College signs two top coaches

We’ve boosted our team with the appointment of two new sport coaches.

Alun Armstrong will take the lead on men’s football as Head of Football while Michael van Vuuren joins us as Rugby Coach, both will be based at our Academy for Sport.

Former professional player and manager, Alun most recently managed Darlington and had a playing career spanning 14 years competing in over 400 games in Europe, the Premier League and Championship.

He played upfront for clubs including Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town scoring more than 100 goals including 2 against Inter MiIan in the UEFA cup as well as against teams including Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool.

Alun who has been a coach for over 15 years will coordinate the elite and performance teams within the Gateshead FC Academy. The Academy is a football development programme created through an exclusive partnership between Gateshead College and Gateshead Football Club that combines outstanding education opportunities and football excellence.

Alun said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Gateshead College and I’m already getting to work supporting the new students as they come through.

“I’ll be bringing my playing and management expertise to make sure we’re giving all of our Academy players the best experience and some great opportunities to develop during their time with us.”

Michael, who hails from South Africa, holds the title of the youngest hooker to ever play in the senior men’s Currie Cup after signing for Free State in 2011 as a school leaver. He’s also represented the South African U20 team and competed in the Junior World Cup.

In a professional career spanning more than 13 years, Michael has represented Stade Français in the Top 14 and English club sides including Bath, Northampton, Wasps and Newcastle Falcons.

Most recently, Michael was Head Coach at Alnwick RFC before joining Gateshead College where he will manage, supervise and coordinate our men’s and women’s Rugby Academies.

He said: “I’m really excited to get to work with the college’s rugby academies. This is a great opportunity for me to use the experiences gained throughout my playing career to support the students to develop their game.

“I’ve done some youth coaching already in Johannesburg and really relish the chance to support the next generation of rugby players.”

Our Academy for Sport is home to nine specialist sport academies, all offering first class training, coaching and playing opportunities for everyone. Students don’t have to choose a sport course to join.