Tony Fretwell

Tony is from Leeds in West Yorkshire and grew up with an interest in Rugby League. Having started playing for a local team he went onto the Academy at Bradford and continued to play for the next 25 years. He became a coach too and after completing his Sport Science Degree at the University of Teesside he was Academy Manager at both Halifax and Widnes Vikings. He became a PE teacher in 2004 after a PGCE in Physical Education at Liverpool John Moores. After becoming Head of PE at The Heath in Runcorn, he moved to be Director of Sport at Stretford High.

A return to professional sport came after teaching for 12 years, as Tony joined the Rugby Football League as the National Player Development Manager for England Rugby League. Both a change of sport and gender focus came in 2018 when Tony joined The Football Association to write and develop the Barclays Women’s Super League Academy system, a role Tony did for seven years. In 2024 he left to join the England and Wales Cricket Board Performance dept to drive Talent Inclusion strategy.

Tony was diagnosed in 2023 as Autistic have had a long history of depression and anxiety diagnosis. Two of his three sons are also autistic. He lives with his wife and twin boys in Cheshire.

Speaks About

• NGOs

• Autism

• Rugby

• Coaching

• Parenting