Spanish Olympian and her journey through the Gallagher High Performance Academy
Well-travelled Olympian, Patricia Garcia Rodriguez, has a passion for coaching and hopes to take it further with the Gallagher High Performance Academy.
Patricia Garcia Rodriguez was one of Spain’s leading Sevens players, starring for the national side at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, as well as playing top-flight domestic rugby in Spain, England and New Zealand. However, it is as a coach that she is now making her mark in rugby.
After her experience in the Gallagher High Performance Academy, Garcia Rodriquez is set on inspiring the next generation of players through her role as Assistant Coach of the Spanish women’s national side.
As Spain’s representative on the Gallagher High Performance Academy for WXV 2023, she relished the opportunity to learn from other developing coaches around the world.
Reflecting on her time embedded within the national team set-up, Patricia said: “one of the highlights of the tournament was working alongside the girls that I have played with, but sharing those experiences in a slightly different capacity due to my new role as a coach.”
Garcia Rodriguez’s love of coaching is not limited to just rugby. She has branched out to also coach in basketball and athletics in Spain, as she enjoys sharing her passion to help inspire and improve the performance of other players.
“I have always loved not just practicing in sport, but also coaching it,” she said.
“One word that comes to mind when thinking about the Gallagher High Performance Academy is ‘proud’. Proud of the people I worked with; proud of myself for putting myself in this situation; but more than anything, I'm so proud of the team.”
Garcia Rodriguez was also nominated by the Spanish Rugby Federation for the 2024 Gallagher High Performance Academy at this year’s SVNS Series, following the programme’s expansion across all formats of the women’s game.
“An important part of our work on the programme is to have an understanding of the importance of the personal relations around our ‘stakeholder map’, making sure we build trust, connections and are visible to share our ideas and have a positive impact.”