Changing the Culture of a Super Rugby Team

[Ali's Choice]

I don't know enough about the Waratahs off-field culture to make comment, but from some of the things other posters are saying clearly things aren't perfect. However the Tahs also have some on-field cultural issues which perhaps inhibit their performances?

On the surface, the Tahs should be one of the highest achieving teams in SANZAR. They have an amazing catchment from which to draw upon. A player catchment which consistently produces test class players. Despite some financial difficulties a few years ago the Tahs seemingly now have all the resources in the world with which to help their players attain excellence. And they generally have one of the best squads in Super Rugby. Yet regardless of who they have in their team, or who is coaching the team, there seems to be an overriding Waratahs 'style' of play which transcends personnel. A rather negative, conservative, some mights say boring style of rugby which fails to maximise the potential of the players involved and earns them derision from Rugby supporters across SANZAR.

 

[Rob42]

Preaching to the choir there Ali. But as pointed out previously, no-one holds the board and senior management to account - other than the fans.

 

[TOCC]

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.

i remember reading a tweet conversation between Adam Freir and Ewen Mckenzie, i think it was Link who was joking about going into federal politics, and Adam Freier tweeted him saying he has all the experience in the world having worked at the NSWRU.

 

[Rob42]

The management of the Tahs has recently been split from the NSWRU, which to me seemed like a good way to allow the Tahs to focus on performing in the S15 competition, and allow the NSWRU to focus on running all the other rugby, and not blurring the two.

Does anyone think this will work out that way, or just more re-arranging of deck chairs?

 

[Gnostic]

The management of the Tahs has recently been split from the NSWRU, which to me seemed like a good way to allow the Tahs to focus on performing in the S15 competition, and allow the NSWRU to focus on running all the other rugby, and not blurring the two.

Does anyone think this will work out that way, or just more re-arranging of deck chairs?

To really check and see if it will make any difference is it a real separation of the entities or just a "business" decision to create a new entity with the same board (or largely the same) as the NSWRU.

I do know if you read my thread on the Tahs, but basically in a nutshell I suggested that the Culture from the board level down impedes any real meaningful change at the team no matter who the playing roster is or who is coaching. The parallels with this thread are very close.