Whilst the ARU successfully spent good money to commission Accenture to deliver a strategy document in 2016, they failed miserably to deliver results.
In fact things has since turned for the worst, not just worse. The game audience tanked, the organisation fell intro disarray, the global rankings dropped like a lead balloon.
Whilst COVID also played a role in the games decline, there is a more strategic reason for this. Whilst one could point to the bloated administration, or the high cost of pilfering league players. The latest pilfer cost $1.6 million for Joseph Suaalii.
The big problem is the lack of teaching players on how to pilfer the pill – i.e. coach development.
First case: the Brumbies. Everybody knows that the Brumbies are one of the best “club-level” teams on the planet.
Just about everyone knows it’s because of its foundations on the breakdown and set piece. Just about everyone also knows it’s because of “the Lord” Laurie Fisher.
Everyone in the team, all of its alumni, are world class in the scrum and more importantly, loose scrums: breakdowns and mauls.
(Photo by Ian Jacobs/MB Media/Getty Images)
It begs the question, where is the Laurie Fisher school of forwards coaching? Things like this, are the reason Rugby is a failure in Australia. The coaches are the high-priests of the game. Not just matches, or tournaments. The lack of competitive coaches is our issue, at all levels.
The second case: the National Coaching Scheme wonderfully lead by Dick Marks, created in the 1974. It was applied for all levels of coaching. They collected, localised, developed, and spread the best intellectual property across the nation.
It was credited to be the reason for Australian Rugby’s ascendance to the top; not just the top of the world. More importantly, it was atop of Australian winter sports, especially New South Wales and Queensland.
Our rugby started to crash the moment ARU took grassroots coaching for granted and stupidly parked the function under the Wallabies coach, ostensibly part of its pathway strategy.
Australian rugby has since crumbled and never recovered.
In 2017, Rod Kafer was asked and tasked to revive coaching competency as head of national coaching advisory panel, but was immediately embroiled in elite rugby machinations. He quit not long after.
After baulking at the idea of partnering with the Kiwis, we now have an coaching NGO called the International Rugby Academy of Australia known as IRAA with 21 year-old IRANZ (International Rugby Academy of New Zealand).
The sponsor is Investec, a South African firm.
The South Africans something similar in 2009, called the Investec International Rugby Academy with limited cooperation with New Zealand. They generally had limited success, until the advent of Rassie Erasmus. I am not sure what academy programmes he attended.
But these are not dedicated coaching programmes. Also, they are focused on pathways. They are also not under the direction of the Rugby administration.
It means they have to pay extra to capture the intellectual property (IP).
There are also great initiatives as highlighted by Geoff Parkes attended by coaches of all levels. But they are sporadic and not organised to propagate high-quality coaching at all levels.
What Australian rugby needs is to dedicate a programme for coaches; and only for coaches. It should be for all levels of the game, and beyond pathways. It needs to be led by someone responsible for the outcomes.
Australia needs pervasive high-quality coaches at the school level and club level. It should not only be at elite schools and elite clubs. It should be all schools and all clubs.
The key should be to win over the communities to play the game at whatever level they can compete on. They will attract the best possible talent with the best possible qualities. Then the match and tournament winning starts.
RobC
Roar Guru
coops are always a good thing, esp in a place like Australia
DaniE
Roar Guru
Always. And in fact at this second working on a coaching cooperative plan. So much joy.
