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Introduction
The role of
captain in a rugby team has the potential to be both the most challenging
and the most rewarding of all for a player.
Even today, with leadership roles and responsibilities shared amongst the
players, the role of the captain remains central to the team’s performance.
Not only must captains be competent in their playing role, they need to
inspire confidence in their players, evaluate the game plan and change it if
circumstances dictate, handle pressure well, make tactical decisions and
communicate effectively with the referee as well as the team.
Not only is the captain a player, he is a leader, communicator, key decision
maker, and important link between team and coach.
What, then, should you as a coach be looking for in your captain?
1. Each captain is different
The first
thing to remember is that there is no one set of characteristics possessed by
effective captains.
Consider Martin Johnson (England),
Pat Lam (Samoa), George Gregan (Australia)
and Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
– all are or have been successful captains but they are all very different in
personality.
2. Mentally strong
“The mental
part of the job is the hardest part.”
All captains should be mentally strong. Inevitably, the captain will be
criticised
at some point, both within and outside the team.
Equally, the captain needs to remain focussed and aware whilst under intense
pressure during a game, so that he can make the correct decisions at the
right time. To cope with this requires considerable mental fortitude.
Sean Fitzpatrick believed that the mental aspect of captaincy was the hardest
part of his job as captain, with the result that he had to concentrate even
more on the game than when he was a player.
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3.
Excellent communicator
KISS –
Keep It Simple Stupid
This is another skill required by all captains. The captain will need to
encourage
and manage on-field communication between all the players, as well as
maintaining
effective communication both with players and between players and the
coaching staff off of it.
However, this does not mean that the only voice to be heard on the field
should be that of the captain’s. Indeed, the captain should only speak when
necessary, being able to keep his communication concise and to the point.
Zinzan Brooke focused on planting a simple idea in the minds of his players
and letting it grow from there. For example, his instructions regarding
defence to the backs were ‘Make a tackle’.
4. Emotionally disciplined
“Fire in
the belly but ice in the brain.”
This is
important for three main reasons:
(i) As a
role model the example set by the captain must meet every expectation he has
of the players. For example, if the captain becomes angry with the referee
and constantly questions his decisions, then he cannot expect his players to
accept refereeing decisions themselves.
(ii) If the captain loses self-control and vents his anger or frustration
(whether against an opponent, teammate or the referee), he will have lost the
ability to make rational decisions. His own
performance will also suffer; a loss of emotional control will affect timing,
co-ordination and the ability to ‘read’ the game as awareness becomes more
narrowly focused.
(iii) A
loss of emotional control will be seen as a sign of weakness by the
opposition, boosting their confidence whilst undermining that of the team.
This does not mean that your captain becomes an emotionless robot, devoid of
passion, but rather he plays (in the words of the great Welsh coach Carwyn
James) “with fire in the belly but ice in the brain”.
5.
Knows the players
“The first
thing you have to remember as captain is while rugby is very much a team game
you are dealing with individuals who are all different in attitudes,
temperament and experience.
Thus you have to find out each person’s strengths and weaknesses… And you
have to find out which players best respond to the carrot and which to the
stick.”
The captain should have the ability to deal with each player as an
individual. Consequently, he will know what motivates different players and
how they prefer to prepare themselves mentally for a game (not all players
respond to being shouted and/or sworn at!).
He should observe players both on and off the field in order to learn how
best to deal with them.
The captain needs to know which players are best left alone, which require a
quiet reminder of expectations and which need a more forceful articulation of
what is required in games/training.
The captain that also takes time to get to know his teammates as people and
not just players will ultimately achieve far more respect and effort from
them.
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6. Self-confident
“Don’t ask me how I played. I always think I played well.”
A self-confident
captain inspires confidence in others. It also helps him maintain his own
performance.
This is easy when things are going well; it is harder, but arguably even more
important, to do so when the going gets tough.
The captain needs to make sure he at least gives the impression of confidence
in these circumstances.
Looking and acting confident will, sooner or later, lead to being confident.
Peter Tann is a qualified rugby coach and sports psychologist.
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