Les Elder: In her own words
Part two of a kōrero with a Black Ferns captain
The shot is the beautiful work of my mate Jo Caird
Thank you so much to everyone who has engaged with last week’s post! It’s been choice to hear that this story has resonated with so many of you. I asked a lot of Les to put herself out there so it’s been awesome to see that met with such love.
Today, I bring you part two. From here we pivot away from Les’ playing experience to her perspective as an emerging coach. There’s a lot of insight here on areas that need further attention and development. As always though, we don’t just talk problems. Les has a clear vision as to how we lift our game.
It’s this type of discussion which has been the basis of mine and Les’ friendship. Real talk on our challenges but also strategising on what little we can do to improve those things within our areas of influence. It’s no secret that our individual approaches are very different but that’s what makes these conversations so valuable. It’s why Les is often one of the first people I reach out to when something crops up.
It’s never going to be a silver bullet solution. Rugby is a team sport and it’s going to take a team of ideas to tackle the challenges now facing us.
Let us begin.
“I'm coaching sevens at the moment and I'm like, ‘Holy heck, what is happening here?’. I'm coaching the Bay of Plenty women's sevens and I'm literally begging girls to come play. Last weekend, we hit our tournament in Whangamata, the first provincial sevens tournament in the northern region since before COVID. And we’re ringing people to fill in. Then talking to Zar Lawrence, who's a legend of the sevens game, he said it’s the same in the men's. He’s had boys just pulling out at the last minute.
By taking away sevens, people have gone or sort of forgotten about it. So we’re almost starting over again. Could be just the Bay but I’d heard some other provinces were struggling too.
One thing that I thought was really cool last weekend was that you had Carla Hohepa and Chyna Hohepa coaching the Waikato women. Hazel Tubic coaching Counties and then myself and Pango (Renee Woodman-Wickliffe) coaching Bay of Plenty. That's five current or former Black Ferns coaching. And that's what sevens allows, short non intimidating campaigns for new coaches to have a go.
Me and Pango’s goal was to create a performance environment that drives competitive excellence. We wanted to have an all women's management group. So we bought in Nat Delamere, who had just done her ACL, to manage for us. We got Kelsie Thwaites to assistant manage, Tasman Jackson who's the S&C for the Bay, Jaz our Physio who’d come from the NRLW and Carlin our Assistant S&C.
And all of us are learning, we're making mistakes. We're doing some good stuff, but also some stupid shit that we’ll learn from as well. But it's just cool because it's a non threatening environment for us to grow and develop. By cancelling nationals and taking away sevens, it has taken those opportunities away for new coaches like us.
But it’s not just coaches who have been missing out, it’s players too. The system has gaps. People are always going to be advocates for the girls that are in front of them. And when having discussions with coaches or selectors you’re probably going to push for those you know. You see them every day, you know their character, their ability, all those sorts of things. I think where we run into issues is when the people given the role of Talent ID at tournaments, or asked to pick girls for teams, they do so with no resource to do it properly, those that are volunteering their time. It’s likely a rush job where you don't get time or resource to travel the country identifying talent.
So then, do we actually capture all the talent out there? And now with the NRLW active in our schools and even working in some Provincial Unions - are we getting to the talent in time? Are we making it known to the talent that we are watching them, that we care, that we are interested?
With these gaps in the system you can't blame those given the task of talent ID to put forward only those they are familiar with. But what does that mean for girls that aren't in programmes, that aren't part of schools that play rugby, whose teams don't make Condors? I don't know what the solution is but is it just a matter of coming up with a better network of people who are based around the country.
There's got to be a bit of work done to establish relationships, to ensure that people are giving neutral feedback and to ensure we stay ahead of the likes of the NRLW. We're seeing girls make Super Rugby teams and haven't played FPC or make the Black Ferns XV team who didn't perform in FPC, as well as girls who did perform but weren’t named. Is it fair and transparent? I don't know.
And again, with little resource and time given to talent ID this will always happen. Also if teams aren’t properly planned for and included in the rugby calendar everything becomes reactive. So maybe that played a part here.
If we aren't already, we need to think ahead and go okay, in 2024, we're going to have this, this and this. So let's work backwards from that date, which means we need to have these things in place. Are we currently just going, okay, there's a window, let's chuck a team in there and give them one weekend of touches. Is that effective?
Champion coaching duo, Les Elder and Renee Woodman-Wickliffe
Since coaching the 7s this year, I've been putting footage together of girls within my region who fit into these categories I've mentioned. They don't have teams at Condors, they aren't part of an academy as they don't live in the major cities, but they are talented as heck. So I'm sending there footage through. Whether those coaches take them or not, that's up to those coaches, I can't influence it. But all I can do is put these names across the tables so that these girls aren’t getting missed and so they have the same opportunity as anybody else.
I'm happy for these girls that are getting signed for NRLW. That's cool for them and their families but it just makes me so sad for our game because in my mind maybe all it takes is a conversation. They might not be ready for a few more years but have conversations been had to let them know we are aware of them.
As I move into this coaching space and I'm growing and learning and trialling a few things, I think rugby can actually learn heaps from Te Ao Māori. I 100%, believe that.
I actually spoke to a group of Māori teachers, Ako Panuku was the name of the forum. In my opinion, and I shared this in my kōrero to them, is I actually didn't think that I should have been talking to them. I felt like rugby should bring them (Māori Teachers) into our environments, into high performance sport. Everything they do is obviously guided by the Māori world view. So their environments hold strong Māori values like Manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, mana, whakapapa. Identity is a core pillar, no different to what we are seeing in the Black Ferns. People are safe to be themselves.
My brother is a Māori teacher in a secondary school and he shares with me how hard it is to change behaviour, to change mindsets, to change a system that is not set up to help them. So within their classrooms they create their own ecosystem. A system that supports Māori teachers and Māori children. I liken that to rugby with women's rugby, right? The system was never really set up to help us succeed. So we go and create systems for ourselves.
I really do believe that how we operate as Māori could be integrated into sport in such a way that empowers people, that looks after people, that manaaki them when they’re in it and it will manaaki them when they leave.
One thing about the Black Ferns is we used to use a Te Ao Māori view to govern the way we work. It helped keep us safe. So I just wonder is there opportunity for more of that to be integrated into rugby.
Until next time…”
So there you have it folks, Les says she will be back so we will have to keep her to that. We are just scratching the surface of the potential in our game and the deep thinking going on in the minds of those that love it.
I’ll be back again next week with one last stocking stuffer before taking a wee break and returning to your inboxes January 5th. Of course the last one for 2023 had to be on one of the biggest moves made this year, so watch this space!
Speaking of stocking stuffers, my mate Jo Caird, has recently self published a book with her wife Paula George telling the story of Our Gamemakers. Featuring a selection of epic wāhine from around the globe who have helped shape our sport.
Buy one for Christmas! And look, they even gave us a discount code! Use ALICE10 for 10% off this 100% excellent gift for the rugby lover in your life. Full disclosure the only thing I’m getting from sharing this code with you is the hope that it’ll help get these beautiful stories in front of more eyeballs.
Lastly, in case you missed it, Northland Kauri head coach and Te Tai Tokerau legend, Rawinia Everitt, was named the women’s rugby coach of the year last night at the New Zealand Rugby Awards. Rawinia’s was actually the first story I brought you in this ‘own words’ format. I knew she creating magic up North this season so this conversation was a little window into that and worth taking a look! Particularly now when we know the success which was to come.
With you,
Alice