Applied Coaching Research Journal Research Journal 4 | Page 16

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2019, Vol. 4
Introduction
The landscape of professional sport is arguably
now the most competitive it has ever been with
substantial resources invested within professional
sports clubs to achieve success. To achieve this
success, many professional sporting organisations
use talent identification and development systems
(TIDS) (Cobley and Till, 2015; Rongen et al, 2018) to
identify and develop athletic talent.
Talent identification refers to the recognition of
participants with the potential at an early age to
become elite performers in the future.
Talent development involves providing athletes
with a suitable learning environment to accelerate
or realise their potential.
(Reilly et al, 2000)
A Talent Development
Programme for Later Maturing
Players in UK Rugby League:
Research to Practice
Professor Kevin Till 1 , 2 and Simon Bell 2
Leeds Beckett University.
Leeds Rhinos RLFC.
TIDS are often designed and implemented in a
pyramid structure. At each stage of a TIDS pathway
the number of places available for selection
decreases and the developmental support offered
within the programme increases (eg higher qualified
coaches, increased competition, multidisciplinary
support [eg strength and conditioning, nutrition]).
Therefore, talent identification and talent
development processes are integrated in practice
as athletes selected will ultimately receive greater
developmental opportunities. Two factors which are
important to this process are:
• the timing (ie age) of identification
1
2
• the number of opportunities (ie the number of
places) available within the system.
Therefore, the TIDS influence when talent
identification opportunities are available, when
talent development starts, and how many athletes
receive these opportunities.
Abstract
Talent identification and development systems
(TIDS) are now common practice in youth sport.
Research suggests that TIDS often favour the
identification and selection of youths who mature
earlier than their peers. Based upon this research
evidence, alongside a review of their current
practices, Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football
Club (RLFC) have designed and developed a talent
development programme for later maturing players
within youth rugby league. This article summarises
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the research, describes how Leeds Rhinos RLFC have
implemented the programme and concludes with
initial reflections on the current programme whilst
providing suggestions for future applications.
Keywords: talent identification, talent development,
maturation, rugby.
The processes used to identify players into a TIDS
are also important to consider. These processes can
include recommendations by coaches or teachers,
subjective coach observation within training or
competition, and/or include objective assessments
(eg fitness tests). The personnel involved in talent
identification can range from scouts and coaches
providing subjective evaluations of potential and
performance to sport scientists implementing
objective assessments; although a collaborative
approach is often recommended. Another factor to
consider within talent identification is the difference
between current performance and current potential
(Baker et al, 2018). As talent identification focuses
upon ‘identifying potential’ this is a challenge for
practitioners due to the difficulties in observing
and measuring potential compared with current
performance.
Therefore, although TIDS are now commonly
implemented across sports there are a number
of important factors that need to be considered
to establish which athletes will obtain these
opportunities, when these opportunities are
provided, and how players are identified. Within
young athletes – where numerous physiological,
psychological and social factors can impact upon
performance and potential – this becomes a
challenging process.
This article will review some of the key challenges
and problems associated with TIDS in rugby league
(evidenced through research). It will also consider
how Leeds Rhinos RLFC implemented changes
within their TIDS practice to overcome such
challenges.
Talent identification and development systems in
rugby league
Rugby league is a high-intensity, intermittent,
collision sport whereby performance may be
determined by the complex interaction of an
individual player's technical, tactical, cognitive
and physical qualities (Cupples and O'Connor,
2011). To develop players for the professional
game, professional rugby league clubs within
the United Kingdom (UK) run TIDS, traditionally
known as a rugby league academy. The sport’s
national governing body, the Rugby Football League
(RFL), governs the TIDS within rugby league. A
professional rugby league academy follows a
traditional talent identification and development
pyramid model, whereby at each stage of the
pathway there is a reduced number of places
available for players within the system. A greater
level of resource and developmental opportunities
are provided for players at the higher levels of the
pathway. Figure 1 illustrates the UK rugby league
talent pathway, demonstrating the multiple routes
players can take from 14 years of age to adulthood.
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