After commissioning a review of secondary school rugby in June last year, to better understand the various factors affecting the school rugby environment, New Zealand Rugby recently announced the completion of the independent review.
The aim of the review, undertaken by educational consultancy EdSol NZ after a contestable process, is to ensure that there is a successful model for secondary school rugby throughout New Zealand in which boys and girls can both participate and perform. The review involved consultation with students, Provincial Union and club rugby staff, secondary school staff and principals, interest groups and online submissions from the public.
The resulting report, approved by the NZR Board at its December meeting last year, contains themes and findings from all the consultation and also 31 key recommendations to resolve the issues set out in the Terms of Reference.
A message consistently reinforced by the full range of stakeholders was the lack of an overarching governance body for secondary school rugby. The report finds that the current organisational structure for secondary school rugby is disjointed with some key decisions made on an ad hoc basis with no alignment to a national or even regional strategy. It goes on to say that establishing a strong vision, associated values, and a coherent strategy is essential to guide the ethical and moral behaviour of all stakeholders.
Although not a business in the strict sense of the word, the secondary school rugby bus carries, in addition to the players, the commercial interests of a large number of individuals and organizations. Just like a bus needs a driver, a certificate of fitness and a destination before it leaves the depot, secondary school rugby needs to have someone in charge, it needs policies and mechanisms to ensure all stakeholders work together towards a common goal, and it needs a longer-term plan.
For the rugby passengers, it is pleasing to see that the top 3 recommendations NZR plan to implement over the next 12 to 15 months are:
- Recruit NZR Manager of Secondary School Rugby;
- Review of New Zealand secondary school rugby governance; and
- Develop NZR Secondary School Rugby Strategy.
While many of the challenges facing secondary school rugby in New Zealand are complicated and wide-ranging, the key to the successful implementation of the recommendations will be the processes and personalities that sit behind them.
NZR will need to play a leading role in brokering collaboration and the formation of authentic, sustainable relationships between all of the stakeholders. Without this, secondary school rugby will be spinning its wheels.
All aboard?
This story was edited and first published in the February 1, 2019 edition of Hibiscus Matters.
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