RugbyKO

While winning is important, rugby is a sport that values teamwork and community. Today’s guest is Rod Seib, Queensland Reds Rugby Academy head coach, whose love of the social aspects of rugby has created a life-long commitment to the sport. 

Our conversation revolves around his position coaching for elite rugby players and early in the episode, we ask him what it takes to coach at that high-calibre level. We then talk about how coaching is as much about managing people as it is about understanding the game. Rod discusses how he developed his coaching skills through experience and education before detailing the qualities that he looks for in his players. 

Rod explains the differences between club or grade rugby and the training at Queensland Red Rugby Academy. Apart from emphasising the physical demands, Rod focuses on the need to educate players and making sure they understand the ‘why’ of what they do. We look at how Rod’s coaching performance is measured on the success that players attain after leaving the academy and how Rugby League has affected his player base. Deep into the episode, we pop the question and ask Rod what he would do if he was in charge of Australian rugby. He highlights the importance of increasing participation rates, improving the Wallabies’ performance, and using Sevens and non-contact rugby as a gateway into the sport. 

Rod provides more of his well-developed perspectives on the game and at the end of the episode, he talks about the joys of coaching. Tune in to hear more of Rod’s views on coaching elite rugby. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introducing the highlights of Rod’s rugby and coaching career. 
• How coaching elite rugby is as much about managing people as it is about the game. 
• How Rod’s experience and education have helped make him the coach that he is. 
• What Rod looks for in his players and why picking players is such a struggle. 
• The mental qualities of elite players; their will to bring out the best in themselves.
• Training differences between club or grade level rugby and elite play. 
• Why Rod places such an emphasis on educating players on the ‘why’ behind training. 
• Where Queensland Reds Rugby Academy finds his players — they’re all Queenslanders.  
• How Rod’s success is measured; looking at how players progress after the academy. 
• Why many elite rugby players have historically been produced from the GPS system.
• Why the allure and money of rugby league hasn’t affected Rod’s players. 
• What Rod loves about Union Rugby; the teamwork and the quality of people. 
• How Rod would fix Australian rugby if he were given the steering wheel. 
• Rod’s view on the new rugby rules and why he likes them.
• What the Queensland Reds Rugby Academy is focusing on in the future. 
• The schedule of senior academy players and why having coaching resources is better than having a large budget. 
• The joy that Rod gets from coaching rugby and the increasing focus on women’s rugby.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 

Rod Seib LinkedIn

Queensland Reds Rugby Academy

Queensland Country 

Brother’s Rugby Club

Brisbane City 

Rugby Australia

Josh Flook started playing rugby at 6 years old for the Brothers Rugby Club in Queensland. He continued at the club through to playing colts and then first grade  in 2019 at the age of 17.  He was part of the Brothers Rugby Club squad that took part in the Queensland Premier Rugby grand final that year. 

He played in the first XV for Nudgee college for 2 years, in 2018 and 2019, winning the GPS competition with the team.

Last year he was captain of the Australian U18 team  and also captained the Australian Schoolboys.He received acclaim when named Queensland's U19's Player of the Year in 2019.

Josh has also secured his name in the Junior Wallabies' squad for the Oceania Rugby U20s Championship.

Josh plays at outside centre and has came through the pathways, including the Queensland Reds academy and is a very promising young talent.

I talk to Josh about his training, some wonderful highlights and insights and his career so far in the sport he loves.

From player to coach, Owen Finegan, our guest this week, has lived and breathed rugby from an early age. In this episode, we chat about his career and get his opinions on Australian rugby today. We start by asking Owen about his significant work as the CEO for the Kids’ Cancer Project, which funds childhood cancer research and looks for better ways to treat our kids. We then dive into his career and how he went from working as an electrician to being a professional rugby player. Delving into his career highlights, including being a foundation Brumbies player, Owen talks about the magical experience of playing for the Wallabies in Ireland at the 1999 World Cup finals — an event in which 45 of his Irish cousins were in attendance. We explore his ties with Randwick Rugby, the club that he played for before joining the Brumbies and which he coached from 2017-2018. Owen highlights the importance of junior clubs in building a rugby community and how the Randwick junior program is supported by local businesses. After talking about his role at the Rugby Club Foundation, we ask Owen what he would do if he was in charge of Rugby Australia and about his tenure playing rugby in the UK. Throughout our conversation, Owen points to a need to support grassroots rugby and to focus on the local, tribal side of rugby. Near the end of the episode, Owen gives advice to aspiring players and leaves listeners with a key message; that he sees a passion for rugby everywhere that he looks. While the game is going through an uncertain time, it’s not going anywhere. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• Owen’s role within the Kids’ Cancer Project and how they’ve recently raised funds.
• Owen talks about his rugby career and how he became a foundational Brumbies player.
• What it was like to be a Brumbies player at the time when Rod Mcqueen was the coach.
• The highlights of Owen’s rugby career; from electrician to team captain. 
• The setbacks and medical problems that put Owen on the sideline. 
• Traveling to Ireland and scoring a winning try at the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
• Owen’s early start at Randwick Rugby and his contribution to grassroots rugby. 
• Why junior rugby programs are vital in fostering next-generation rugby.
• How Randwick has grown its women’s rugby program.
• How the Rugby Club Foundation has been developing New South Wales rugby. 
• What Owen would do if he was in charge of Rugby Australia. 
• The challenges facing Australian rugby, particularly at a grassroots level.
• Why, at its essence, rugby is a game about tribalism.
• Why Owen loves Michael Hooper; he wants to play for his country.
• Comparing the current uncertain rugby environment with Owen’s era. 
• Owen’s experience playing northern hemisphere rugby in the UK.
• Why rugby might be thriving more in England than it is in Australia. 
• Hear Owen’s advice for up and coming players; it takes sacrifices.
• How seeing such passion for rugby means that Owen doesn’t worry about the game’s future. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

