UCT Rugby Appoint New 1st XV Coach for 2020, Tom Dawson-Squibb

UCT Rugby is excited to announce the appointment of new 1st XV Head Coach for the 2020 Varsity Cup and League Season, Tom Dawson-Squibb. He replaces Christiaan Esterhuizen who will remain 1st XV Head Coach for the Club’s upcoming tour to Japan, and who will continue to offer technical and recruitment support throughout the remainder of 2019, and into 2020.

Tom is a UCT graduate – completing a Masters in Organisational Psychology – and has been involved with UCT Rugby for many years as a mental leadership coach. In addition to his mental leadership role, Tom has been the Head Coach for UCT’s u20As, both at a league and Young Guns Varsity Cup level.

Tom has worked in leadership and performance for over 10 years (both in the business and sporting worlds) enabling effective behaviours, growing leadership and helping teams become high-performing entities rather than just groups of individuals. He has worked at CEO, executive team and aspiring leader level, across a broad range of industries.

In the sports arena specifically, he has worked with teams, coaches and athletes in developing the winning behaviours and mindsets that lead to them becoming the best version of themselves, whilst concurrently achieving top results. He has worked across many sport disciplines, notable teams including: The Stormers, Melbourne Rebels, SA Rugby, The Sharks, Western Province Rugby Ajax Cape Town, SA Golf, University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.

Tom is passionate about helping individuals create the remarkable stories that can catalyse others’ success and lead to fulfilled lives. He believes everyone should have the opportunity to experience the euphoria of achieving something special, and to reach this that they must embark on meaningful self-discovery and develop systemic awareness. 

UCT Rugby Club Director, Jonathan Biderman-Pam commented on the appointment of Dawson-Squibb: “it is fantastic and revolutionary to have Tom heading up our 2020 Varsity Cup and League campaigns; with his background in mental coaching – both here and overseas at a professional level – promising to offer us a unique competitive edge in next year’s competition.”