Student Rugby League: The Last Three Years
By Vinny Webb

During the 1996 World Cup, I was an interested spectator at many of the early games and found myself admiring the standard of the players on show. In my capacity of Head Coach for my last club, Woolston Rovers, I was contacted by the Australian Students Manager, Mike Loftus (a Warrington lad), about the possibility of a warm up game for the Aussies. The club duly obliged and the game went ahead with approximately 1,500 people in attendance. Australia won the game, but it was a tough encounter, which helped them prepare for the competition ahead. The World Cup final was a very exciting affair, contested by two evenly matched teams (Australia and Samoa) showing excellent skills, fitness and commitment even after two weeks intense competition. This was not the case for all the players as the home nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales failed to impress the SRL Executive. A meeting to review the World Cup saw a suggestion that the Great Britain team be reborn. The post of Head Coach was advertised in the trade papers and interviews held. I was appointed in November 1996. The rest, as they say, is history.

History Revisited: 1997 My remit was to improve the overall standard of the representative game, thus improving the game at club level. There was no time to waste. Great Britain were to tour France in April 1997, and there was also the little matter of playing the RAF at Uxbridge. That gave me three months to select my assistant coaches (Stuart Gunnell and Gavin Horne), a physiotherapist (Hilary Pape) and select and prepare a squad. The selection process for the RAF and France took in many league and cup games within the SRL. All the home nations were visited in the search for the best available players. In late January 1997, a squad of forty players was selected and the preparation began. The preparation for the tour was shorter than planned due to the player's commitments to other representative and club teams. The re-structuring of the representative scene was a priority to help spread commitments in a logical fashion through the season.

The game against the RAF went well with a good win for GB, 18-4. On tour, the squad performed well. The lack of match practice served to be the main problem. It was also noted that some of the players fitness levels were not up to scratch for this level of intense rugby league. Both games were lost in France - the results, 10-4 for the first game, and 14-2 for the second. A decision was taken to inform the players that if they did not meet the required standard during the preparation for America, they would not be considered for the tour party or any future tours. This was a culture shock for the students. Surely we play for fun and to top up the CV, they asked? That question was soon put to bed, and the Great Britain squad was truly reborn.

All the squad showed excellent discipline, on and off the field. They were a credit to the SRL, themselves and their universities. They all played with a pride and passion that befits a Great Britain team. The first GB captain was Adam Jude of Warrington and England. Adam was always professional in his duties, leading from the front, on and off the field.

In the first year, we were to measure success, two fold - the first being the development of the players, and secondly, did we win? The Great Britain squad was in its foundation period and we were to educate and develop the players over three years, so eventually competing on level terms with the best. To achieve this, we needed to strive to attain higher standards in everything we did. The SRL needed to be professional in its outlook in all areas of preparation for representative rugby league, not just being professional in the office with Niel Wood (SRL Director) working like a Trojan for the benefit of the game.

The Next Step The preparations for the tour to America in September, and visit of the Queensland Students (Mike Loftus again) in October, saw a squad of forty players selected for the training squad, to partake in an intense training programme. Keeping in line with our development policy, the available squad members from France plus a number of freshers were drafted into the training squad.

The overall development plans continued and at the first session, a full day's fitness assessment was undertaken. Players were measured for height, weight, body fat percentage and flexibility. They also undertook strength tests, aerobic capacity, anaerobic and power output. Speed and muscular endurance was also measured. All players received personal fitness comparisons/guide lines and were informed of the levels they were expected to achieve. The preparation also covered Team Building, with the squad going to Ampleforth for the weekend. A range of activities was undertaken. John Hobart contributed to the most memorable moment, getting lost in the forest on a fifteen minute run. Some ninety minutes later, a search party was called!

Included in the preparation was a full international against the Army at Central Park. GB lost 18-16, with a try to the Army in the last minute. The organisation and planning for the tour to America was handled well by Niel Wood and Lee Hutchinson (Manager). Tour Captain was Alan Robinson of Coventry and Ireland. The tour party won two of the three games played. Both victories were of a convincing nature - 50-4 against the USA Students, and 44-14 against an East Coast Select. The last game against the USA Super League Tomahawks was lost 26-30. The game was a very tough encounter with GB unlucky to lose to a more mature 'national' side. Incidentally, the USA team will be entering the Lincoln Financial Group Rugby League World Cup in October 2000.

