He is the father of 3 children. Irish rugby union international Rhys Ruddock, Ciaran Ruddock and Katie Ruddock.[citation needed]
Playing career
Ruddock was born in Blaina, and played in the back row for his local team, Blaina. He also played for Tredegar and Swansea, making 119 appearances for Swansea and scoring 43 tries.
He also played for Wales under-16s and Wales B, but his playing days were ended prematurely by an accident at work in 1985. Working as an electricity linesman, he fell from a pole, suffering serious injuries including three compressed vertebrae and a fractured skull.[2]
Coaching career
Club rugby
He began his career as a coach at Blaina and guided them to a Monmouthshire Premier League title & a Ben Francis Cup victory, he later coached Cross Keys and had a spell in Ireland with Bective Rangers. As coach of Swansea, he recorded a 21–6 win over the touring Australians in 1992 and won Welsh league titles in 1992 and 1994 and the Welsh Cup in 1995.[2] In 1997, he again moved to Ireland as director of coaching at Leinster.
On 14 February 2006, Ruddock resigned as coach of the Wales national team when contract negotiations with the WRU broke down.
Post Welsh national coach
Ruddock temporarily left rugby following his departure from the Wales team, but soon returned to the game as an assistant coach of Mumbles RFC winning the Division 3 South West title, also taking charge of a World XV and coaching the forwards of a Barbarians select team on a tour of England & South Africa. During his coaching career Ruddock won the Welsh Coach of the Year in 1992 and 2005.
2007–2010: Worcester
Ruddock's return to the mainstream was announced on 1 May 2007, when, two days after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Guinness Premiership, Worcester Warriors appointed Ruddock as Director of Rugby, replacing John Brain. Ruddock subsequently led Worcester to the Amlin Challenge Cup Final as well as to the Middlesex 7's final at Twickenham. Following the Warriors 12–10 defeat to Leeds Carnegie on 25 April 2010, the Worcester were relegated from the Guinness Premiership, and Mike Ruddock subsequently resigned from his post as Director of Rugby on 28 April.[citation needed]