Changing the Culture of a Super Rugby Team

[Ali's Choice]

We have a lot of Vodacom curtain raisors for S15 matches. Thought you lot have Academies or club matches in stead, schoolboy?

Not so much for night games, which dominate the NZ and Australian S15 schedule.

 

[qwerty51]

I want to see u20s curtain raise every game, like the Toyota Cup in league

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Anything please. I'll rock up early to watch it as well.

 

[I like to watch]

We have a lot of Vodacom curtain raisors for S15 matches. Thought you lot have Academies or club matches in stead, schoolboy?

How long is the gap between the games Paarl?
We are told that it is a tournament requirement that the oval must be vacant for 90 minutes prior to kick off, to enable warm up etc

 

[blues recovery]

Always a curtain raiser at AAMi Park. Tomorrow Vic State Team vs Vikings from canberra. Then a womens 7s match before the team warm ups . Then Walla rugby for the kids at half time. Something for everybody!

 

[PaarlBok]

How long is the gap between the games Paarl?
We are told that it is a tournament requirement that the oval must be vacant for 90 minutes prior to kick off, to enable warm up etc

Yep saw they allowed a time lap, never knew that was the reason. Last saturday on Newlands
16h20 - DHL Western Province v Sharks XV at DHL Newlands, Cape Town for a 19h10 S15 kick off between the Sharks and Stormers. Not sure about the 90 minutes, maybe 45 or 30 minutes. We do have the cheerleaders here wo entertain us during this space. Something your farts dont allow for some reason. They make up for much better viewing then the Tah man.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

The Saffer cheerleaders are absolute quality I reckon.

 

[Nusadan]

If there's going to be a significant time gap between, if that ever happens, a curtain raiser and the main event at the SFS or Suncorp, there'll be time to sneak out for a few tasty lagers as well as the ubiquitous snags at the nearby pubs ... it makes for a great outing and more will attend matches then!

 

[Bullrush]

The Blues have overall had a very good culture. They still boast several title winning players and are of course the equal 2nd most successful team in Super 12/14/15 Rugby history. Whilst they've had some lean, underachieving years, I don't think the Blues have ever been accused of having a bad culture. Certainly not to the same degree as the Canes or Brumbies anyway.

EDIT: And as you say, Lam is in his 3rd season. Canes fans turned on Hammett after their round one loss to the Highlanders, and I doubt Brumbies fans will accept three seasons of underachievement under White.

Maybe outside Auckland it may have seemed that way but the fans remember the days of David Nucifora, Jed Rowlands and Peter Sloan. Nucifora in particular, seemed unable to connect with the large PI player base in Auckland and know how to motivate certain players. You may remember that Ali Williams played a season with the Crusaders and the rumours were around his inability to get along with the coaches.

Pat Lam's work, first with the NPC side and now the Blues, has not been easy dare I say. Injuries in his first 2 terms certainly didn't help and he ended up having to lose Shane Howarth as a result of those seasons so it hasn't been all plain sailing.

 

[Ruggo]

Link's appointment also coincided with a board level clearout with men that he has personal trust and relationships with (as I understand it). A lot of what he's been able to do has been facilitated by this

The other important factor was that Link was smart enough to adapt to what he inherited, hence the Reds fassed passed running game last year. This year has seen more of a tradition Link style in how they pay. If he had of discarded Mooney's work straight away, we may well have seen a far different outcome.

 

[Ruggo]

The other to impress me this year is the Clan. I don't know a lot about Jamie Joseph but he seems a good oporater.

 

[Ali's Choice]

The other to impress me this year is the Clan. I don't know a lot about Jamie Joseph but he seems a good oporater.

I think much of the Highlanders success has been built off the back of a ressurgent Southland team, who recently enjoyed nearly a full season as NZ's Ranfurly Shield holders. During this period Southland played with the same passion, pride and and self belief that we are now seeing at the Highlanders. Their Ranfurly Shield success was built around tough, uncomprimising forward play, and out hussling teams at the breakdown. It's no surprise that a Highlanders pack built around MacIntosh, King, Bekhius, Rutledge, and complemented by Hoeata, Thomson and co have been able to match it with thes best teams in SANZAR.

 

[Scarfman]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned Link's turnaround of the Waratahs. He took a soft over-privielegd team on a tour of Argentina, and hardened them up considerably. He then seemed to reach his limits as a coach in finding a game style that minimised risks but didn't score enough points. Maybe he has developed in the last year or two.

The Waratah team culture still seems pretty good to me, although you don't like to see wingers giving their locks a blast, do you?

 

[Richo]

The Waratah team culture still seems pretty good to me, although you don't like to see wingers giving their locks a blast, do you?

