Last weekend’s third annual Youth Rugby Coaches Forum at Nudgee College sent a crystal clear message nationally. Rugby maintains a heavy pulse in Queensland and Australia and the thirst for knowledge among coaches remains as strong as ever.
Held for the first time in 2022, this year’s Forum headlined the likes of Australian coaching legend Laurie Fisher, Junior Wallabies Head Coach Nathan Grey, Queensland Reds Super Rugby Pacific Head Coach Les Kiss and his entire senior coaching team (Brad Davis , Jonathan Fisher, Zane Hilton and Dale Roberson).
Hosted by former Reds back Morgan Turinui, Wallaby No. 782, the sold-out Forum welcomed nearly 300 coaches from schools and clubs nationwide, as well as international visitors from New Zealand, the United States, England and even Sweden.
Founder of the Youth Rugby Coaches Forum and Director of Rugby at Nudgee College, Sean Graham, first planned the event in response to some of the participation challenges he observed at student level.
“I was seeing a decline in the number of players in school competitions,” he explained to the QRU Media unit.
Explaining why he identified coach development as a key way to address this, Graham said: “I’m a big believer in a quality player experience to ensure they turn up next year and the manager has a big responsibility in that.
“Trying to serve the wider Rugby community, not just within the gates of Nudgee College, was the intention and consideration of a wider responsibility for the game. We are fortunate to have the ability to run an event on this scale from our perspective facilities and excellent staff.”
The rest is history. With the support of QRU Apparel Partner Canterbury, main forum partner, tickets sold out again in 2024.
Graham acknowledged the involvement of the Queensland Reds and the QRU since its inception, with the entire Super Rugby Pacific coaching staff taking to the grass last Saturday to demonstrate their approach to the game in front of an eager crowd.
“The QRU has been a huge supporter of the forum from the start. for example, we’ve always had Reds Academy players every year to run the on-pitch drills for our coaches,” explains Graham.
“(Reds utility return) James O’Connor spoke at all three forums, and this year there was a significant movement at the forum regarding the participation of the new Reds coaching staff.
“Having James and Zane Hilton on the panel on Friday night was another highlight as they gave such great insight into the direction of the Super Rugby program heading into 2024, and there is real excitement in the Queensland Rugby community about the direction of the Reds.”
Reds head coach Les Kiss was impressed by the size, scale and caliber of the competition.
“Credit to Sean and his team at Nudgee College and all the presenters and attendees who gave up the weekend to enhance their coaching experience,” Kiss said. “This was my first engagement with the Forum and I couldn’t speak more highly of what I saw and was lucky enough to be a part of.
“We are certainly proud at the Reds to support the continued development of the game in Queensland – and for the coaches who made the effort to travel from home or abroad – and to play a small part in such an outstanding event was a privilege.
Reflecting on the success of the forum, Graham challenged fellow coaches to take the next step, stating: “The challenge now for us as coaches is to actively apply new ideas to our own coaching practice, challenge the status quo and embrace innovation ».