How the rugby review has become a vital part of progress
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Before the last World Cup, a New Zealand review panel urged the entire body to try to understand what they are. None of their scathing assessments were personal. It was strictly business.
They formed to facilitate sport. The time had come to change the way they think.
“New Zealand Rugby in the professional era is a large and complex international business,” wrote panel chair David Pilkington.
A former All Blacks captain and experienced directors assisted him in generating an independent review of New Zealand Rugby Union, top to bottom. The entire 134-page report is available to read online.
“The structure it sits within was not designed for a business of this size and complexity.”
Every element of the organisation was examined. The partisan dynamics that had a board scared of upsetting members in case they called a special general meeting to oust them were detailed openly.
They asked whether New Zealand can truly support so many professional rugby players and the overhead costs of 26 different Provincial Unions. These were tough questions that would inevitably worry stakeholders at all levels of the game, but it was an unfortunate necessity. They needed to know the answer.
So much time in sport is spent planning ahead. Everyone wants to know where they are going. A well-thought-out review can be a prized commodity on that journey. Learning from the past has as much value as preparing for the future.
“You should do a report after each block,” says former Ireland head coach Eddie O’Sullivan. During his stint, there was no IRFU performance director.
“At the end of the Six Nations, for example, we would do a detailed report. They would review that and you look forward to the next block. It is an ongoing process. I would presume now that Andy Farrell reports to David Humphries. Reports and end-of-the year reviews sound very official but that is how businesses work.
“Think about it as CEO of a company. You have a sales department, marketing department, they report to you. It’s a business model at the end of the day. If you don’t do that, you don’t know what is going on in your business. You can quantify important stuff. Everyone knows where they stand, what is expected, what they need to get done, what are your priorities?”
Like most good practice processes, it can come at a price. This has become a service provided by elite sport performance consultants. Athlete Assessments, a company founded by four-time Australian Olympian Bo Hanson, provided a detailed guide for recording and conducting coach reviews.
Of course, spending is not essential. All it takes is a proper framework. Managers have to decide on several questions before starting the procedure. How widely should a survey be distributed? Should it be anonymous? Do you need an independent figure to filter responses? How long will it all take?
The purpose of all of this is to help the team, not hurt them. Mayo footballer Aidan O’Shea was left exasperated by his county’s review this year after it took almost three months to finish. “I don’t understand why things couldn’t be boxed off and moved forward into 2025 like every other county is doing,” he said last September.
For O’Sullivan, it is crucial that all parties are on the same page. As well as coaching the United States and Biarritz, he was a fitness advisor for the Galway All-Ireland winning teams under John O’Mahony and was part of the interview committee for the senior hurling job in 2021.
“You can get really granular, go into the squad depth, where things are at, camp timings, budgets, staff or whatever, but that exchange of information constantly is vital. You need to know where you are.”
It will soon be 20 years since O’Sullivan had to deny claims he had a become a ‘despot’ after a disappointing Six Nations campaign. A third-place finish saw him described as ‘punch-drunk’.
Several injuries had crippled their chances. Ireland played four different midfield pairings in their first four games. Brian O’Driscoll and Paul O’Connell missed the Autumn internationals. He had initiated a more ambitious gameplan.
“I had explained to the IRFU, even though we lost the Triple Crown, the Six Nations wasn’t a disaster. There was criticism of losing two games, but the IRFU knew we were in transition.
“I didn’t feel I was on thin ice. The IRFU knew where we were. I remember telling the media even we had to go into transition for 2006. They were part of that discussion. It didn’t matter what was said outside of the IRFU or in the media, we knew the plan. We won a Triple Crown in 2006. All of that was part of the process.”
A review can evolve. In some places, they have reviewed how they review. Quadrennial reviews are standard practice in the Irish high-performance system since Sydney 2000. This year was the first time they evaluated the system and the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games separately. In their foreword of the recently published Paris Cycle review, Sport Ireland explained each of them will get the focus they need.
That level of detail isn’t required everywhere. It is about making a start.
“You might set out with a basic question,” says O’Sullivan.
“What do we need to compete? Do we need to work on our strength and conditioning? Can we get a coach? How often can we get him to training? What will it cost? What is our budget? On you go.
“It might be, ‘we need to travel the day before certain games because it is a long journey. Buccaneers to Armagh for example. Who will arrange the logistics of that?’ You are constantly trying to improve the environment. That can be anything, coaching, facilities, even the kit. It can be small stuff or big stuff. Anything that impacts performance.”