Fourteen Scotland captains, sixteen British and Irish Lions, three former All Blacks... Our Winning Mentors programme used rugby’s elite to help Scotland’s emerging rugby players reach the very top.

 

Studies show that almost all high achievers in sport had at least one mentor as they reached maturity. However, there is a startling lack of formal mentoring programmes in sport. So, in 2008, Winning Scotland Foundation partnered Scottish Rugby to establish the Winning Mentors programme.

 

Leading Scottish players received one-to-one guidance from experienced current and former internationals, who guided their protégés towards their goals and  helped overcome challenges on and off the pitch. And there were benefits to both sides too – being a mentor  is seen as a key part of a player’s development as a leader. Not surprisingly, Scotland coach Andy Robinson was a firm believer in Winning Mentors.

 

Mentoring has now become an established practice within the player pathway at Scottish Rugby, and Winning Scotland Foundation is optimistic that a model that first began as a pioneering programme can now be passed  on to other sports.