1. A highly decorated
former 7s, 15s and
rugby league
international player,
who has successfully
transitioned into
coaching and rugby
development across
four countries, and is ready to move into full-time international and representative coaching.
Mere Baker Bsc Sociology
Mobile: +353 86 277 5449 Email: drmezzab@hotmail.com Citizenship: New Zealander
CAREER EXPERIENCE
2012-date
SeniorWomen’sHeadCoach/Club DevelopmentOfficer, RailwayUnionRFC(Dublin,Ireland)
Overall responsibility for Women’s & Girls Coaching at Railway Union RFC
o Developing and implementing club sub academy for girls aged 12 to 18
o Planning, developing and implementing a girls schools rugby programme for schools who previously had no rugby
experience
o Developing strategic and tactical training plans for the development two Senior Women’s teams over the course of a four season
development cycle
Achievements
o Four age-grade internationals developed in three years, two who’ve gone on to become fully contracted Irish 7s players
o Coached and developed eight fully contracted Irish 7s players (of the current twenty fully contracted in Ireland)
o Four senior 15s internationals developed
o Sixteen senior interprovincial players in four years and six age-grade Leinster players in three years
o Fourteen senior trophies in four years, including All Ireland Cup, Leinster Senior Cup & All Ireland League Division 2
o Four age-grade trophies in three years
o Developed Railway from having no women’s or girls teams when arrived to position where there is a thriving age-grade section, the
senior team in the highest division in Ireland and the senior seconds team in the second highest division in Ireland (no other club in
Ireland has this)
o Ensured development of a coaching programme and skills transfer to a coaching team to ensure that long-term sustainable success is
achievable at the club (e.g. the club’s 1st
XV won the All Ireland Senior 7s championship in the summer of 2015 whilst I was in Canada -
the club’s 2nd
XV also won the junior division of the All Ireland 7s championship in the summer of 2015)
Other Notable Coaching Roles During This Time
2015/2016 – Head Coach of Senior Cup team at Sandford High School boys
2015 – Head Coach at Edmonton Clansman(Canada)
o Four months during Irish off-season
o Reached final
o Liaison officer for New Zealand Women’s Team
o Gold coach u16
o Alberta Provincial u20s coach
2013/2015 – Assistant Coach of Senior Cup team at Catholic University School boys
2014 – Head coach Trinity University women’s team – winners of colours developed a women’s programme in Trinity. Developed a strategic plan
for the future of women’s rugby in Trinity, incorporating schools associated with Trinity and built programs within those schools, to become
feeder schools for Trinity rugby.
2013 – Assistant Coach at Ireland U U18 Irish Schoolgirls 7’s Team
2013- Assistant Coach at Ireland Emerging Development Squad.
2013 – Assistant Coach at Leinster Senior Women’s Development Squad provincial coaching
2012/2013 – Senior Women’s Head Coach at Dublin City University DCU
o Awarded ‘Coach of the Year’ across all sports at annual DCU awards (DCU has over 12,000 students and a huge variety
of sports)
2012
RegionalCoachingStaffonNewZealand‘GoingForGold’OlympicProgramme
Athlete screening and assessment
Coaching 7’s concepts and strategy
Organising and assessing trial games
2. 2010 to 2011
Sydenham (Christchurch), Women’s Head Coach
Won Canterbury Women’s 15’s Title 2010 and 2011
Won Canterbury Women’s 7’s Championship in 2011
KUSA International, Women’s Head Coach
Roma 7’s runner-ups
Byron Bay 7’s Winners
Gold Coast 7’s 3rd place
Developed nine girls to full international 7’s honours (seven girls capped by NZ, two by USA)
2009
SchoolsDevelopment Officer, WashingtonDC
Coaching rugby to underprivileged school children in the Washington DC area
Promoted a community based, integrated rugby circle for school children
2006 to 2012: Professional Non-Rugby Experience
2014/2016 - Area Manager DC sports swimwear
2011/2012 – Area Manager, Aldi, Queensland, Australia
2009/2011 – Human Resources Manager, Mitre 10 Group, Christchurch, New Zealand
2007/2009 – Regional Training Advisor, Retail Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
2006/2007 – Core Generics Tutor, National Trade Academy, Christchurch NZ
RUGBY PLAYING EXPERIENCE
2012 - Queensland (Australia 15’s and 7’s National Winners)
2009-2012 took time out and started to coach.
2009 - USA Premiership Division, Professional Rugby Contract, Washington DC
2006/2009 – Canterbury women’s rugby team, Canterbury women’s touch team, Canterbury women’s league team
2003 – 2005 New Zealand Rugby League, Kiwi Ferns (World Cup Winners 2003)
2001/2009- New Zealand Sevens Team (6 time Hong Kong Champions)
2001 - New Zealand Rugby Union Squad member
2000/2008 - Canterbury Rugby (National NZ 7’s Champions 2001)
Also played for New Zealand at age-grade hockey
EDUCATION
2014 CElT- Teaching English Cambridge University- level 7
2013 IRFU Level 2 Course
2011 NZRU Level 1 Course
2009 National Certificate Level 2 and 3 for Retail, NZ
2008 Achieve Global Sales Course, NZ;
2008 Southern Institute of Technology, NZ – Level 5 Diploma of Adult Education
2005 Bachelor of Sociology, University of Canterbury, NZ
2006 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Adult Education 4098 NZQA Assessors Course
1998 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Certificate in Fitness Industry
1996 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Information Technology
1995 St Margaret’s College – Christchurch, NZ
1994 Aparima College – Riverton, Invercargill, NZ
REFEREES
John Cronin Peter Baggeta Casey Robertson
Director of Rugby Coach Coach / Teammate
Railway Union RFC USA 15s/7s Coach Black Ferns 15’s (three world cups)
e: directorofrugby@railwayunionrfc.com e: pbaggetta@usarugby.org e: hereford7@hotmail.com
m: +353 87 2246279 m: +1 202 4601785 m: