Newington is thrilled to welcome Mr Ben Manion as the new Director of Rugby. Ben is a passionate and approachable educator with a philosophy aimed at allowing each boy to reach his potential while enjoying all the camaraderie a team sport like Rugby has to offer. He has completed a Bachelor of Human Movement Science and specialises in sport specific conditioning and group training.

A former First Grade (Warringah) and Provincial (Border Reivers, Scotland) player, he has held senior coaching roles in both Australia and Ireland. This has included Head Coach at Warringah in the Shute Shield and Director of Rugby at Blackrock Rugby Football Club in the All Ireland League.

His most recent role was as the Senior Technical Advisor at Blackrock College in Dublin, Ireland’s largest and proudest Rugby school fielding 44 teams each weekend. Blackrock is a school famous for producing five British and Irish Lions Captains.

During Ben’s tenure at Blackrock Rugby Football Club and Blackrock College, they won back-to-back junior and senior cups (the first time since 1986/87) with nine players gaining full international honours, including Brian O’Driscoll, and seven students gaining Irish Schools selection.

Ben returns to Australia after three years in Ireland and is very excited to be leading the Newington College Rugby Program in 2014.