Liam Dunseath was appointed Head Coach of Iran's national sevens team in 2015

He is now aiming to take them to the 2024 Olympic Games

From Essex to Tehran via Salford and Florida, it’s been quite a journey for rugby coach Liam Dunseath.

After spending most of his life playing for amateur rugby clubs across England, Dunseath relocated to the USA where he joined the domestic sevens circuit.

Fast forward to January 2015 and a letter offering his coaching services to the Iran Rugby Federation led to his remarkable appointment as the country’s national coach.

FROM ESSEX TO TEHRAN

“Rugby’s been part of my life since I was 11 when my dad introduced me to the game,” says Dunseath, who started playing at school in Essex before going on to captain his university in Salford.

“I spent years playing for clubs like Richmond and Rosslyn Park as well as sevens in America but the coaching side of things only started when my friend invited me to help him train Askeans RFC in South London,” explains Dunseath.

Dunseath soon became one of the lead coaches at Askeans and last year became one of 2,015 new Level 2 coaches as part of the QBE Coaching Club, a joint initiative from QBE Insurance and the RFU.

After being inspired to help spread the sport to new people around the world, Dunseath wrote a letter to the head of the Iran Rugby Federation in the hope that he could get involved in supporting their development.

Dunseath was in luck. After receiving a letter in response, he spoke to the Head Coach of the national 15s side who asked him to help coach the team during the West Asian Rugby Championships against Lebanon and Jordan.

NEW CUSTOMS AND POSITIVE RESULTS

“Arriving in Tehran for the first time was nothing like I had expected, but in a good way,” says Dunseath.

“Meeting the players for the first time, I realised that a traditional greeting in Iran involves kissing the person on both cheeks which isn’t something I had been used to at rugby clubs back home!”

Dunseath worked with the team during the series in which they beat Jordan and lost to Lebanon and soon after was offered the role of Head Coach for the Iran sevens side.

Taking the sevens team to the Asia Sevens Series in Dubai earlier this year, Iran won three from six, beating Lebanon, Pakistan and Qatar.

OLYMPIC PLANS

With 18 rugby clubs across the country, rugby union is a small but growing sport in a country where football, wrestling, basketball and weightlifting take precedence.

“The players all work long hours in tough jobs. They’re taxi drivers and fireman who play for no money but love the sport. The challenge we have is growing the sport from the bottom up.”

Dunseath’s long term aim is for Iran to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in sevens but he realises a lot needs to be done for that to happen.

“I’m a rugby coach, I’m not a diplomat or politician but there are some obstacles in regards to funding and getting the game into schools which need a huge amount of work.”

“I believe it can be done. To beat a country like Pakistan, which has over twice the population of Iran, shows that we have talent and we can improve.”

‘RUGBY GIVES YOU SO MUCH’

Despite the obvious challenges in developing the sport from almost nothing in Iran, Dunseath believes the unique nature of rugby makes it possible.

“Rugby is a game I’ve always known and it’s made me the man I am.”

He is now aiming to complete his Level 3 coaching course while also looking for ways to bring several of Iran's players over to the UK to help them develop.

From Askeans RFC to Iran sevens, Dunseath’s whirlwind journey exemplifies the very best of rugby’s values and global appeal.

“It’s given me connections across the world, friendships that will always last and it’s a sport which can be used as a vehicle to develop bonds and change attitudes.”

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