The National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of cricket, rugby union, swimming, cycling and rowing have become the first to secure UK Coaching Certificate (UKCC) endorsement for coach education.

The UKCC was developed to create a UK-wide standard, on the back of the Coaching Task Force report, which recommended that a more robust national framework was needed.

Thirty one NGBs were chosen as the first wave of sports to develop UKCC programmes, with five set as fast-track schemes, working in partnership with sports coach UK.

The process has entailed the realignment of qualifications in each sport to tie in more closely with the general principles and requirements of the UKCC.

Gordon Lord, coach education manager of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), said: “The balancing of our traditional technically-based ‘what to coach’ content, with the UKCC’s emphasis on ‘how to coach’ skills, has positively affected the way cricket is coached across the UK.”

Helen Davey, executive director of UKCC at sports coach UK said: “The benefits will be numerous. Not only will coaching qualifications be at the cutting edge, but it will be easier to source coaches.

“Coaching will be professionalised through the creation of national standards UK-wide.”