INVESTEC RUGBY ACADEMY

Since its inception twelve years ago, the Investec International Rugby Academy in New Zealand has grown from strength to strength in advancing junior and senior rugby players and coaches. Four years ago the academy was brought to South Africa headed by Ruan Fourie and Dick Muir with the purpose of emulating the same level of training and skills coaching.
This year the Academy was held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal from the 9th to the 15th of December. Players and coaches from around the country were taught skills and techniques from some of the world’s best former rugby players and specialist coaches. Players from EG Jansen, Affies, Michaelhouse, St. John’s, and Grey Bloem to name a few were all present to learn and absorb the information and lessons taught by the academy coaches and specialists.
David Campese, Former Australian Rugby Player with 101 caps for the Wallabies
HSSM: David, can you tell us about your involvement in the academy?
David Campese: I had moved out of Australia in December last year and obviously I like coaching and tried getting involved. So I telephoned Dick [Muir] and this has been the 3rd or 4th course I have been on.
HSSM: How do you feel a course like this helps these young kids who are aspiring to become rugby stars?
David Campese: I just think it gives them an opportunity to listen and learn from ex-players who have been there done that. Because sometimes when you grow the coaches are very enthusiastic, but the knowledge is not probably there. […] It gives them an understanding if they will want to go on and be a rugby professional we can help in any way. What we say and our actions will help them down the track.
HSSM: What do you think having big names such as yourself do to an academy such as this one?
David Campese: Firstly I think it helps with Investec because they are a very big name as well, so having available big names makes it appealing to most people, and the coaches as well because the coaches that have come through learn a lot. […] There was a coach who said he has been to many clinics and said he has learnt more in five days than any other place. What we do is actually challenge the players and the coaches. We don’t say you do this, we say you’ve got to try decide which way you want to go – is this good is this bad. What you do is actually empower the player and the coach to actually make decisions.
HSSM: What type of coach’s skills and qualities are you planning on improving?
David Campese: What we try to and what is one of my pet peeves are basic skills, doing the very simple things properly. For me that is very important because if you can’t catch, pass, support, run straight, and communicate – and that’s what rugby is – if you can’t do those simple things it’s very hard to do the level up.