The Kids’ Cancer Project

Coogee Seahorses

Randwick Rugby

The Rugby Club Foundation

Sydney Junior Rugby Union

NSW Country Rugby Union

Rugby Australia

Leicester Tigers

Wests Scarborough product Brad Lacey is an electric outside back who looks to threaten the opposition every time he gets the ball in his hands. After spending a year away from WA the versatile winger will returned to Perth last year and made a huge impact for the Force. A product of the RugbyWA development pathway, Lacey spent a year with the Queensland Reds and Brisbane City in 2017 before returning to help Wests Scarborough to their second consecutive Premier Grade title that year. Lacey’s speed and strength with ball in hand will be a huge asset to the Force out wide.

Katrina spoke with Brad about rugby in Western Australia right now, the culture and the passionate fan base there, as well as the anticipation of the Force returning to the domestic Super Rugby competition.

Dietrich Roache started playing rugby at the age of 15. He first played league, but following a family outing to the Sydney 7’s, fell in love with the game of 7’s and Rugby Union. 

He attended Patrician Brothers Fairfield and plays for the Western Sydney Two Blues in their colts program. He was named in the Sydney U18’s side, then NSWJRU U18’s squad and in the NSW Rugby 'Gen Blue' program. In December 2019, he was named in the Australian 7s team for the World School 7s Tournament held in New Zealand. He recently signed a two year deal with the Australian Mens 7’s side and is an exciting and promising new talent in the fast paced game of 7’s.

I talk to Dietrich about his pathway, about 7’s rugby and how rugby union has provided a community for him and others in the West of Sydney.

STOP PRESS JULY 2021 - CONGRATULATIONS TO DIETRICH WHO WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE AUSTRALIAN MENS SEVENS RUGBY TEAM FOR THE TOKYO OLYMPICS. 

This weeks guest, Craig Morgan, understands how crucial local engagement is to the future of rugby. After all, a school visit by a rugby club president is what sparked his involvement in the sport at the age of seven. In our discussion, Craig talks about his position as the General Manager of Western Sydney Two Blues, and how his focus has been on strengthening the local community’s connection to rugby. Fully believing in the positive impact of rugby, Craig shares how his club uses rugby to teach leadership skills and to help ‘at-risk’ kids figure out what they want to do in life. After detailing their partnership with Western Sydney University, Craig talks about another of his club’s aims — to develop more inclusive rugby. 

We ask Craig about the successes of Two Blue’s wheelchair title-winning rugby team as well as the women’s group — one of Australia’s strongest teams. We talk about how Craig established the Central Coast Sevens, a major international fixture on the sevens rugby calendar and what led to his leaving the organisation. Craig then compares league and rugby, giving listeners an insider’s perspective on how money can change the game. We round the conversation off by discussing how sevens rugby complements traditional rugby and why the high-energy and quick nature of sevens is critical in engaging kids. At the end of the episode, Craig tells us what he would do if he were at the helm of Rugby Australia. Listen to this episode to hear how Craig and Two Blue’s are creating a stronger base for Australian rugby in Sydney's West.  

