Former Leicester Tigers and Ireland winger Geordan Murphy joins Stamford School

A town school has added another famous sporting name to its staff.

Stamford School have appointed former Leicester Tigers and Ireland rugby international Geordan Murphy and former professional Eugene Martin to roles within its sports department.

Murphy will take over as director of rugby at the independent school from August, while Martin, a former professional player in his native New Zealand, becomes head of rugby.

The winger and full-back won eight Premiership titles and two European Cups in 322 appearances for the Tigers, as well as 72 international caps before becoming the Tigers director of rugby for a spell.

He will lead performance development across the school, supporting student pathways into elite sport.

“I’m thrilled to join Stamford and help shape a high-performance culture that builds confidence, resilience, and enjoyment through sport,” said Murphy.

Martin, meanwhile, has been tasked with delivering technical coaching across the school and its rugby programme, with a focus on academy and national development pathways.

Interim principal Mark Steed said: “Rugby has long been at the heart of Stamford School, and these appointments reaffirm our ambition to provide world-class coaching and opportunities for all students.”

England’s Ashes-winning bowler Matthew Hoggard joined the school’s cricket programme as Guest Coach in January, adding more international experience.

The school’s director of netball Alex Wood-Davis is a former England international with 48 caps, while director of hockey, Duncan Buckmaster, has more than 15 years’ experience as a performance coach with England and GB Hockey.

“What unites all our sports leaders is not only their world-class sporting pedigree, but their shared commitment to character, mentorship, and giving back,” added Mr Steed.

“At Stamford, sport is about more than winning - it’s about inspiring excellence with integrity.”