Professor Collins accepts Snow Sports NZ role

Professor Dave Collins has been appointed as Sports Psychologist by Snow Sports New Zealand.

Professor Collins has worked as a consultant for Snow Sports NZ for the past two years, and his new role will see him help athletes' preparations for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

He commented: "Since 2013 I've been inputting to the coaches and support staff on how these complex skills can best be taught and established.

"I work with Head Coach Tom Willmott, who is a student on our DProf programme, and supported by High Performance Sport New Zealand through a Prime Minister's Scholarship.

"Tom is one of almost 100 postgraduate students currently working with ICaP - a highly skilled group which includes coaches from Premiership Football and Rugby, a number of Olympic sports, plus support scientists and leaders from a variety of high performance environments."

Snow Sports NZ was formed in 2010 to represent the interests of five winter sports – Ski Racing, Snowboard, Cross Country, Freeskiing and Adaptive Snow Sports.

They boast a number of up-and-coming athletes including Christy Prior, only the sixth female in the world to pull off a double back-flip with a snowboard strapped to her feet.

For more information about Snow Sports NZ please click here.

Performance expert joins Irish Rugby World Cup staff

John Kiely has been appointed to the Ireland backroom staff squad for the upcoming Rugby Union World Cup 2015 tournament.

Currently employed as a Senior Lecturer in Elite Performance within ICaP, John (above right) has worked with Irish squad during the past two Six Nations competitions, operating as a 'return to play' specialist for injured players or those who have been unable to take part in full training.

John said he was delighted to work with Ireland Rugby once again: "It's a prestigious link to have, as there are only four home nations and a limited amount of roles available.

"It reflects extremely well on the work we do within ICaP, where we are constantly looking to push boundaries in elite performance environments. The work I'll be doing with the Irish squad will reinforce that, as I don't necessarily sit within one particular discipline.

"Effectively my role will fall between Strength & Conditioning and Medical, and is what ICaP is all about – constantly striving to implement innovative techniques at an elite level."

John boasts a wealth of sporting experience, previously working with star triple-jumper Phillips Idowu, 2013 Squash world champion Laura Massaro and a host of governing bodies.

He has also spent time in professional rugby as power training specialist for the Munster senior squad, provided consultancy services to leading professional football clubs in the UK and supported numerous Olympic Track & Field major medallists.

To find out more about John please click here.