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behind the shirt
– the team behind
George Ford
Mum and Dad
His father Mike Ford enjoyed a distinguished playing career in rugby league with the likes of Wigan, Oldham, Warrington and Castleford.
After retiring, he crossed codes and spent more than 20 years coaching in rugby union with Ireland, British & Irish Lions, England, Bath and Leicester Tigers.
“When I was a kid growing up, my dad was still playing rugby league professionally,” says Ford.
“I remember watching him and, when he retired and moved into coaching, he would take me, Joe and Jacob with him. That was inspiring for us because we loved playing rugby anyway, but we could actually go into these fantastic environments.
“At first it was Oldham Rugby League Club, where he is now involved as managing director, and then Ireland when he switched codes to rugby union. He even took us over there a couple of times, so we were very lucky.
“His influence on my career from a very early age has been huge.”
Ford’s mother Sally Anne was also hugely instrumental during his formative years, playing league for local amateur sides Waterhead and Saddleworth Rangers as a junior.
“My dad was away a lot with his rugby career, so my mum took us everywhere and that was massively important,” he adds.
“That was quite demanding with three of us so her influence was crucial in allowing us to do what we wanted to do – which was to go and play rugby.
“My mum and dad took me everywhere for rugby and it wasn’t just down the road either – sometimes it could be quite far afield.”
The Sale Sharks star tells Ross Heppenstall all about the people who have made his stellar career happen
George Ford has realised plenty of childhood dreams during a stellar rugby career which has earned him approaching 100 England caps.
The Sale Sharks and England fly-half is also a successful businessman, but above all, a proud family man.
The Ford clan is extremely tight-knit and bonded by a shared love of both rugby codes.
Ford's parents Mike and Sally Anne, brothers Joe and Jacob and wife Atdhetare have been pivotal to his continued success along with several other key figures from the sport. Here we explore with him exactly who he credits with being his own backroom team.
George Ford
Age 31
Test caps 98
(67 wins, 1draw, 30 losses)
England tries 10
Assists 38
Club Sale Sharks
Sale appearances 27
Sale points 210
Penalty conversion
rate 80%
Ford is the second of three brothers, with elder sibling Joe currently head coach of Doncaster Knights after his own professional playing career. Younger brother Jacob is head of rugby at Ipswich School and director of rugby of Bury St Edmunds RUFC.
“My brothers were also massive in me getting into rugby because we all loved the game that much with all our mates,” says Ford. “We’d get a ball and play on the local field at every available opportunity.
“Playing rugby league was enormous for my development in terms of learning the basic skills of the game – catch, pass, tackle and kick. We would play teams from Wigan, St Helens and Warrington and that would certainly toughen you up as well.
“I learned great values about doing my job for the team to make it better, and to be disciplined, and at Waterhead in particular we had a team which played together for years.
“That shaped me massively and my dad, having been a professional rugby player, always gave me and my brothers great advice about what it would take to make it in the game.
“That was massive because he’s been in international environments with some of the world’s best players.”
While Jacob is based in Suffolk, Ford’s parents and his elder brother Joe are close to him and his family in Saddleworth.
“My mum and dad live five minutes down the road and Joe is five minutes the other way.”
Brothers Joe and Jacob
Junior coaches
Although Ford was brought up in a rugby league heartland, he was always fascinated by the rival code’s thriving international scene.
Dad Mike was part of England’s coaching staff during the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
“It made me think about what I could potentially go on to achieve by playing rugby union,” he explains.
As a student at Rishworth School, a rugby-union-playing secondary school, Ford took up the 15-a-side code in his early teens and his talent was soon obvious.
“I played league and union for a period of time,” he says. “There were a couple of coaches in my rugby league teams who had a massive impact – Keith Brennan at Waterhead, who used to play with my dad at Oldham, was one. He was an enormous influence because he made us play in a way which we enjoyed.
“At Rishworth, I had a couple of PE teachers in Andy Thomas and Richard Hunwicks – who went on to do great things as a professional strength and conditioning coach. They were incredible in the early days of my development.”
Ford had Wigan Warriors and Bradford Bulls battling for his signature but chose to join union giants Leicester Tigers.
He explains: “I was very close to signing for Bradford, but at the time Leicester were the best team in England and challenging in Europe, so it was a great opportunity to go and learn rugby union from a young age at a top club.
“Andy and Richard at Rishworth were the ones that backed me and made it happen for me though – and I’m so grateful for that. They were incredible.
“They thought outside the box so I could be full-time at Leicester and move there, but also so I could technically still be at the school and doing my work. They set up an individual timetable for me so that I could go into school every now and then from 9-11am, see all my teachers, get all my assignments and then get in a car and go and train in Leicester. And then I’d do all my school work by email when I wasn’t training with the club.”