Overall, the tour was seen as a success, on and off the field. The players and staff developed individually and collectively from the experience. Their development was passed into the SRL body, for the benefit of all to see. This type of development will assist in the continued growth of the student game. For the visit of the Queensland Students in October 1997, the players had a three week break after the tour, and then it was back to the preparation for what was to be our biggest test to date.

In October 1997, the Queensland Students toured Europe in a five-match tour. Two games were played against the Great Britain Students, both resulting in wins for the tourists. The first game was a comprehensive victory for the Queenslanders, 46-4. The second game was a tough fought encounter with the score line at 8-6 at half time. The final result was 28-6 to the Queenslanders, the result not being a true reflection on the closeness of the game. After match comments from the Queensland team led the management to believe that 'the game' was the toughest of the five games played, all of which they won by 40 or more points, and only conceding 6 points in every game. The obvious lack of fitness was a concern, and the general lack of self-belief. This was very apparent in the First Test. In my opinion, the squad proved its capabilities in the Second Test. With the right preparation, the Great Britain team can achieve its potential.

In January 1998, Great Britain played the RAF at Uxbridge. The result this year was far more convincing with the scoreline of 44-6 to the GB team. In this one-off game, the squad performed very well, the team spirit generated and cohesion witnessed showed that the student game was improving as planned.

On February 4th, 1998 at the Post House Hotel, Haydock, a meeting was held to review the situation regarding development in the student game. The meeting looked at all levels of the SRL structure, and it was felt that whilst the student game was indeed growing in numbers, there was a possible lack of skill development in the numbers. It should always be remembered that the SRL provides a unique opportunity for the rugby league player, whether he/she wants just to play for the fun/social side, or whether they aspire to play representative rugby league. The skill development was, at present, being addressed at representative squad sessions, thus wasting valuable time and resources, which could and should be spent on team/unit plans and structures. There was a constant overlap of the player's development and time, due to his/her commitments to the regional squad, home nation squad and the Great Britain squad.

It was felt that a Development Model should be implemented, where all possible/probable representative players would be identified at the soonest juncture, and subsequently invited to a Regional Centre. The invitation would be open to all players who wish to develop their rugby league skills. A modular programme was drafted and utilised in the new Regional Centres. Initially, three Centres were set up - in the North West (Padgate College, Warrington), the North Region (Leeds Met) and the South/South West (Cheltenham), with a further three Centres set up at a later date. The Centres follow the same format as the regional competition and the regional league structure.

The demands on the player decreased due to the fact that the Regional Centres were no more than ninety minutes travelling distance. Previously, some players travelled for more than four hours to train with a squad. This is obviously not ideal preparation time, as the players are fatigued before they start, and consideration of their studies must also be taken into account. Less travel, more quality time. Regional Centres will help elevate the need for excessive periods spent on preparation of the representative squads, the sessions can be more focused on team preparation and unit skills. It is envisaged that the regional sessions be run on a midweek night basis, i.e. Monday, Wednesday, Friday or possibly on an alternate Sunday. The sessions will run for a maximum of two hours.

The Development Model included coverage of all basic skills and principles of play. There was also a fitness aspect to the Model, utilising specific fitness, strength foundation and culminating in a power specific programme. All players had a training/skill assessment diary that was required to be signed off at the regional sessions. Every player who attended would be assessed and monitored during the sessions, this information being recorded on a player database. With the Model implemented and regular assessments taking place, the Centres will provide a continuity in the selection process - all players monitored in a familiar surrounding and assessed on their merits. Regional coaches will be able to compile a near complete profile on all players. Regional coaches using the Model will provide regular contact and support, thus encouraging development at the right stage of the player's natural development. More importantly, having a closer contact with more players at an earlier stage in their development will influence the players into adopting good and correct practice and technique. The Model will also prepare the player both mentally and physically for the hard, but rewarding, work that is required for an international rugby league player.

April 1998 saw the Great Britain Students travel to France for the second year running. The squad was based at Saint Cyprien for the duration of the tour. There were two games played - against Languedoc Roussillon select, with GB winning 35-28 (h/t 29-8), and against France University, with France winning 22-19 (h/t 22-12). The first game was played at the Stade Puig Aubert, a very scenic place in the middle of the mountains, and the Test was held at Saint Cyprien. The Test was a tough encounter. France dominated the game in the first twenty minutes, scoring 18 points. The lead proved too big in the end. It must be said that the team played to their potential in the remaining sixty minutes, but 18 points is far too great to claw back.

