Tom Harrison - For the Love of the Scrum

England scrum coach Tom Harrison discusses his development as a coach, the role rugby played in his early life, and working with England’s scrum as they prepare to take on the world.

Harrison joined Steve Borthwick’s England coaching staff ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the task of overseeing the scrum. The 32-year-old made the move following his tenure with Leicester Tigers, during which he contributed to their success in a Premiership title-winning season as assistant coach.

A love of scrummaging might seem to be a given for a specialist set-piece coach and at the top of the job description. For Harrison, that love was nurtured in a small village in France over a decade ago, during his time as a player for Rugby Club Auch, then competing in the second division of the French professional game.

“I went to Auch, which is about an hour out of Toulouse. They had a phrase: ‘No scrum, no win’, and it’s all they ever spoke about. Sometimes I thought they didn’t even care if they won the game, as long as they won the scrum! That team was built from individuals who loved scrummaging, and for me it honed and fostered a love of scrummaging.”

With the seed planted, Harrison’s journey into coaching began. Back in England, during his time as a player for Plymouth Albion, and later as a player-coach with Darlington Mowden Park, he continued to polish his skills and knowledge of the game’s set piece.

In August 2017, a move to Leicester Tigers’ academy coaching team paved the way for a first encounter with Borthwick, who would go on to promote Harrison into the professional setup as a first team assistant coach. This relationship, he says, further influenced his mindset.

“I’ve known Steve now for four or five years professionally.  His personal desire to get better as a coach has rubbed off on me. It’s that ability to do my best, not because I want to be the best, but because I want to get better at helping other players achieve the things that I might never have achieved as a player that’s important. Seeing Steve do that drives me and motivates me.”