Steve Diamond (rugby union)


Steve Diamond is a rugby union coach currently Director of Rugby at Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks.

Playing career

Diamond played for his local club Trafford MV before joining Sale Sharks as a player in 1989. He played over 350 top class games for Sale. He was also called up to the senior England squad as cover for the 1997 England rugby union tour of Argentina and Australia, however he was ultimately not capped at that level.

Coaching career

Diamond became a coach of the Sharks in 2001 with former teammate Jim Mallinder. Diamond then left Sale and began coaching England Saxons for the 2002 and 2003 Churchill Cups again alongside Jim Mallinder. Diamond joined Saracens in 2004 as a coach and was praised with bringing many successful players to the club, but was sacked after two and half years after failing to qualify for the Heineken Cup. In 2007 he teamed up again with Jim Mallinder to head up Northampton Saints recruitment process before accepting the Director of Rugby role for the Russian national team. In 2010, under Diamond's leadership, Russia qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Diamond returned to Sale Sharks in January 2011 as Director of Sport before taking over as Director of Rugby in 2012.