Joanne Yapp
{{Short description|England international rugby union player}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1979|9|6}}
| birth_place = Shrewsbury
| height = 1.61 m
| weight = 57 kg
| ru_position = Scrumhalf
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 = Worcester
| amatapps1 =
| amatpoints1 =
| repyears1 = 1997–2009
| repteam1 = {{nowrap|{{ruw|England}}}}
| repcaps1 = 70
| reppoints1 = 90
| ru_sevensnationalyears1 =
| ru_sevensnationalteam1 = {{ruw7|England}}
| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 =
| coachyears1 = –2023
| coachteams1 = Worcester Warriors Women
| coachyears2 = 2024–
| coachteams2 = Australia (Women)
}}
Joanne Yapp (born September 26, 1979 in Shrewsbury) is an English rugby union coach and former player who grew up in the village of Clee Hill in Shropshire. She represented {{nwrut|England}} at the 1998 and 2002 Rugby World Cups, and captained the side at the 2006 World Cup.{{cite web |author= |date=3 July 2006 |title=England Women announce Cup squad |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/5141482.stm |access-date=31 July 2014 |website=BBC Sport}} She was appointed as the Wallaroos first female Head Coach at the end of 2023.
Rugby career
Yapp competed at the 1998 and 2002 Rugby World Cup's.{{Cite news |date=2023-12-12 |title=Yapp makes history as new Wallaroos head coach |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/67690142 |access-date=2024-01-03}}{{Cite web |last=Chapman |first=Simon |date=2023-12-12 |title=Wallaroos create sporting history with coaching appointment |url=https://wwos.nine.com.au/rugby/wallaroos-news-2023-australia-announce-jo-yapp-new-womens-head-coach/73734b3e-0aa8-4d8e-9557-4132b70d2d64 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=wwos.nine.com.au |language=en}} She captained the side to the 2006 World Cup final in Canada.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Jo Yapp: Former England captain Yapp named Australia Women's first full-time head coach |url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-union/news/12321/13028682/jo-yapp-former-england-captain-yapp-named-australia-womens-first-full-time-head-coach |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}} She played her last test in 2009.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-11 |title=Jo Yapp named Wallaroos head coach in historic appointment |url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/jo-yapp-named-wallaroos-head-coach-in-historic-appointment/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.rugbypass.com |language=en}}
= Coaching =
Yapp transitioned into coaching after joining England Women's U20s program as head coach for five years.{{Cite web |last=Williamson |first=Nathan |date=2023-12-12 |title=Wallaroos announce Jo Yapp as new full-time head coach |url=https://www.rugby.com.au/news/wallaroos-announce-jo-yapp-as-new-fulltime-head-coach-20231212 |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.rugby.com.au |language=en}} She was Worcester Warriors Women's skills coach before being promoted to director of rugby, she took the club to their sixth Premier 15s competition before they folded. She also coached the Barbarians women's team twice.
Yapp played in the qualifier for the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.{{cite web |url=http://www.rfu.com/news/2008/june/news-articles/englandwomens7ssquadtocompeteinrugbyworldcupqualifier |title=England Women's 7s squad to compete in Rugby World Cup qualifier |author=RFU |date=5 June 2008 |access-date=31 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811100730/http://www.rfu.com/news/2008/june/news-articles/englandwomens7ssquadtocompeteinrugbyworldcupqualifier |archive-date=11 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/76176.html |title=England 7s squads announced |author=ESPN Scrum (RFU) |website=ESPNscrum |date=8 May 2008 |access-date=31 July 2014}} In 2011 she was appointed as an athlete mentor for Sky Sports Living for Sport.{{cite web |url=http://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/sport/9326821.Former_women_s_rugby_skipper_Jo_Yapp_appointed_athlete_mentor_for_Sky_Sports_Living/ |title=Former women's rugby skipper Jo Yapp appointed athlete mentor for Sky Sports Living |author=Ian Morgan |date=31 October 2011 |access-date=31 July 2014}}
Yapp was the head coach of Exeter University for eight years and led them to BUCS gold in 2013 at Twickenham and BUCS gold in sevens in 2014.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-12 |title=Former England captain Yapp named Australia women's head coach |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/former-england-captain-yapp-named-australia-womens-head-coach-2023-12-12/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.reuters.com}} She was England women's backs coach in the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship.
In December 2023, Rugby Australia confirmed her appointment as Australia women's first female Head Coach.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-02 |title="Excited" Jo Yapp aiming to drive Wallaroos forward {{!}} World Rugby |url=https://www.world.rugby/news/898426?lang=en |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=www.world.rugby}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{England 2006 WRWC Squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yapp, Joanne}}
Category:England women's international rugby union players
Category:English female rugby union players
Category:Worcester Warriors Women players
Category:England international women's rugby sevens players
Category:Rugby union scrum-halves
Category:English rugby union coaches