Otago Rugby Union eNewsletter

Editorial

Welcome back Otago supporters!!! It's been a while but we are excited to be back sharing rugby news from around the province.

We are all baring the brunt of COVID-19, it's fair to say that it's exhausting how often this intruder inserts itself into our daily lives and how it impacts our ability to get out there and enjoy what we all love… RUGBY!!! We really want to thank our supporters, players, sponsors, volunteers and officials throughout the province for hanging in there with us. While we know COVID may be raring it's ugly head for sometime to come we feel really optimistic that rugby won't be far off returning to a far more normal uninterrupted state.

As many of you will know, Super Rugby Aupiki has begun and we couldn't be more proud of our Otago Spirit girls that have well and truly earned their spots on the field. Congratulations to Greer Muir, Julia Gorinski & Kilisitina Vea (Matatu) Maia Joseph (Chiefs Manawa) & Teilah Ferguson (Hurricanes Poua).

There is plenty going on so check out the articles below for more information on Country Club Competition Updates, Junior Metro Rugby Registration dates & info, Metro Small Blacks & Rugby Smart registration & course dates, Community Rugby updates and our first Coaches Blog of the year by Otago Rugby development guru Aaron Callaghan.

We are super excited to be gearing up for the 2022 rugby season and have created a little tool box to help get you started. Check out our links below for all things Community Rugby!

TOOLS FOR YOUR 2022 RUGBY SEASON

Want to see the latest Community Rugby Updates
Or looking for those Forms and Documents
Check out all you need to know for Junior Rugby
What about brushing up on Laws & Education
And to find your nearest club and contacts head to our Club Directory

Where Do I Start My Season Planning?

How exciting, another club season is just around the corner!

For some coaches this is a dream come true, summer has been far too long, bring on rugby season. For others it might be the case that no one else was going to coach so you’ve put the hand up.

The great thing I’ve experienced is that no matter how coaches come into the role, once there, everyone wants to do their best for the players.

So where do we start when it comes to planning the season…

Step 1 should always be some simple self-reflection; a small investment of time up front will add 10x to your season guaranteed.

Here are a couple of key questions to get you started.

Why do I coach?
What principles will guide how I coach?
What values do I want to bring to my coaching?

To get the creative juices flowing you could think about coaches, teaches, parents or mentors that inspired you… What were the traits that you found appealing? This will often give insights into some of the things you really value.

Another technique you might want to play around with if you’ve got a bit of a mental block is, imagine you’re attending your own funeral and one of your ex-players has been asked to speak, what would you like them to say about you as a person and coach? No pressure.

Once you’ve got some clarity around these questions the next step is to think about, what are the behaviours that make these words come alive?

If I was to watch one of your sessions, I should be able to get a pretty good sense of what your values are by your actions.

If you say you want to be known as a coach that is calm and cares, but I see you yelling at your players the whole session, I may challenge your coaching values. Not that they’re right or wrong, but the fact that there’s no alignment, so you either need to change your words or your behaviours.

I know, I know, talking tactics, techniques and drills is the fun stuff we love. This might not be as sexy, but when things aren’t going as well as what you’d like this time invested will serve as a blueprint or framework to process information and get back on track.

As the coach you play a massive part in setting the team culture. Understanding yourself is an important first step that is often missed.

Let me know your thoughts or any questions at aaron.callaghan@orfu.co.nz

Keep up the great work,

Azza

How To Register

Step 1: Complete an online coaching form

Step 2: Upload your My Vaccine Pass

Step 3: Select a course to attend on your registration form (when dates become available)

Step 4: For Rugby Smart coaches only, your registration includes an online learning quiz (Allow 10 - 15mins).

Step 5: Attend a workshop from the dates in the calendar below

**Course dates may change due to Covid-19 situation**

Please also visit our Coaching page on our website for more information

Any questions email: aaron.callghan@orfu.co.nz

New Zealand Rugby's 2022 community rugby volunteer recruitment campaign "Reffing Rewards" focusses primarily on referee recruitment but also with a secondary focus on coaches and volunteers.

This campaign aligns with the “Big Little Moments” theme that carries through all NZRs Community Rugby campaigns, and has a goal of getting new referees, coaches, and managers to register for the 2022 season, and encouraging people to ‘put their hand up’ to support their club or school. This ‘Rewards’ campaign celebrates the contribution of referee’s/coaches/volunteers by showing how rewarding it is both for the individual, and for the community.

To find out more click here: https://bit.ly/3wbAkY6