1. A highly decorated
former 7s, 15s and
rugby league
international player,
who has successfully
transitioned into
coaching and rugby
development across
four countries, and is ready to move into full-time international and representative coaching.
Mere Baker Bsc Sociology
Mobile: +353 86 277 5449 Email: drmezzab@hotmail.com Citizenship: New Zealander
CAREER EXPERIENCE
2012-date
SeniorWomen’sHeadCoach/Club DevelopmentOfficer, RailwayUnionRFC(Dublin,Ireland)
 Overall responsibility for Women’s & Girls Coaching at Railway Union RFC
o Developing and implementing club sub academy for girls aged 12 to 18
o Planning, developing and implementing a girls schools rugby programme for schools who previously had no rugby
experience
o Developing strategic and tactical training plans for the development two Senior Women’s teams over the course of a four season
development cycle
 Achievements
o Four age-grade internationals developed in three years, two who’ve gone on to become fully contracted Irish 7s players
o Coached and developed eight fully contracted Irish 7s players (of the current twenty fully contracted in Ireland)
o Four senior 15s internationals developed
o Sixteen senior interprovincial players in four years and six age-grade Leinster players in three years
o Fourteen senior trophies in four years, including All Ireland Cup, Leinster Senior Cup & All Ireland League Division 2
o Four age-grade trophies in three years
o Developed Railway from having no women’s or girls teams when arrived to position where there is a thriving age-grade section, the
senior team in the highest division in Ireland and the senior seconds team in the second highest division in Ireland (no other club in
Ireland has this)
o Ensured development of a coaching programme and skills transfer to a coaching team to ensure that long-term sustainable success is
achievable at the club (e.g. the club’s 1st
XV won the All Ireland Senior 7s championship in the summer of 2015 whilst I was in Canada -
the club’s 2nd
XV also won the junior division of the All Ireland 7s championship in the summer of 2015)
Other Notable Coaching Roles During This Time
 2015/2016 – Head Coach of Senior Cup team at Sandford High School boys
 2015 – Head Coach at Edmonton Clansman(Canada)
o Four months during Irish off-season
o Reached final
o Liaison officer for New Zealand Women’s Team
o Gold coach u16
o Alberta Provincial u20s coach
 2013/2015 – Assistant Coach of Senior Cup team at Catholic University School boys
 2014 – Head coach Trinity University women’s team – winners of colours developed a women’s programme in Trinity. Developed a strategic plan
for the future of women’s rugby in Trinity, incorporating schools associated with Trinity and built programs within those schools, to become
feeder schools for Trinity rugby.
 2013 – Assistant Coach at Ireland U U18 Irish Schoolgirls 7’s Team
 2013- Assistant Coach at Ireland Emerging Development Squad.
 2013 – Assistant Coach at Leinster Senior Women’s Development Squad provincial coaching
 2012/2013 – Senior Women’s Head Coach at Dublin City University DCU
o Awarded ‘Coach of the Year’ across all sports at annual DCU awards (DCU has over 12,000 students and a huge variety
of sports)
2012
RegionalCoachingStaffonNewZealand‘GoingForGold’OlympicProgramme
 Athlete screening and assessment
 Coaching 7’s concepts and strategy
 Organising and assessing trial games

2. 2010 to 2011
Sydenham (Christchurch), Women’s Head Coach
 Won Canterbury Women’s 15’s Title 2010 and 2011
 Won Canterbury Women’s 7’s Championship in 2011
KUSA International, Women’s Head Coach
 Roma 7’s runner-ups
 Byron Bay 7’s Winners
 Gold Coast 7’s 3rd place
 Developed nine girls to full international 7’s honours (seven girls capped by NZ, two by USA)
2009
SchoolsDevelopment Officer, WashingtonDC
 Coaching rugby to underprivileged school children in the Washington DC area
 Promoted a community based, integrated rugby circle for school children
2006 to 2012: Professional Non-Rugby Experience
 2014/2016 - Area Manager DC sports swimwear
 2011/2012 – Area Manager, Aldi, Queensland, Australia
 2009/2011 – Human Resources Manager, Mitre 10 Group, Christchurch, New Zealand
 2007/2009 – Regional Training Advisor, Retail Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
 2006/2007 – Core Generics Tutor, National Trade Academy, Christchurch NZ
RUGBY PLAYING EXPERIENCE
 2012 - Queensland (Australia 15’s and 7’s National Winners)
 2009-2012 took time out and started to coach.
 2009 - USA Premiership Division, Professional Rugby Contract, Washington DC
 2006/2009 – Canterbury women’s rugby team, Canterbury women’s touch team, Canterbury women’s league team
 2003 – 2005 New Zealand Rugby League, Kiwi Ferns (World Cup Winners 2003)
 2001/2009- New Zealand Sevens Team (6 time Hong Kong Champions)
 2001 - New Zealand Rugby Union Squad member
 2000/2008 - Canterbury Rugby (National NZ 7’s Champions 2001)
 Also played for New Zealand at age-grade hockey
EDUCATION
2014 CElT- Teaching English Cambridge University- level 7
2013 IRFU Level 2 Course
2011 NZRU Level 1 Course
2009 National Certificate Level 2 and 3 for Retail, NZ
2008 Achieve Global Sales Course, NZ;
2008 Southern Institute of Technology, NZ – Level 5 Diploma of Adult Education
2005 Bachelor of Sociology, University of Canterbury, NZ
2006 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Adult Education 4098 NZQA Assessors Course
1998 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Certificate in Fitness Industry
1996 Christchurch Polytechnic, NZ – Information Technology
1995 St Margaret’s College – Christchurch, NZ
1994 Aparima College – Riverton, Invercargill, NZ
REFEREES
John Cronin Peter Baggeta Casey Robertson
Director of Rugby Coach Coach / Teammate
Railway Union RFC USA 15s/7s Coach Black Ferns 15’s (three world cups)
e: directorofrugby@railwayunionrfc.com e: pbaggetta@usarugby.org e: hereford7@hotmail.com
m: +353 87 2246279 m: +1 202 4601785 m: