Meeting Mike Ruddock
It was great to meet Welsh legend Mike Ruddock in the pub a few days ago. Ensuring I didn't miss an opportunity, I made the most of introducing myself and a friend and as he was happy to talk, I asked him a couple of questions regarding his Leadership when being Head Coach of the Wales Rugby Team during their memorable Grand Slam year in 2005.
To this day, many Welsh rugby fans are baffled about why Mike Ruddock, the man who ended Wales’ 27 year-wait for a Grand Slam, suddenly and dramatically walked away from his job.
There were many rumours of the players revolting against Mike Ruddock, but it appeared there were a number of difficulties behind the scenes from the players who were pro-the previous Steve Hansen regime rumours that some in the dressing room called Ruddock “the bus” behind his back, because they reckoned he wasn’t a coach.
I personally thought what he did was great and Wales played a different game under Ruddock and he obviously came up with the results.
I asked Mike what were the most important leadership lessons he has learned from his his experiences as the Wales Head Coach. These are some of the comments he came back with:
If there's a problem, confront it head on! - Especially in a sports team environment, everyone needs to be tight! If there are any people causing any division or if any situation is causing problems, it needs to be dealt with and quickly. You have to unresolved issues are like rot and have no place in any team.
Deal with big characters - They need to know you're the boss, but you need to show that you are there to support them, it's like family! At the end of the day, the players are there to impress the boss and there needs to be a level of maturity. Even when you have players who have been in the setup for years, they are to be treated consistently. Thankfully 2005 had a great group of boys!
It's all about the team - We had a great team and the boys had a great attitude and support for each other. You've got to be hungry collectively and the boys were great. They had some great lads in there
I personally was gutted that he left the Welsh setup, but it sounds like it was a highly politically charged environment as it often is sometimes. It seems like he did not gain the respect he deserved from a number of the senior players. Such a shame he left. May be a chance for his return under different circumstances?
