By Athletes for Athletes
JAMES SEMPLE
Nickname: Semps
Date of Birth: 16-Jan-1990
Place of Birth: Tauranga, New Zealand
Secondary School Attended: Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Other: United - NZ National Diploma in Business
Coaching Career
Head Coach Rugby New York Ironworkers MLR 2023
Assistant Coach Black Ferns trial game 2022
Assistant Coach Blues Super Rugby Aupiki 2022
Head Coach Waikato FPC 2020-2022
Hamilton Old Boys Premier Men’s Head Coach 2020
Assistant Coach (player-coach) Utah Warriors MLR 2019
Assistant Coach Waikato FPC 2017-2018
Waikato NPC Kicking & Skills Coach
Coach Development Officer & Coach Educator for Waikato Rugby 2017-2018
Coach Educator & Development Officer for Scotland Rugby 2015-2016
Playing Career
Utah Warriors MLR 2019 player-coach
Currie Rugby Club in the Scotland Premiership 2014-2016
Blues Super Rugby Development 2012
North Harbour NPC 2012-2013 (13 games)
Chiefs Super Rugby Development 2022
Counties Manukau NPC 2010-2011 (13 games)
New Zealand Universities 2010
Career High: winning championship with the Waikato FPC team which was the first time in the unions history
Career Low: realising I wasn't going to be an All Black, that's when I changed my goal to becoming the Coach of the All Blacks
Accolades: back to back NZ rugby coach of the year nominations 2020 and 2021. World Rugby level 3 coach and world rugby coach educator
Goals and Aspirations
Rugby:
- Full-time coaching job in Japan 2026
- Scotland Rugby Assistant Coach 2030
- Super Rugby Head Coach 2033
- All Blacks Head Coach 2026
Non-rugby:
- Be involved with a business as a silent partner
- Side hustle project to generate passive income
- Consultant to a non-sports business working with their team & upper management to get the best out of them
- Have a property in a hotpot that I run as an air Bnb
Interests
Travel and experiencing new cultures
Foodie
Time with family and friends
Love watching and playing all sports
Exercising
