Two years of coaching at St. Bede's College

Here is a summary of what I learned about coaching during my stay in New Zealand.

1) Practices in New Zealand tend to be divided into relatively short segments that allow them to maintain an effective tempo and rhythm. Sessions are about 90 minutes long and players tend to be focussed throughout, preparing by themselves before the session starts. Each component part of a practice does not tend to be long (one activity normally not being any longer than two 7-minute spells with a break in between). The objective is made clear before the activity starts and the potential good, and not so good, elements are explained. While the activity is flowing the coach(es) will provide short comments or advice or encourage the players to give each other feedback. Negative comments are avoided, so constructive feedback is the norm. The players concentrate on the task and do not seem to be just going through the motions because they have to.

2) At the beginning and end of the practice, or when things don’t seem to be going well, the coach will get the players in - not to tell them what’s wrong or to give advice - but instead to ask them questions to make them think. The players respond by proactively giving their thoughts on the issues the coach has raised.

3) In order to ensure that a shared understanding is achieved between coaches and players, practices in a season are organised with a staged progression. A process is set so within practices the players are given a chance to challenge themselves against heightened expectations. Within this process, the head coach liaises closely with the forward and backs coaches, making everyone’s roles as clear as possible.

4) Most coaches seem to know the recommended methods of coaching the basics of run/catch/pass and the tackle, and the key points to highlight in the process.

5) Coaches in New Zealand seem to understand who is at the heart of the rugby-equation (ie. the players) and coach the team with that in mind. At the base of coaching in New Zealand is the self-reflective approach in which a coach asks him or herself were the players engaged in the session, did they seem to enjoy it, and did they seem to improve during the session.

6) There are games every week in New Zealand and at junior level the coaches do their utmost to be fair in apportioning game time. Grades from U18 down require coaches to give at least a half-game to each player. When there is a run of away-matches or a particularly demanding schedule, the coaches will include fun activities in the practice content to allow the players to refresh mentally. Because of this the players are able to switch smoothly between the performance zone and the zone in which they can relax and refresh.

7) Rugby is able to be enjoyed at all levels with the players knowing that for them to enjoy the game, they need to equip themselves with the prerequisite individual and team skills.

Summary

While the nature of Japanese rugby coaching and practices has been gradually changing since the 2015 Rugby World Cup the seven characteristics mentioned above that I noticed in New Zealand rugby are yet to become widespread in Japan.

In Japan, in most cases players will start playing rugby when they are 15 years old and in some towns and cities there will be only one team. Some schools will be operating their rugby club with fewer than 15 players (they combine with similar groups to create composite teams for tournaments) and others may have between 50 and 100 players but hardly play any official games in the course of a year. Games are not played every week, but in knock-out tournaments, so teams tend to play a win-at-all-cost style in which they try to minimise risk by not moving the ball much at all.

In Japan rugby reflects Japanese society and its education system. Change is slowing occurring in the corporate world, but by and large it is still a “top-down” model. Classes in schools are switching to a more interactive style of learning, but there is still no regular forum in which students can ask questions or give their opinions. The emphasis is on avoiding mistakes rather than “having a go” and, as a result, while mistakes are minimized there is little variation in approach. Templates or manuals for behaviour tend to be the preferred approach.

So rather than being “teams” as such in the true sense of the word, they are “organisations”. A sporting culture is yet to develop in which continuing to play beyond ones student days is a normal thing to do.

The success of the 2019 World Cup is of course significant, but I think that for the sport to really take off in Japan a greater understanding of the essence of rugby, more progressive thinking around coaching and the acquisition of basic skills needs to occur. When this is achieved I think Japanese children will come to understand the enjoyment to be had from rugby and to recognise the important values the sport espouses.

私がNZラグビーのコーチングについて感じたことをまとめたいと思います。

1) NZの練習はリズムとテンポを大切に短く区切って行われる。全体でも90分と集中して行い選手もそれぞれ練習前に十分な準備をして臨んでいます。ひとつの練習に長い時間を割かない(最大で7分2セットくらい)。やる目的を明確に、よいプレイとやってはいけないプレイを見せる。練習の中でコーチが短い言葉でアドバイスするか選手間でフィードバックさせる。否定的な言葉は発せられず、前向きな言葉掛けが多い。集中してやるため選手にやらされている感じはない。

2)練習の始めと終わり、また練習が上手くいっていない時に選手を集めコーチが答えやアドバイスをするのではなく、気づかせ考えさせる問いかけをする。また選手も積極的に質問に対する自分の考えを言う。

3)選手が理解しチーム内の共通理解を図るために段階を追って練習を組み立てる。
練習の中で選手達に体験、挑戦する機会を与えるプロセスを設定する。
HCがFW、BKコーチと連携をとり役割を明確にして練習を組み立てている。

4)パスやタックルの基本プレイを習得する際に決まったやり方や共通のアドバイスの仕方をほとんどのコーチが知っている。

5)コーチはラグビーが本来誰のものかを理解しコーチングをしている。コーチングの根底には、選手が集中して楽しめたか練習の過程で成長出来たかを基準に練習を組み立てている。

6)毎週末試合がありコーチは必ず全選手が出場する機会を与えようとする。遠征やハードなスケジュールの中で練習が続く場合は、ファンゲームのように選手のリフレッシュを図るなど工夫をしている。ここでもオンとオフの切り替えがある。

7) どのレベルにおいてもラグビーを楽しむこと、ラグビーを楽しみたいから必要な技術やチームプレイを身につけてなければならないという考えが選手に行き渡るようにコーチングをしている。

(まとめ)
日本も2015年以降ラグビーの練習やコーチングは少しずつですが変わってきています。しかし、私がNZで気づいたこの7つの特徴は裏を返せば日本ではまだ主流になっていないと言うことです。

ラグビーを始める年齢は15歳から、地域にもよりますがラグビーチームが1つしかない町や市があります。1チーム15人いない学校もあれば、1チーム50人から100人で1年間でほとんど公式戦に出られないような学校もある。また毎週試合が行われることはなく、トーナメント形式のためチームも勝つためにあまりボールの動かない戦術も目立ちます。

日本の社会や教育の反映もラグビーにはあります。会社組織は少しずつ変わってきていますが、トップダウンのやり方です。授業も対話形式になってきていますが、生徒から質問したり自分の意見を述べたりする土壌がありません。チャレンジよりもミスをしないようにする。間違いは少ないがバリェイションが少ない。型やマニュアルを重んじる傾向にあります。
チームと言うより組織のイメージがあり、学生生活を終えてラグビーを続ける文化はまだ広がっていないように思います。
W杯日本大会の成功は大きいですが、コーチがラグビーの本質やコーチングの考え方、基本プレイの習得の部分を更に広めていくことでラグビーの楽しさやラグビーを通して身につく大切な価値に日本の子どもたちも気づけると思います。