Top rugby coaches converge on Taumarunui

Simon Herbst

Taumarunui rugby union coaches and players will be able to pick the brains of some of the best coaches in New Zealand when they converge on the Taumarunui domain next month.

Sir Wayne Smith, Neil Barnes, Issac Boss, Brad Cooper, and Jarred Hoeata will be the coaches in attendance on March 9, at 10 am.

Sir Wayne Smith is a former All Blacks, Chiefs, Crusaders, and Black Ferns Coach.

Neil Barnes coaches the Taranaki Bulls (2023 national rugby champions) and was also the 2023 national coach of the year.

Isaac Boss is a former Ireland international player as well as a former King Country Coach.

Brad Cooper is the Taranaki Bulls Backs Coach (2023 national rugby champions).

Jarred Hoeta is the Taranaki Bulls Forwards Coach (2023 national rugby champions).

The sessions will involve two teams of Taumarunui players being coached by the guest coaches and anyone attending will be able to watch them live in action, seeing how high-performance trainings are run.

Taumarunui Rugby head coach, Matt Lord, is thrilled about the opportunity for coach development.

“It’s just about getting more people interested in coaching in the Taumarunui area. It’s great that two Taumarunui teams will have those coaches coaching them for the day,” Lord said.

“We saw it as a good opportunity for the club on a Saturday morning for high school coaches or anyone who is interested in coaching,” he said.

There is always a need for people to put their hands up and volunteer.

“Taumarunui is like anywhere else. You have people out there doing the job, but if we could get more coaches and referees it would lighten the load for everyone,” Lord said.

Lord, having worked with all of the guest coaches, saw a need and moved to meet it.

“I was keen to do a coaching day as Dan Cowler had done one a few years ago. I made a couple of phone calls and they said, ‘yeah’,” he said.

Taumarunui Rugby Club president John Allen is proud of what Lord has achieved for the club.

“I think it’s a great initiative and opportunity for these coaches to learn from the best and pass it on,” Allen said.

The session is open to anyone who is interested, and all are welcome to turn up and watch.