RobC
Roar Guru
hi DaniE!!! Thanks for your thoughts on this. Sorry delayed, just saw your comment when browsing my articles, as a prelude to my next one. . Congrats on your new coaching journey. Your experience from your Rugby coaching days are rubbing off on hockey Im sure . Institutional change is very tricky, its very difficult, and takes a long time: - One jigsaw puzzle at a time. - Your impact on the players, will be life changing imo - For you I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Muglair
Roar Rookie
How sad is that :crying: I hope we can see a tangible plan around Brad Thorn's next involvement.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Agree. If it does happen, it's more likely to be by accident.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
We won't learn from history either Sheek. It was OK to buy some NRL players in 2002 because we needed to add a few pieces to a solid playing foundation which was starting to shrink. We also had the cash to afford it. There is a dark force telling us that buying NRL players is a good thing 20 years later because it worked before. JON's problem is that there was no plan to deal with runaway success or financial resources before they arrived. Both were squandered because he did not know what to do. Although there is no plan on the public record, it seems that RA thinks that runaway success and financial resources will flow from 2027 RWC. Hamish also seem to think that he can create the #1 team in the world, just like JON, even though he has not inherited a system that produced a crop of players good enough to build the #1 team. The only thing in common with JON is that he has no idea what to do if runaway success and financial resources materialise. Repay debt, splash the money on elite player contracts and lock the rest up so it won't be wasted. Sadly that means it cannot be invested in the game either. The 2023 womens football world cup might kill the goose before it lays an egg. A real business person and entrepreneur would understand the need to invest in the game now to underwrite success in 2027, and then invest again in the game after 2027. INstead we are stuck with a pretty ordinary marketing guy.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Sorry for the delayed response. I agree that for most it is up or out, just like any other human endeavour. Some will stay of course, for their own personal reasons and satisfaction. Although writing that, makes me think twice. Sometimes there are affiliations and passions which make that happen, but generally why go from a 24/7 grind of SR coaching with handsome remuneration, to the 24/7 of a SS coach for a fraction of the dough? Most will stay in the game in some form, and most would be happy to give back, probably in a structured development program for coaches. In fact, having written that, the problem is that the game is not proactive in making sure there is another stage in the pathway once a coach has reached their peak. The issue remains, there is no pathway and development to ensure that each coach reaches the level of their potential. Much the same can be said of players.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
It is pretty easy to balance the books if you get your hands on enough money to do all the spending you want.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Clearly that fits into one of those descriptions of player positions that periodically do the rounds. It said that hookers routinely fancy their chances with women out of their reach.
DaniE
Roar Guru
Love this article Rob, a fantastic look at what I feel is the foundation of sport. Your comment on guilds is spot on. As a grassroots coach in another game, I struggle with seeing how our community of coaches is shrinking - people don't have the time to invest and the energy to deal with strain of systemic and cultural issues of teams, clubs and competitions. I am trying to facilitate a coaching cooperative in our club as a means of sharing resources, working through issues and building development but the primary fact is we don't have the volunteers and thus the time and I don't have the energy or time either! I try to visualise how financial investment could help, and the only thing I see is to have paid club coordinators who can spend the hours to facilitate, debrief, cajole, inspire and deal with the uglies of admin. A small idealistic dream not founded on reality. Nice to imagine at 3 in the morning anyway!
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Excellent essay RobC and relevant. Congratulations mate.
RobC
Roar Guru
And women!
Tim J
Roar Rookie
:thumbup:
Machooka
Roar Guru
Three Pines v Three dollar gourmet sauce… hmm, Three Pines wins. A manly win thingy! :silly:
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
It is amazing isn’t it Rob, how so many of us here from a multitude of rugby directions have reached a similar conclusion. That is one of the criteria for relevant truth in my book. Resource priority and political will look to me to be the next necessary steps. For the cost of one schoolboy sensation we could lift our coaching hopes. If we had 15 of such salaries we might create a superlative coaching system across the country.
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
Apologies for the short response. Your writing was deserving of more. Terrific to be reminded of where we once were, and we should aspire to return. I wonder what sort of engagement will be dragged together when discussions about how best to spend our windfall. Hopefully, you are on the guest list.
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks for reading oz. And agreeing!
RobC
Roar Guru
cheers, thanks Ken. I hope this topic of coaches at all levels, as articulated by everyone here, becomes the highest priority in the country.
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks man!
RobC
Roar Guru
thanks sheek. coming from you, means a lot to me :happy: