Media Coverage
Ben has been showcased in numerous prestigious media publications. View them below.
“During his 79 appearances for the Ospreys, John always did what was asked of him and forged some special memories as a result. He represented his country in the U20s World Championship, played alongside some childhood heroes and even emerged as a dark horse for Warren Gatland's 2015 World Cup squad after some late-season form.
Under the name 'The Rugby Trainer', John has grown a sizable online following in a relatively short space of time - producing videos on social media that aim to help players of all ages and all levels improve their skills.”
“Aged 26, Ospreys back Ben John played his last game of rugby. During the 2017 Boxing Day derby, receiving a cross-field kick from fly-half Sam Davies, the athletic wing leapt high, a good half-body length further than the oncoming Scarlets’ eleven Steff Evans. As the ball hit his chest, Evans hit his thigh, flipping Ben over to land on his head. In the days when crowd reactions said everything, you knew he was hurt. The commentator echoed the “ooohs” of the crowd and talk of player welfare pervaded. Evans was handed a red, Ben left the field, never to return. “I took six months off at first,” explains Ben, when we meet at his new rugby home, a shed at Old Alleynians RFC in south-east London. “But then, as I came back, I just kept on getting knocks to the head and the recovery started getting longer and longer...”
“All of the above would be redundant on a rugby field if it wasn’t tied together by an ability to catch and pass the ball under pressure. “Hand-eye coordination is a big part of rugby,” says John. “Having the confidence in your skillset buys you valuable time on the ball.”
To develop advanced hand-eye coordination with his players, John borrows drills from cricket, basketball and netball. “Get your hands behind the ball and create a ‘bucket’ away from your chest, then watch the ball straight into your hands,” he says.
Once you’ve mastered this, practise the same drill with added stimulus, either on the move or with an extra ball in play. John likes to use this as a warm-up drill before any session to sharpen the mind and get his players working as a team…”
”Ben John is explaining his decision as to why he decided to bring rugby back into his life.
At the age of 27, and following a year out of the game after suffering a series of head injuries, the Ospreys back made the choice to retire from the sport.
“When I first retired, I went into personal training,” says John. “I had two years virtually of no rugby at all. I didn’t watch any rugby or anything like that just because I was just so busy!”
But that close bond he once had with rugby was to be reignited. If there is a silver lining to take away from the Covid-19 pandemic, then maybe John’s reintroduction to the sport is one of them.
After leaving the personal training world behind in September 2020, John is now thriving as a skills coach and a content creator under the title of ‘The Rugby Trainer.’”
“A good catch starts the whole movement for a better pass. It creates time on the ball, which means the ball carrier can pass more accurately and, if necessary, more quickly. Here’s a individual training idea you can encourage your players to use away from your sessions. By Ben John, The Rugby Trainer…”
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