Included in the preparation for France was a warm-up game against Hull Sharks at Hull, the result being 38-4 to Hull. Great Britain acquitted themselves very well against a strong Hull team that contained eight first team players (the full Super League front row). It was not until the latter stages that Hull scored a few well worked tries. Peter Walsh (the Hull Coach at the time) was very impressed with the squad.

As part of the development plan, Great Britain SRL appointed a physiologist to work as Conditioner/Coach alongside the present staff, the man's name is Craig Twist. Craig's appointment must be considered as one of the main contributing factors of the emergence of the GB team. We also had to appoint another physiotherapist as Hilary Pape had to resign due to personal commitments. Hilary was one of the best physiotherapists that I have had the pleasure to work with. The new guy on the block was Patrick Moran from the S. McCallion school of medicine. Pat also works for Leeds Rhinos. We also had to say goodbye to Stuart Gunnell, who felt he could not give the necessary commitment to the squad for the tour preparation due to his business interests. Stuart's bad luck was Craig's good luck, as I decided to run with only two coaches.

The focus of the preparation was a stepping stone to the tours to Australia and Germany. The Regional Centre concept started to have an effect. Players were given specific fitness targets to achieve. They were also given a programme to work with. We now introduced the Great Britain Development Squad to give the next phase of international players the necessary coaching and fitness requirements to compete at the top level. This squad will be comprised of mainly first and second year students, with possibly a few experienced players included for balance.

September - October 1998: Australia, Germany and the Scottish Courage Cup The preparation for the summer programme included the use of the Regional Centres on Wednesday nights throughout the summer leading up to the Home Nations and beyond. The Regional Centres ran right up to the week before the tours. From the 10th May to the 17th June, the Great Britain squad held train-on sessions for the players that went to France and players with the potential to be playing in the Home Nations at Glasgow on 28th June to 5th July 1998. All the players that attended the sessions worked to a specific rugby related programme, the players were also fitness tested and monitored. There was to be two tours in the summer with a Development side travelling to Germany as Emerging Great Britain, and the full Great Britain team going to Australia.

The Home Nations competition was a very intense week, with all the teams showing a marked improvement in playing standards. Craig Twist, Lee Hutchinson and myself spent the week observing all the games and a good percentage of the training sessions to discover the best possible players for inclusion in the Great Britain squads. To select forty four players for the Full GB tour to Australia and the Emerging tour to Germany turned into a mammoth task with names fluctuating all the time. It was not until the final game was played that the squads were confirmed. There was a lot of discussion about players and where they would be best suited. All points of view were considered before naming the squads. It must be said, it was the hardest task that I, or any coach for that matter, have had to undertake in the space of a week. The squads were named at the Home Nations dinner and informed of the programme ahead, with the first squad session for all players being on Sunday 12th July 1998. The full training programme contained squad sessions at Padgate College. These were full days. The duration of these sessions was five hours. This was broken down into different development units from the programme. All sessions had the aim of being more rugby specific and geared to train at game speed or above. There was also an introduction to sports psychology and psychological preparation. The players also developed a code of conduct for the tours and set themselves goals, pre-tour and on tour.

During the preparation, the squad played a number of warm-up games. The Emerging squad played against Hull Dockers at Hull and won 20-18. The Australia squad played Dewsbury at Dewsbury and lost 18-24. The game was a tough one for the players, due to the defensive nature of Dewsbury. They were very dominant, the players played some good rugby league with well worked tries using some of the set pieces coached. Whilst still losing, we learned some valuable lessons. The next game was against Blackbrook. This game saw a combined squad used yet again, and the result was a victory to Great Britain by 18 points to 6.

Throughout the preparation, the squad had been involved in the Scottish Courage Challenge Cup. This competition involves all the public service sector. Great Britain played their first game against the Army at Keighley and won 35-10. This result was very pleasing considering the previous year's fixture which GB had lost 18-16 during their preparation for America. The Army, with much the same team and tactics, were out-muscled, outplayed and out-thought. The squads fitness levels were now beginning to show through. Patterns of play worked, and this gave the squad plenty of confidence. The next game in the Cup was the semi-final (two weeks before the tour dates) against the Civil Service, again at Keighley. Great Britain won 52-6.