Key Points From This Episode:

• Craig gives some context on his club, Western Sydney Two Blues.
• The importance of showcasing junior clubs in engaging kids in rugby.
• What support is necessary for Sydney clubs to feel supported and increase participation. 
• How rugby clubs can approach schools to give kids a positive rugby experience. 
• The links between rugby, leadership, and learning 21st Century Skills.
• How Craig has partnered with Western Sydney University, benefiting students and his club.
• Learn about the Two Blues wheelchair rugby team, 2018 Shute Shield champions.
• How Two Blues is at the forefront of women’s rugby; the fastest growing area in rugby.
• The reach of the Central Coast Sevens, the competition that Craig established. 
• Why Craig left the Central Coast Sevens due to a lack of support.
• The role that sevens rugby can play in complementing traditional rugby.
• Hear about the success of the Two Blues sevens club and how it led to their junior program.
• League versus union rugby and the competition for players. 
• What Craig does to engage kids and keep them from moving to league rugby.
• Why enjoying playing rugby leads to better performance.
• Craig provides specifics on how money incentivises players to join league rugby.
• How Craig would fix Australian rugby if he were at the helm. 
• Hear why being a small club has been an advantage during the epidemic.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Craig Morgan - Craig Morgan on LinkedIn

Western Sydney Two Blues - Western City Two Blues

NSW Rugby - New South Wales Rugby

International Wheelchair Rugby - International Wheelchair Rugby Federation

Tiger Rugby - Tiger Rugby

Central Coast Sevens - Central Coast Sevens on Facebook

Brando Va’aulu started his rugby career at the Sunnybank Rugby Club in Queensland. He went to Brisbane State High school and played juniors, then through to senior rugby at the club, being selected to play for Queensland in 2006. He played 34 times until 2010, then headed to Tokyo where he played until 2014. In 2013 he was selected to play for Samoa, and today he has returned to his grassroots club in Queensland where he devotes much of his time. 

Jack Bowen is 16 years old and began his Rugby career at  Chatswood Junior Rugby Club. He later moved to Mosman and represented Northern Suburbs Juniors where he was involved in the State Championship winning side in 2018. He has twice been selected for Sydney JRU team, and then after being identified as a promising player , became a member of the NSW Gen Blue academy program. He has been selected in the 'train on' Waratahs U18 and U20 training squads. He currently attends St Ignatius College Riverview in Sydney and first represented the First XV in 2019.  

In 2018 Will Harrison became the youngest player to sign a professional contract with the NSW Waratahs and is regarded as one of the game’s most promising young talents. The 19-year-old cut his teeth at Marcellin College in Sydney’s east and Harrison has come through the NSW Rugby pathway system but a bad leg injury hampered his 2017 season. Following an extensive rehabilitation program, he returned to his club side Randwick and went on to captain Australia in the Schoolboys Tri Series against New Zealand and Fiji that same year. He is an all-round athlete, who has also excelled in beach sprinting, winning a state gold medal in the discipline. He is also a member of the Coogee Surf Lifesaving club.

Today’s guest is David Mortimer AO, an eminent businessman and rugby patron with more accolades than we can fit here. In this episode, we talk to David about his contributions to rugby and his views on the state of Australian rugby. David shares the story of how he was approached to become the chairman for Rugby Australia and how his different views on the position prevented him from accepting the position. He explains the key role that a chairman plays in guiding CEOs before detailing the qualities that the upcoming CEO of Rugby Australia will need. We discuss issues related to Rugby Australia’s financial transparency and what their board composition should look like to ensure their success. Reflecting the realities, David emphasizes the fact that rugby fits into the entertainment industry and that Rugby Australia needs to focus on getting eyeballs on screens. David talks about the need to develop rugby at the school level before we ask him about how his leadership strengthened Sydney University rugby and how he helped set up the International Rugby Academy of Australia. At the end of the episode, David provides his views on Australia’s bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup and why this would be a fantastic opportunity for the country. David brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to the conversation — listen to this episode to get his insights on the state of Australian rugby. 

Key Points From This Episode:  

•    David shares how he nearly became the chairman for Rugby Australia.

•    The important roles that CEOs and chairmen play within an organization. 

•    What qualities the new Rugby Australia CEO needs to be successful. 

•    Qualities a constructive board needs to help steer the CEO.

•    David comments on Rugby Australia’s lack of financial transparency.

•    Hear what David would do if he were in charge of Rugby Australia. 

•    How David is trying to get young people to play rugby again. 

•    David provides an overview of how he views the state of Australian rugby.

•    David’s involvement in founding the International Rugby Academy of Australia

•    Why women’s rugby is so important to Australian rugby. 

•    Learn what David did to strengthen and grow Sydney University rugby. 

•    How hosting the 2027 Rugby World Cup will benefit Australian rugby.

•    David’s final advice for Rugby Australia – remember that it’s an entertainment business.

Links from this Episode

Sydney University Football Club - Sydney University Football Club

International Rugby Academy of Australia - International Rugby Academy of Australia

Australian Schoolboys Rugby Foundation - Australian Schoolboys Rugby Foundation