Fog clearing for N.Z. rugby coach

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34151, 12 May 1976, Page 42

Fog clearing for N.Z. rugby coach

Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. Bill Freeman’s eyes burn with a missionary zeal when he talks of rugby coaching. After his first six weeks as rugby’s national director of coaching, he realises there is a long way to go. “The fog’s clearing,” he said in an interview yesterday. “and the priorities are sorting themselves out.” Now the work starts in setting up a coaching network which will keep rugby at the top in New Zealand sport. “Rugby’s a product,” he said. “Coaches are the salesmen. It’s going to be my job to make sure we have the be-t salesmen available. “It doesn’t matter how

|good the product is, if it is not attractively packaged, people won’t buy. “It’s my job to make sure that our coaches can package and sell rugby to the best of their ability.” Armed with a register of coaches throughout the country. Mr Freeman will be rugby’s “Mr Fixit” when coaching problems occur. “I’m not going to be a dictator, I’m the backup man. “If any coach anywhere needs help, then I can give him the box of tricks and let him make the choice." The box of trie’ • will include everv imaginable aid to rugby coaching, whether visual or practical. A lot of the former bookseller’s time will be spent in producing tape slides, posters, and coaching manuals. in organising coaching schools and seminars; and

attending them and giving practical assistance. “Roughly, my time is going to be 80 per cent administration, 20 per cent coaching." The time is not really bound by office hours. Yesterday, for instance, he flew to Nelson, where he met primary school coaches between 10 a.m. and 12 noon. Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. he was with the secondary schools coaches, and between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. it was the turn of the senior coaches After, 6.30 p.m., until his plane left to return to Wellington. he watched night seven-a-side rugby. After spending today' back in Wellington, he is off to Christchurch for a rugby week coaching session with Ivan Vodanovich. and thep to Timaru and Otago, returning home early next week.

, His trip south coincides {with the national council {meeting in Timaru on Fri|day, the day before the touring Irish side meets South Canterbury'. “This week's heavy, sure,” he said. “Generally, however, my job is going to be not so much coaching myself, but organising the proper level of coaches where required.” There will be some research done on the question of certificating coaches at the various areas. The new rugby coaching scheme is not going to stop at rugby coaching as it is known. “There are a great many people with particular expertise in various, sports where a lot of their expertise is applicable to rugby.

“We will be contacting these people, such as athletes, weightlifters, dieticians, to boost our own knowledge.” Maintaining a full time coaching office is going to cost rugby money, but care must be taken to equate progress with reasonable cost. “It mustn’t be felt that money will solve a", real, or imaginary problems You could race here, race there, spend here, spend there. What really counts is efficiency, and the efficiency of our work here will be what counts for the ■ coaches concerned.” In six weeks, Mr Freeman {has the coaching machine rolling. But he cheerfully admits it will take months of organisation to get everything moving at top speed.