Geordan Murphy and Ben Youngs
Aged 16, Ford became the youngest player to make his debut for Leicester, and in fact facing elder brother Joe who was then playing for Leeds Carnegie, in an Anglo-Welsh Cup tie at Headingley in November 2009.
Moving away from home and living in Leicester at such a tender age was a challenge but the support of team-mates Ben Youngs and Geordan Murphy was huge.
“Ben was pretty young himself at the time, but he put his arm around me when I joined Leicester Tigers,” recalls Ford.
“He took time out to help me massively and said ‘If there is anything you need at any point, just let me know.’ Geordan Murphy was captain and used to invite me round for dinner and look after me because I’d gone down there on my own as a teenager.
“They both recognised that and were really supportive in helping me to settle in. I’ll be forever grateful for that and of course I went on to also play with Ben for England many times as well. We’re still close now.”
After joining Leicester, Ford enjoyed a rapid rise, representing England at under-18 and under-20 level and quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young players in the game.
In the 2012-13 Premiership final, he helped Leicester to victory over arch-rivals Northampton at Twickenham.
But, after dad Mike took over at Bath, his first move was to sign his son from Leicester.
Happy times at Bath
Under Ford senior, Bath played an expansive brand of rugby that saw his team reach the 2015 Premiership final where they lost to Saracens.
Ford, who made his senior England debut in 2014 against Wales in a Six Nations game, rejoined Leicester in 2017 and helped them to another Gallagher Premiership title in 2022 before a switch to Sale Sharks. He says of his time at The Rec: “There was a group of coaches at Bath who helped me massively during my time there, when I made my England debut.
“We had a young team at Bath and coaches such as Toby Booth and Neal Hatley were fantastic and worked so well to make us tick so I’ll be forever grateful to them.
“My team-mates from that time – Kyle Eastmond, Anthony Watson, Jonathan Joseph – were all in the same backline and were fantastic to play with.
“Those couple of seasons we had under those coaches, including my dad, allowed us as players to go on and play for England.
“We played a brand of rugby that was really exciting and enjoyable.”
Ford is happy and settled at ambitious Sale as they chase a first Gallagher Premiership title, which they have not won since 2006.
The fact it is just a few miles from his family base in Saddleworth helps, of course.
Atdhetare and Alarnia
Ford met his wife Atdhetare locally after she opened Sorella, an Italian restaurant nestled in the heart of Saddleworth, Greater Manchester.
He had already established his coffee shop Kobe with brother Joe at that point and now the two businesses are adjacent to each other.
Ford married Atdhetare in August 2022 before their daughter Alarnia was born last May.
“I always thought playing for England was the biggest thing in my life, but I know different now,” he says. “There’s nothing like being present at the birth of your first-born – and I really do mean ‘nothing’. Rugby is my job and my passion but family is everything.”
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Produced by: Telegraph Media Group
Project manager: Alex Rose, Writer: Ross Heppenstall, Commissioning editor: Jim Bruce-Ball, Sub editor: Neil Queen-Jones, Picture research: Cat Costelloe, Designer: Jonathan Clayton-Jones, Web editor: Caroline Stacey
Picture credits: Getty, Patrick Khachfe & Ryan Hiscott / Onside Images, Shutterstock
There's nothing
like being present
at the birth of your
Ben and Geordan were both really
supportive. I'll be forever grateful
for that. I went on to play with Ben
– schoolboy coach
Ford playing for England Under 20s in 2011 (main image); Geordan Murphy (left) and Ben Youngs (right)
in action at Leicester, where George started his club career in 2009
Family is everything to Ford, pictured here with his daughter Alarnia
Mike Ford at an England training session in Versailles in 2007
Ford with brother Joe (middle) and Mike in 2011 when George had signed for Leicester and Joe with Northampton
Ford in action for Sale Sharks 10 years later
your first-born
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for England and we're still close now
– the team behind
Ben and Geordan were both really
supportive. I'll be forever grateful
for that. I went on to play with Ben
for England and we're still close now
Ben and Geordan were both really
for that. I went on to play with Ben
Ford celebrates a Bath victory with Peter Stringer in 2014 (main image) and playing in action for Sale Sharks 10 years later
Ford celebrates a Bath victory with Peter Stringer in 2014 (main image) and playing in action for Sale Sharks 10 years later
Ford and his father and coach Mike during training at Bath (above) and with brother Joe (middle) and Mike in 2011 when George had signed for Leicester and Joe with Northampton
Ford playing for England Under 20s in 2011 (main image); Geordan Murphy (left) and Ben Youngs (right)
in action at Leicester, where George started his club career in 2009
Mike Ford at an England training session in Versailles in 2007
Watch George Ford on his team behind the shirt
Ford celebrates a Bath victory with Peter Stringer in 2014
Ford and his father and coach Mike during training at Bath
Funding Circle, business finance that backs you
*All info correct as of 1 February 2025
*All info correct as of 1 February 2025