The challenge of stop-start rugby is keeping players motivated

Just when we thought things were getting back to normal, we’ve been hit by a fresh new wave of coronavirus. And sport, and in my case especially rugby, has felt the blow once again.

As a Varsity Cup coach I’m all of a sudden concerned once again for the competition next year. While kickoff is only on February 14, which is some time away, this current Covid wave could last well into the new year and complicate matters significantly.

The biggest challenge will be to keep the players motivated. The stop-start nature of rugby over the last 18 months has been hard to deal with, and we’re now seemingly back in that same boat.

I feel for the coaching teams of the four United Rugby Championship sides, especially right now.

After so much disruption to the rugby schedule, it looked as if things were going to go smoothly for a while, with all four teams playing in Europe and getting their new adventure in the URC off to a decent, if not spectacular, start, but that is now no longer the case.

It’s so disappointing that the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers have been forced to once again accept that for now, they’ll again have to face each other. It’s just not the same as playing against foreign opposition.

So much uncertainty

And what next for these four teams? They’re in action this weekend, after several weeks off because of the international break and the matches cancelled last weekend, but will then not play any more rugby for weeks before returning in the New Year, to play against who, each other again? It’s so very frustrating.

How are coaches going to keep the players going, keep them motivated and switched on, not knowing when they’ll be in action again, and against who? In the current situation it’s so hard to do any planning because you just don’t know what’s going to be happening.

There was so much uncertainty a few months back, and it seems we’re right at the same point once again.

Turning to the actual action on the field, I think after months of the Bulls being in charge of South African rugby, we could see a shift in the coming months. The Sharks, with the players they’ve recruited and the Springboks all available, look a formidable outfit all of a sudden.

They’ll be extremely competitive once they start playing regularly again and if things go to plan will be the team to beat in South Africa in the immediate future.

Even before Siya Kolisi and Bongi Mbonambi joined, the Sharks looked to be on the up, but with those two world class players in the mix, together with guys like Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, they’re going to be tough to beat.

Let’s hope for some good news about our rugby in the coming days.