Sammie Phillips appointed as England Touch General Manager

England Touch has today announced the appointment of Sammie Phillips as the Association’s new General Manager.

Phillips steps into this new position from her previous role as National Development Officer, and will have responsibility for a number of key operational areas, including:

• Continuing to work closely with Regions to grow the sport across the country
• Leading the group of Development Officers to develop the domestic game
• Take the lead on membership and club relations
• Reviewing and improving England Touch’s suite of services and products
• Overseeing the domestic events calendar
• Operational relationships with external stakeholders, such as the RFL and British Heart Foundation

Phillips, who will also continue her voluntary role within the England Touch High Performance management alongside her commitments as General Manager, is one of the most experienced Touch administrators in the country, and her appointment will entrench the ETA’s position as the governing body for Touch across England with its network of national events, coaching and referee courses, support for teachers and schools, and a wide variety of other resources and information needed to make Touch one of the country’s leading participation sports.

“Recruiting our first General Manager was a competitive process with some outstanding candidates, so Sammie deserves congratulations for her appointment,” said England Touch Chief Executive, Chris Simon,

“Sammie’s appointment represents a significant step forwards as we develop the ETA, and we will follow this with a strengthening of our workforce, both centrally and in the regions, with further opportunities arising on a paid and voluntary basis.

“Our growth following all of the Covid disruptions is bringing about a rapid professionalisation of our senior leadership, which in turn is resulting in more positive conversations with the likes of Sport England, the Association for Physical Education, British Universities and Colleges Sport, and other stakeholders as we seek to work collaboratively to provide more opportunities for more people to play.”

“I’m excited to be taking on this new role,” commented Phillips. “It is a fantastic opportunity as we continue to further our role as a national governing body. I’m looking forward to working with strategic partners, building and strengthening our relationships with the likes of the RFL and BHF, using those to showcase the value of working with us.

“I’m also looking forward to working even closer with our Regional Leads and workforce, as we support the increasing numbers of clubs, leagues, events and other initiatives which will take Touch to a new level of reach and participation across the country.”