Mark joined the Falcons as an academy player at 18 and went to Durham University to study Environmental Development. On finishing his degree he started working part-time for the RFU as a Community Rugby Coach in Hartlepool and the Rugby Union Student Liaison Officer at Durham University. Mark was playing for the Falcons A team at this time and completed a Masters in Management at Durham as he moved more into coaching. Joining the clubs backroom staff as Junior Academy Manager in October 2006 he spent 2 years working with the clubs younger players before being promoted to Academy Director in 2008. Mark is currently a Level 3 Coach and alongside the work he does at the club he is also the player/coach of the KooGa Wailers 7s team.

Mobile: 07764 933 311
Email: mark.laycock@newcastle-falcons.co.uk

Rob Bowen – Academy Physiotherapist

Rob started his career in 1984 as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Air Force and worked all over the world before completing his service in 2006. Whilst in the RAF he played rugby in the Welsh Premiership for his native club Dunvant RFC. Rob was forced to retire from playing through injury in 1996 and developed an interest in physiotherapy through his own injury rehabilitation. He completed his physiotherapy degree part-time in the forces and has since held roles as a physiotherapist for Dunvant RFC, the RAF and the Combined Services. Rob started working full-time for the Falcons in 2006 as the academy physio and also spends time working with the first team squad, where his wife Salwa is a physiotherapist.

Email: rob.bowen@newcastle-falcons.co.uk

Kevin McShane – Academy Conditioner

Kevin is the most recent addition to the backroom staff having started at the club in September 2008. He completed his Sport and Exercise Science degree at Heriot Watt University and then went on to complete a Masters degree in Strength and Conditioning at Edinburgh University. Following university, Kevin started working as the strength and conditioning coach at Currie RFC in the Scottish Premiership, where he has played rugby for 5 years. Having taken up the full-time role at the Falcons he is now concentrating his efforts on strength and conditioning work and works very closely with the clubs first team in assisting with their conditioning sessions.

Email: kevin.mcshane@newcastle-falcons.co.uk

Ed Midcalf – AASE Scheme Manager

Whilst undertaking a degree in Sport Science at Brunel University, Ed played for the London Irish Academy. Following several serious knee injuries he hung up his boots to concentrate on coaching and joined the RFU workforce in 2004 as a full-time Community Rugby Coach in his home town of Darlington before joining the Academy in July 2008 as the clubs first ever AASE Scheme Manager. The role involves overseeing the Academy Apprentices on a day-to-day basis as well as developing rugby within Gosforth High School and coaching with the Falcons Academy. Ed is currently undertaking his PGCE at Northumbria University and has teaching experience in several schools in London and the North East. Alongside his work with the club, Ed acts as the first teams throwing coach.

Email: ed.midcalf@newcastle-falcons.co.uk