Rod Seib - Nurturing the Next Generation
- Author
- Katrina Oxenham
- Published
- Sun 26 Jul 2020
- Episode Link
- None
While winning is important, rugby is a sport that values teamwork and community. Today’s guest is Rod Seib, Queensland Reds Rugby Academy head coach, whose love of the social aspects of rugby has created a life-long commitment to the sport.
Our conversation revolves around his position coaching for elite rugby players and early in the episode, we ask him what it takes to coach at that high-calibre level. We then talk about how coaching is as much about managing people as it is about understanding the game. Rod discusses how he developed his coaching skills through experience and education before detailing the qualities that he looks for in his players.
Rod explains the differences between club or grade rugby and the training at Queensland Red Rugby Academy. Apart from emphasising the physical demands, Rod focuses on the need to educate players and making sure they understand the ‘why’ of what they do. We look at how Rod’s coaching performance is measured on the success that players attain after leaving the academy and how Rugby League has affected his player base. Deep into the episode, we pop the question and ask Rod what he would do if he was in charge of Australian rugby. He highlights the importance of increasing participation rates, improving the Wallabies’ performance, and using Sevens and non-contact rugby as a gateway into the sport.
Rod provides more of his well-developed perspectives on the game and at the end of the episode, he talks about the joys of coaching. Tune in to hear more of Rod’s views on coaching elite rugby.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Introducing the highlights of Rod’s rugby and coaching career.
- How coaching elite rugby is as much about managing people as it is about the game.
- How Rod’s experience and education have helped make him the coach that he is.
- What Rod looks for in his players and why picking players is such a struggle.
- The mental qualities of elite players; their will to bring out the best in themselves.
- Training differences between club or grade level rugby and elite play.
- Why Rod places such an emphasis on educating players on the ‘why’ behind training.
- Where Queensland Reds Rugby Academy finds his players — they’re all Queenslanders.
- How Rod’s success is measured; looking at how players progress after the academy.
- Why many elite rugby players have historically been produced from the GPS system.
- Why the allure and money of rugby league hasn’t affected Rod’s players.
- What Rod loves about Union Rugby; the teamwork and the quality of people.
- How Rod would fix Australian rugby if he were given the steering wheel.
- Rod’s view on the new rugby rules and why he likes them.
- What the Queensland Reds Rugby Academy is focusing on in the future.
- The schedule of senior academy players and why having coaching resources is better than having a large budget.
- The joy that Rod gets from coaching rugby and the increasing focus on women’s rugby.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
