Coaches require greater protection insists Moon
RUGBY Coaches’ Association (RCA) founder and chairman Richard Moon has expressed his concern at the ‘hiring and firing’ culture of football creeping into rugby.
Richard Cockerill became the second high-profile casualty in the Premiership this season when he was sacked by Leicester this week.
He joins former Bristol boss Andy Robinson in searching for a new job, while Northampton attack coach Alex King was another to lose his job this season.
Former Harlequins No.9 Moon told The Rugby Paper: “I am worried and concerned. The fact that two Premiership directors of rugby have left during the season is a worrying trend.
“Investors are putting a lot of money in and they want to see a return. But we shouldn’t lose sight of the human cost. Losing your job in any walk of life has a huge impact – on your personal esteem and on your family – and as a high-profile rugby coach, you’ve got a long way to fall.
“Rugby coaches can find themselves in a very lonely position when things aren’t going so great.”
Moon, brother of exWales international Rupert, set up the RCA in 2012 as an independent organisation to represent all member coaches in their dealings with governing bodies and other stakeholders in Rugby Union and Rugby League.
An employment lawyer at Leamington Spa-based Blythe Liggins Solicitors, Moon once sat on the governing body of the RFU and was also involved in the establishment of the Rugby Players’ Association in 1996.
For four years, he has sought funding from the RFU and Premiership to support the needs of coaches and says the situation is more pressing than ever.
“I set up the Players’ Association when the game went professional because I could foresee that the players would need guidance and assistance in all formats and the same applies, in my view, for rugby coaches.
“Mr Cockerill’s departure gives substance to what we are all about really and why we started in the first place.
“Unfortunately, there is presently no funding or support for the RCA because the perception is that the support is there already in terms of coaching qualifications and quote, ‘they get paid well’.
“But the rewards are much less than their football counterparts who have the support of the League Managers’ Association (LMA), yet the risks are entirely comparable. Also, there are far fewer jobs at the same level in rugby as there are in football.
“Coaches should be looked at in the same way as players, in terms of investing in all facets of their employment situation such as meaningful appraisals, professional development programmes, stress management and personal well-being and helping them find alternative careers.”
He added: “As a rugby coach, you never switch off; it’s a 24-7, 365 days of the year job.
“The stress they’re under is huge. But how much specific training do individuals have at the top level?
“They might be fantastic rugby coaches but they are managing their coaching teams, players and staff as well as multi-million business transactions.
“In my view, there is so much more that could be done and the time is moving fast towards a situation where there should be independent support just as the LMA provides in football, otherwise these coaches will fall through the cracks.”