Australia The first game played was three days after landing in Australia. Jet lag was still apparent in all the tour party, despite planning and implementing a hydration policy with the party. There were intervals of three or four days between games, and this proved to be hard work for the squad due to the intensity of the games and injury. All the games were above the level played by the Great Britain squad on a weekly basis. It should be noted that the players performed with credit in all the games and many reached the goal of playing to their potential. The obvious lack of intensity in the weekly programme was something that required looking at.

Pre-tour preparation was excellent with the players and staff developing well. The fitness levels achieved by the players exceeded any previous standards set, and the team were technically and tactically well prepared. The tour should be seen as a success both on and off the field. The organisation in the UK with Niel Wood and Mike Loftus in Australia was faultless, everything was in place. The accommodation and food was good, with little or no complaint, except a few 17 stone players. On the field, the players played with pride and conviction, their skill level was good in comparison with the Australians, and their fitness was also on the same level. As mentioned, players reached their playing potential, some players were out of their depth, but even those players developed into better players and better people for the experience. The overall opinion was that Student Rugby League had developed a long way in the last couple of years. We can now compete and beat the best if the development is harnessed and taken on further.

Emerging GB - Germany The Emerging GB squad had a very successful tour, with the coaching staff comprising of Danny Sheehy and Keith Sykes as coaches, Stuart Stanton as physio and John Risman holding it all together as Manager. During the preparation for the tour, the squad undertook exactly the same programme as the tourists to Australia, utilising the Regional Centres. The lads worked very hard and deservedly got their rewards on the field (and off), by beating the opposition out of sight. In proving the system, ten players went on to play in the Scottish Cup Final, and a good number are now in the GB train-on squad.

Scottish Courage Cup Final Great Britain's opponents in the Final were the Royal Navy. Once again, Keighley was the venue for this first final for the GB squad. The game was two weeks after the tour to Australia, and trying to contact the players to check their availability proved very difficult. The final team was made up of seven players from the Australia squad and ten from the Emerging squad. In total, seventeen players were not available due to work commitments etc. While this initially proved to be quite worrying, it was just the test that the system required. The team performed very well with a number of players playing key roles, but it must be stated that all the players proved the system is working. During the game, it was apparent that GB were far too strong for the Navy, in all departments. This game came at the end of a long season for the squad and the win was excellent. The team looked like they had been playing together for seasons, the cohesion was quite unreal considering only forty minutes together as a team. The players worked to the plan and came away worthy winners. The result: Great Britain 43, Royal Navy 4.

The Domestic Competition It is important to recognise that while representative rugby league is important to aid development, it is the domestic competition that is the foundation of the SRL. The standards have risen without question over the last three years with the players going back from representative football and influencing the club players with the new training methods, techniques, and above all, more confidence and an awareness of what is needed to play at international level. The teams in the National League have taken all the above ingredients and taken the student game into another sphere. The teams would not look out of place in the National Conference League, which is BARLA's flagship in the amateur game. My experience in the Conference with Woolston Rovers leads me to believe that the SRL is a very strong body of people on and off the field. Having said that, one needs a measure and a development tool to improve the game at whatever level. The student game has many such levels.

The Student Rugby League appointed myself as Performance Director this year and I have since drafted a development model for the players with clearly defined pathways. I have also proposed a four year rolling representative programme that will see games played all over the world to test the system. All the games and tours will see the best the student game has to offer compete against the best in the world. This is a major incentive for all that play or would like to play rugby league in the student game. There is a clear playing structure. It has club sides, eight regional representative teams, four Home internationals and the Great Britain team completing the representative structure. The fundamental part of the development model is the Regional Centre concept. We will run the Centres during the university semesters and holiday periods. Any player wishing to develop their fitness or skills can train at the Centres. Irrespective of results in the World Cup, the only way to play representative student rugby league in the year 2000 onwards will be to take part in the Regional Centres. To help me with this task, I have appointed Craig Twist to the position of Performance Co-ordinator with direct responsibility for player development in the areas of physiology and to assist in overall coaching development.

The development of the SRL will be tested this year with the World Cup and we will be able to measure ourselves again, against the best student players in the world.