Marjon appoints Commonwealth Games Medallist as Head Coach

Released: 13.06.24

Plymouth Marjon University is excited to announce a new chapter for student rugby as Ben Russell joins the organisation as Head Coach for the 2024/25 season. Ben comes to Marjon following a distinguished career in elite rugby, both as a professional player and coach.

Ben, who scored a silver medal for rugby at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, has played for four rugby teams including the London Saracens. More locally, Ben has led rugby for the Devonport Services Men’s team and Ivybridge Community College. He runs his rugby training company, Benefit Elite Coaching, where he has trained the Samurai Barracudas.

At Plymouth Marjon, Ben will oversee the University’s men’s and women’s rugby programmes, bolstering the high-level student experience and supporting the teams’ ascension in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) league table.

2023/24 was a record-breaking season for sport at Marjon. The University achieved its highest-ever BUCS finish climbing 10 places in the overall league, and is confident that Ben’s expertise will continue this success.

Detailing his ambitions for the upcoming season, Ben will focus on “creating an environment at Marjon that everyone wants to be involved with and strive to win”.

Laurence Gully, Director of Sport at Plymouth Marjon commented:

“We’re really excited that Ben is joining us at Marjon. He’s going to add a huge amount of experience and develop our men’s and women’s teams for the season ahead, giving them a fantastic opportunity to succeed next year.”

Students at the University are looking forward to the preseason start in September to meet Ben and benefit from his wealth of knowledge and experience, strengthening their success in 2025.

Plymouth Marjon University offers a diverse variety of sport programmes and a sport scholarship programme where elite sportspeople can benefit from additional funding and training to elevate their performance and expand their opportunities. Find out more about sport and scholarships at Marjon here.