High-calibre play and healthy interschool rivalries make school rugby a key battleground for developing the next generation players. Today we speak with ex-Wallaby Tim Wallace about school rugby and his work in rugby development at the Shore School in Sydney. We open our conversation by discussing Tim’s career highlights in club and international rugby. After sharing his tips on competing for team spots, we talk about the link between effective school level coaching and building a rapport with your students. Tim then opens up about the challenges faced by Shore School rugby and the solutions they’re introducing to boost their level of play. We touch on the importance of school competition, how school rugby creates a pathway to professional rugby, and Tim’s views on other codes of football. He emphasises that the sport provides students with mentors and role models — irrespective of the code they play. Near the end of the episode, we reflect on why many students stop playing after leaving school, with personal insights into what helped Tim continue his rugby career. We round off our conversation by chatting about the Shore School’s 2021 goals. Tune in for more on how Tim is determined to take school rugby at Shore into a successful new era for the school.
Key Points From This Episode:
• Comparing the experience of playing school, club, and international rugby.
• Tim shares his fondness for old school rugby tours.
• Advice on perseverance and competing over the same player position.
• Hear about Tim’s work at the Shore School in Sydney.
• Why the Shore School hasn't been able to land a rugby title in recent years.
• What the Shore School is doing to boost their level of play.
• The importance of strong school rugby rivalries.
• How school rugby provides a pathway to the professional game.
• How pride in the school, the jersey, and playing the first XV is inherent at the school.
• Tim discusses the factors that kept him playing after leaving school, but why others don't.
• Insights into coaching resources provided by Rugby Australia and GPS schools.
• Tim opens up about the 2021 goals that he has for his team.
“Old boys are proud to watch their school play. It becomes a breeding ground for professional athletes.” — Tim Wallace [0:16:53]
“For younger boys, if they have good role models, it doesn’t matter if they’re playing rugby union, league or AFL. They’re getting a good example of who they can aspire to be.” — Tim Wallace [0:19:37]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
High-calibre play and healthy interschool rivalries make school rugby a key battleground for developing the next generation players. Today we speak with ex-Wallaby Tim Wallace about school rugby and his work in rugby development at the Shore School in Sydney. We open our conversation by discussing Tim’s career highlights in club and international rugby. After sharing his tips on competing for team spots, we talk about the link between effective school level coaching and building a rapport with your students. Tim then opens up about the challenges faced by Shore School rugby and the solutions they’re introducing to boost their level of play. We touch on the importance of school competition, how school rugby creates a pathway to professional rugby, and Tim’s views on other codes of football. He emphasises that the sport provides students with mentors and role models — irrespective of the code they play. Near the end of the episode, we reflect on why many students stop playing after leaving school, with personal insights into what helped Tim continue his rugby career. We round off our conversation by chatting about the Shore School’s 2021 goals. Tune in for more on how Tim is determined to take school rugby at Shore into a successful new era for the school.
Key Points From This Episode:
• Comparing the experience of playing school, club, and international rugby.
• Tim shares his fondness for old school rugby tours.
• Advice on perseverance and competing over the same player position.
• Hear about Tim’s work at the Shore School in Sydney.
• Why the Shore School hasn't been able to land a rugby title in recent years.
• What the Shore School is doing to boost their level of play.
• The importance of strong school rugby rivalries.
• How school rugby provides a pathway to the professional game.
• How pride in the school, the jersey, and playing the first XV is inherent at the school.
• Tim discusses the factors that kept him playing after leaving school, but why others don't.
• Insights into coaching resources provided by Rugby Australia and GPS schools.
• Tim opens up about the 2021 goals that he has for his team.
“Old boys are proud to watch their school play. It becomes a breeding ground for professional athletes.” — Tim Wallace [0:16:53]
“For younger boys, if they have good role models, it doesn’t matter if they’re playing rugby union, league or AFL. They’re getting a good example of who they can aspire to be.” — Tim Wallace [0:19:37]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: