, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1987–93 Wigan 41 6 0 0 24
1993–95 Wakefield Trinity 44 8 0 0 32
1995–96 Leeds 41 10 0 0 40
1997–03 Bradford Bulls 199 42 0 0 168
2004 Warrington Wolves 23 6 0 0 24
Total 348 72 0 0 288
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1997–03 Great Britain 14 0 0 0 0
2000 England 3 0 0 0 0
Lancashire
Source: [1][2]

Michael Forshaw (born 5 January 1970) is an English rugby union coach, and former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is currently the defence coach for the Wales national rugby union team.

Forshaw began his playing career with Wigan in 1987 and went on to play for Wakefield Trinity, Bradford Bulls and Warrington Wolves. He played 14 times for Great Britain and 3 for England.

Background

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Forshaw was born on 5 January 1970 in Wigan, Lancashire.

Playing career

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Rugby league

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Club

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Forshaw started his career with Wigan. He was a largely a fringe player during his time at the club, but did make an appearance from the interchange bench in Wigan's 1991 World Club Challenge victory against the visiting Penrith Panthers. He joined Wakefield Trinity in September 1993.[3]

After a brief spell playing rugby union for Saracens F.C., he returned to rugby league in April 1997, joining Bradford Bulls.[4] Despite joining the club mid-season, he impressed enough to be named in the 1997 Super League Dream Team.[5]

Forshaw played for the Bradford Bulls from the interchange bench in the 1999 Super League Grand Final which was lost to St. Helens. Forshaw played for the Bradford Bulls as a loose forward in their 2001 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan Warriors. As Super League VI champions, the Bradford Bulls played against the 2001 NRL Premiers, the Newcastle Knights in the 2002 World Club Challenge. Forshaw played as a loose forward in Bradford's victory.[6] Forshaw played for the Bradford Bulls as a loose forward in their 2002 Super League Grand Final loss against St. Helens. Forshaw played for the Bradford Bulls as a loose forward in their 2003 Super League Grand Final victory against the Wigan Warriors.

He signed a one-year contract with the Warrington Wolves for the 2004 season,[7] where he finished his playing career.

International

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Forshaw was named in the England squad for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup,[8] and won caps against Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.

In the 1997 post-season, Forshaw was selected to play for Great Britain in two matches of the Super League Test series against Australia. Forshaw won caps for Great Britain while at Bradford Bulls in 1997 against Australia (ASL) (2 matches) (interchange/substitute), in 1998 against New Zealand (interchange/substitute), in 1999 against New Zealand (interchange/substitute), in 2001 against France (interchange/substitute), and Australia (3 matches), in 2002 against New Zealand (3 matches), and in 2003 against Australia (2 matches), and Australia (interchange/substitute).

Coaching career

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Rugby league

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In 2004, Forshaw was appointed in a part-time role by the Rugby Football League as a performance lifestyle advisor.[9] After ending his playing career, he rejoined Warrington in May 2005 as a strength and conditioning coach.[10] In November 2006, he returned to his boyhood club and teamed up with his old coach Brian Noble when he was appointed to a similar coaching role at Wigan Warriors.[11]

He studied a BSc part-time at UCLAN following Wigan's sponsorship by UCLAN.[citation needed]

Rugby union

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In 2010, Forshaw joined Connacht in the Celtic League as defence coach.[12]

In 2013, he joined the Sale Sharks in the same role.[13] Forshaw follows a '3D' approach to the contact area of defence: discipline, detail and decision-making, with a particular focus when within 50m of his team's own try line.[14] In July 2020 Forshaw extended his contract with Sale until the end of the 2022 season.[15]

In 2023, after a decade at Sale, Forshaw was appointed as defence coach for the Wales national team for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.[16]

References

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  1. ^ "Player Summary: Mike Forshaw". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". Rugby League Project. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ "Trinity sign Forshaw". The Times. London. 9 September 1993. p. 40.
  4. ^ "Goodway makes way at Oldham". The Independent. 22 April 1997. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  5. ^ Hadfield, Dave (17 September 1997). "Forshaw's dreams come true". The Independent. London. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Bulls clinch World Club Challenge". BBC Sport. 1 February 2002. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Wolves land Forshaw". BBC Sport. 23 October 2003. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  8. ^ "World Cup squad looks Bullish". BBC Sport. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Forshaw to be player guru". The Guardian. 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Forshaw is handed key Wolves role". BBC Sport. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Forshaw takes Wigan coaching role". BBC Sport. 4 November 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  12. ^ "Connacht appoint Defence Coach | Connacht Rugby Official Website". Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
  13. ^ "Add Reference Name". salesharks.com. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  14. ^ "Mike Forshaw talks tough to Danny Cipriani and Co". 9 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Sale coaching duo sign new contracts". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Forshaw and King join Wales senior men's coaching team – Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
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