As a Rugby Development Officer in Newcastle, McLaren assisted colleague Matt Bryan in founding the junior arm of the West End Academicals Rugby Club. He worked in schools throughout the region. North-East Rugby Development Manager Matt Carter gave McLaren a glowing recommendation - "There is one school in the patch where 20 different languages are spoken, so diverse is the community. But Tom, with his Aussie accent and dreadlocked hairdo, easily adapted and struck up a rapport with the kids. He was absolutely brilliant and engaged all the different communities."
