How to “love and to hold” your love for Rugby
A future awaits: Rugby Careers
Someone once said that there is a lot to learn about LIFE from a rear view mirror and a windscreen of a vehicle. There is a very good reason why the rear view mirror is so much smaller than the front windscreen- It is because the future has so much more to offer than always staring/looking back at the past!
Many rugby player careers have been brought to a halt, sometimes unexpectedly and unforeseen due to injury, and sometimes just because of time moving on and life that happens with its set pieces that have to be realigned. With great disappointment or no plan B, many players have no future to look forward to.
It is not necessary to give up the Love of your Life, for Life, there are many high in demand careers that can be followed that you can pursue not only in the pre season of your career as a rugby player, but also in the postseason.
So instead of staring back at what was, the greatest thing you have is to learn from the experience and move forward towards an even greater future with a career in the sports code you love!
Your days off-field as a player can be just as rewarding as on-field. The real ball carriers of the game are the qualified and inspirational coaches that bring with them unique styles and philosophies! In South Africa especially, the need for coaches that have practical and theoretical accredited training through World Rugby reputable coach educators are on the rise.
To be a Coach in a rainbow nation where players are as diverse as opponents are, requires remarkable skill. But then, there are so much power in diversity if one knows where to look!
The older generation teachers that used to exit University or Teaching Colleges with a sports education background with human movement science, in one or two sport codes, are already approaching retirement or have retired already. The terms and conditions have changed, and the new generation teacher is under no obligation to practise a sport or become a sports coach at primary or high school levels. As such, many Coaching positions are filled by the Governing Bodies of schools externally at very competitive salaries.
The great news is that this has opened a special sector for employment in South Africa.
These individuals also step up as sports team managers, sports organisers, and/or sports directors at the top rugby and sports schools in South Africa. Many lower tiered schools are poorly resourced and in need of professional sports and coaching expertise!
Conditioning for rugby has become a scarce skill too, with very few “field-wise” strength and conditioning coaches.
Studying Sports Science and or Exercise science is one thing, but it is only through experience in the code that you are taught the rugby specific strength, training and conditioning that is unique to rugby training. Developing full body training programs with different rep ranges, top sets, within a team training environment, when players hit the gym, are as challenging as it is rewarding! To drive players to train harder and support players with specific development needs, nutrition and wellness right through to their final set truly requires special skills!
The game of rugby is ever evolving, faster and furious than ever before, more emphasis are placed on technology driven coaching, rugby position development with expertise rugby fitness instruction to manage the training loads, return to play and injury prevention.
The World needs Rugby coaches such as Rassie Erasmus, Steven Hansen, Eddie Jones and Joe Schimdt, this could be you, if you dare to dream further than the try line!
Imagine a program where you can become the next generation coach, rugby fitness instructor, strength and conditioning coach, sports organiser, team manager or video and game analyst?
Turn your player past into the future for many aspiring players! UXI Rugby institutes are the Varsity of Rugby Careers. All programs are packed with national education programs, international relevancy, workplace experience and placement.
