PCS in Scottish Rugby
26 May 2011
Positive Coaching Scotland, in association with The Bill McLaren Foundation, has today (31 August) unveiled a new programme to be targeted at all rugby clubs and rugby playing schools in Scotland.
Positive Coaching Scotland [PCS] is a cultural change programme that shapes youngsters lives with the help of parents, coaches and teachers to make playing rugby fun. It achieves this by engaging with them in a practical coaching philosophy which nurtures a can-do attitude and greater self-belief.
The innovative programme is the first major initiative to be supported by the Bill McLaren Foundation, set up in memory of the late, world renowned ‘voice of rugby’ to support the development and values of the game.
The Bill McLaren Foundation and Winning Scotland Foundation are the funding partners in this £180,000, three year pilot programme that will be delivered by Scottish Rugby with the guidance of sportscotland and Winning Scotland Foundation.
Winning Scotland Foundation is the business-led charity that brought Positive Coaching Scotland to the country in 2007 and has worked with all parties to broker this latest PCS programme partnership. Since 2010, sportscotland has led the national, phased roll-out of Positive Coaching Scotland (PCS) in partnership with local authorities and national governing bodies of sport.
Today’s announcement will include funding for the full-time appointment of 29 year-old Bosman du Plessis, an SRU rugby development officer with Dumfries Saints Rugby Club, as Positive Coaching Scotland Manager for Scottish Rugby. His remit will be to implement and deliver the programme throughout the community game.
Malcolm Murray, Chairman of the Bill McLaren Foundation, commented: “This is the Foundation’s first sizeable investment and we are delighted to be the major funder of such an important national project which will benefit youngsters throughout the country at the grassroots of our game in schools and clubs.
“This project very much fulfils two of our Foundation’s objectives; namely developing and promoting rugby union and its values, and encouraging and providing sporting opportunities for young people. This is an excellent start for the Foundation.”
Linda Lawson, daughter of the late Bill McLaren, said: “This Positive Coaching programme epitomises the very essence of what my father believed and practised. The rugby game is more than just a sport – dad believed passionately that rugby was an excellent vehicle for developing life skills, discipline and a team ethic which will stand young people in good stead all their days. This enterprise will be for youngsters as well as their parents who also have a major role to play.”
Referring to his appointment as rugby’s first full time Positive Coaching Scotland Manager, Bosman du Plessis, added: “It’s a fantastic honour to be asked to lead this programme. Bill McLaren earned the respect of the international rugby community through the values he lived by and believed in. “As a coach, you know that there are always a few players who will progress to the highest level of the game and you want to give them the tools and encouragement to do so. “However, according to the latest figures, 99.5% of the youngsters in front of you will not play elite level so I see my role as ensuring that the coaches and teachers give the kids the rugby knowledge and life skills for life beyond sport.
“As a cultural change programme, Positive Coaching Scotland encourages coaches to have two goals in mind: the first to teach youngsters that winning is the end result of persistent effort and learning through mistakes and the second goal to teach life skills through rugby. I believe there is no greater game than rugby to learn about yourself and how to face all the different challenges in life.”
Brian Renwick, director at the Bill McLaren Foundation, added: “Through PCS, the objective is to develop stronger clubs and rugby playing schools with increased community participation and also to improve the quality of coaching, particularly at youth level. We are delighted to be helping the grassroots of our game.”
Louise Martin, chairperson of sportscotland, added: “Through sport, young people can learn valuable life lessons. That’s why sportscotland, the national agency for sport, is leading the national implementation of the PCS programme with the support of local authority partners and national governing bodies like Scottish Rugby. We’re absolutely delighted that the initiative is receiving such fantastic support from the Bill McLaren Foundation.”
Scottish Rugby’s head of community rugby, Colin Thomson, commented: “Scottish Rugby is committed to ensuring that the traditional values of rugby are maintained within the sport. Rugby owes much of its appeal to the fact that it is played both to the letter and within the spirit of the laws.
“The responsibility for ensuring that this occurs lies not with one individual - it involves teachers, coaches, captains, players, referees, spectators and parents. It is through discipline, control and mutual respect that the spirit of the game flourishes.
“This ethos is at the core of the Positive Coaching model and ones which were close to Bill McLaren’s heart and, as such, Scottish Rugby is delighted to be working in partnership with the Bill McLaren Foundation and Winning Scotland Foundation to roll out this positive coaching message to the Scottish rugby community.”
Sir Bill Gammell, founder of Winning Scotland Foundation and a former Scotland rugby internationalist, commented: “Positive Coaching Scotland in association with Bill McLaren Foundation is a cultural programme that offers a truly fitting legacy for the late, great voice of this wonderful game.
“Youngsters at every level of Scottish rugby will now benefit from a practical coaching philosophy that nurtures a ‘can do’ attitude and greater self-belief; one that helps youngsters realise there is no bar to what they can achieve on and off the rugby field.”
www.billmclarenfoundation.co.uk
www.scottishrugby.org
www.winningscotlandfoundation.org / www.positivecoachingscotland.com
www.sportscotland.org.uk