I disagree, Scarfy. The lack of leadership when Waugh is out, the disappearance of key players when the pressure is on and the steady dribble of leaks about disharmony (although Grumbles must be taken with a bucket of salt, of course) all point to a problematic team culture at the player level. But I think Ali is right: it starts with the board and management and extends right through departments like marketing and membership.

Obviously anecdotal evidence, but recently a friend wanted to sign up as a member for the remainder of the season (5 home games, I think, at the time). He called multiple times, left messages and emailed. Nothing. I've also had problems with my membership for which I've called and left messages without ever receiving a call back. And don't get me started on the shithouse mouse pad that was the member "gift" this year.

If you look at the most successful sporting franchises in rugby as well as other sports, there is usually excellence across the organisation, not just on the field. Or, think about a business like Apple. The iPhone could have been the niftiest piece of technology imaginable, but without the slick marketing and Jobs' leadership it would not have made anywhere near the impact is has, either commercially or culturally.

 

[PaarlBok]

SA, NZ & Aus still have the same rugby culture since 100 years ago. Dont want to see SA changing their culture. Our game has always been hard and physical and our franchise give the ingredients of this. This conferense system proved it, SA teams dont get bonus points that much and the Kiwis give them away like father XMast. It gave a screwed total log.

 

[qwerty51]

SA, NZ & Aus still have the same rugby culture since 100 years ago. Dont want to see SA changing their culture. Our game has always been hard and physical and our franchise give the ingredients of this. This conferense system proved it, SA teams dont get bonus points that much and the Kiwis give them away like father XMast. It gave a screwed total log.

Well that's not true at all.

Go look at the Cheetahs and Lions home games and see how many points are racked up. Same with the Bulls.

NZ games are usually very closely fought and low scoring. Kept in the forwards channel most of the time due to the weather. The Blues/Canes Blues/Highlanders in recent weeks have all been this.

 

[Crow]

At the start of the season, I entertained thoughts of Hammett enforcing a rapid change and the Canes. Given their depth of talent, surely they could achieve much.
Nope, they have failed once again and taken my season tips down with them. Watching the Red's game, I think that the senior players should bear some (most?) of the blame here. In Nonu's absence they've been playing better.

Having said that, Canes players have down well with the AB. I'm not sure if the player attitude is different when playing in black, or there's a better team culture.

 

[Gnostic]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned Link's turnaround of the Waratahs. He took a soft over-privielegd team on a tour of Argentina, and hardened them up considerably. He then seemed to reach his limits as a coach in finding a game style that minimised risks but didn't score enough points. Maybe he has developed in the last year or two.

The Waratah team culture still seems pretty good to me, although you don't like to see wingers giving their locks a blast, do you?

Because Scarfie as I said in my thread nothing really changed at the Tahs when Link took over. They have the best playing roster and depth of any squad in Oz but have consistantly failed at some point in each season often quite spectacularly. I look at the Tahs, from an outsiders perspective (who is obviousky unqualified to have an opinion (thank you Mr Burke)) and see as I said an un-coachable group secure in the knowledge that they will be selected regardless of application etc. Case in point who was dropped (barring injuries) from the team that took the field against the Cheetahs? Do not be surprised that these secure players perform to their KPIs and not to exceed them, indeed even when injured they can still outperform in the coaches eyes.

The comment about the Wingers giving the Locks a blast is an indicator that there are deep rifts in the squad IMO and these things come out under pressure.

 

[RedsHappy]

In the light of Mark Hammett's appointment this season at the Canes, and Jake White's appointment at the Brumbies, it has become increasingly clear that these men were appointed at least partly to change the culture of the Hurricanes and Brumbies respectively. Both Hammett and White were coaches from outside the region and were seen to come from teams with strong, successful cultures. Both the Hurricanes and the Brumbies have at various times being heavily criticised for having poor team 'cultures'.
But what are the factors that contribute to a team's culture, and how can a new coach change the established culture of a team?
....

AC: I was travelling when you published this thread, and related posts. IMO, it was/is without doubt one of the best constructed and most analytically useful threads I have ever seen on any rugby board, partly as it gets to the heart of leadership calibre in the code, and such is really (IMO) the topic that matters most, in terms of strategic code viability and the production of what the code is really capable of at its best, play-wise, fan-wise and in terms of commercial success over time. Thanks very much for your astute and thought-provoking work, really hope to see more of it.

 

[Rob42]

Because Scarfie as I said in my thread nothing really changed at the Tahs when Link took over...

Don't forget before Link came along the Tahs hadn't beaten Qld for years, and I think had never beaten ACT in Canberra, despite often beating these teams in final table positions. That was a definite weakness that Link dealt with.

From an outsider's perspective, it has to be the board-level management of the Tahs that is their failing - look at the way the same problems keep floating up to the surface each year regardless of playing roster or coach. Equally, there's no excuse for poor administration of memberships, etc - again, points to weakness at the top.