There You Go!

(Compliments of CW videographer Shaun Barry)

So long, it's been good to know ya....it is inevitable in this age of professional rugby football that successes are rewarded financially and so it has come to pass for National Sevens Coach, Geraint John.  John has given Canadian Rugby good service for the past eight years, uncustomary as we had grown used to, with a number of his off-shore predecessors.  Hats off to Geraint and the best of luck, except when the Wallabies play The Canucks!  We bring you the following quote as to John's selection by the ARU to fill the shoes of Michael O'Connor;

"Australian Rugby Union today announced Geraint John as the new Qantas Men’s Sevens Head Coach. The 51-year-old joins the ARU from Rugby Canada where he has been Head Coach of the Canadian Men’s Rugby Sevens team since 2010.

John, from Carmarthen, Wales, takes over the reins from Michael O’Connor, who stepped down as Head Coach in February after six years in the role. He will commence his duties for Australia on Monday, 23 June, before taking charge of the team for the first time at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. John will then lead Australia into the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series, which kicks off on the Gold Coast in October – the first tournament of the Olympic qualification period.

After a playing career that included representative honours with Wales A, Wales B and selection for the Barbarians, John moved into coaching in 1992 and spent six years with Cardiff RFC and Cardiff Blues as Assistant Coach. He also served under legendary Kiwi Coach Graham Henry as Skills Coach with the Welsh National Team from 1999-2001 and had a spell as Head Coach of the Wales National Sevens team.

He joined Rugby Canada in 2006 as High Performance Director and then became Head Coach of Rugby Canada’s Sevens team in 2010, where he led the country back to IRB core status in 2012. John most recently led Canada to its first ever IRB Sevens World Series Cup Final in Glasgow in early May 2014.

“Australian Rugby is steeped in history and, in my opinion, the role of Men’s Sevens Head Coach is one of the best team jobs in the sport,” John said. “While the prospect of coaching at the Olympics is an extremely appetising one, for me, the next tournament is always the most important. My first priority is to prepare and work with the players and to get to know them at the centralised base and then in competition at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.

“However, I am under no illusion that one of the key targets of the ARU is for the Men’s Sevens team to secure a gold medal in Rio. While you can never guarantee anything in sport – and especially the Olympics – I am delighted to be given the opportunity to give us the best possible chance of bringing back gold in 2016. “However, the first step for this team is to qualify. We need to make sure we have the best structure and program to make this happen.” “We have many big challenges ahead in the coming months but a challenge is something I thrive on. Michael [O’Connor] has left behind an extremely talented squad. It is one of the youngest in the World Series and they’re continuing to improve. I am looking forward to meeting them on an individual basis and as a group next month.”

Australian Rugby Union’s General Manager – National Teams and Rugby Operations, Andrew Fagan, said: “Throughout the interview process, the ARU was unanimous that Geraint was the outstanding candidate. “When we commenced our search there were three essential criteria that candidates had to meet. Firstly, experience coaching Rugby Sevens at international level. Secondly, the ability to drive an elite high performance, centralised program; and finally have the ability to grow and promote the sport of Rugby Sevens in Australia. “Geraint showed a genuine hunger for the role of Qantas Men’s Sevens Head Coach and brings with him a huge level of experience and knowledge, along with a real passion to play an important role in the development of Rugby Sevens in this country. “We are extremely confident that we have made an appointment that will build on the foundation Michael O’Connor has laid over the past six years.”

The selection panel involved in the interview process included Andrew Fagan, General Manager – National Teams and Rugby Operations; Ewen McKenzie, former Wallaby and current Qantas Wallabies Head Coach; Scott Bowen, former Wallaby and Australian Sevens representative and current Australian Women’s Sevens Team Manager as well as Mike McGovern, Deputy Director – Performance Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport – four men with a wealth of experience at the elite level of Rugby Union either in a playing, coaching or administrative capacity. Outgoing Men’s Head Coach Michael O’Connor was also consulted on the appointment."

In case you missed a salient point made on this site a few posts back, we repeat an interesting article relating to Aussie Sevens; "

We query; "What price citizenship?"  This, after spotting an article at Rugby Heaven website about Australian Sevens. The article is regarding the availabilty of Aussie players for the upcoming Commonwealth Games team.  We quote;

"Just 70 days out from the start of the Glasgow campaign, the ARU is in a race against time to make sure Tongan-born rising star Afa Pakalani can play in the Australian jersey. The New Zealand-raised winger, who spent two seasons at the Waratahs, was signed by the sevens side a year ago but had to undergo a knee reconstruction before making his debut in March.  With "a starting seven all sitting in Australia", according to outgoing coach Michael O'Connor, Pakalani's seven tries across four tournaments was a crucial contribution to the team's rally late in this year's world series. But the 24-year-old is not yet an Australian citizen and must be by the time the squad goes to Glasgow. He is not the only player battling a mountain of paperwork to make the Games. New Zealand-born Pama Fou, a sevens regular since switching from representative volleyball to rugby five years ago, has only just gained Australian citizenship. And newcomer Allan Fa'alava'au, New Zealand-born and one of a small handful of the side's world class players, is not only out of contention until October because of a shoulder reconstruction but also not yet a citizen."

Our National Sevens Program has been left in good standing and the pride of this group of players will not allow for any regression.  It will be interested to see the course of action chosen by the National body for a replacement.  Go, Canada, go!