Wasps
FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG
RC: What are your plans for the rest of
2018/2019?
RG: On the pitch we are aiming for
play-offs for the ladies and to win the
premiership very soon. The men have
3 teams in leagues and we’re aiming
to increase that to 4 and see the 1st XV
climb a few leagues. New players very
welcome. Youth will continue to be the
player-factory that it has been for 20
years now.
RC: How important is youth rugby to
the club?
RG: Massively. There are a number
of lads from the club who now play at
national, championship, premiership
and International level. Until recently
our best youth players joined the Wasps
academy or went on to get professional
contracts.
That route is limited now, and for
the time being our strong youth players
go to other academies in London. We’re
looking to develop our own pathway for
the talented lads, and that will feed into
the mens amateur section as it develops.
RC: How does the club ensure that
young players enjoy a smooth transition
into the senior game?
RG: A lot of lads come back after
an absence, but there is still the large
drop-off at 17/18. The key is to provide
meaningful senior matches in their final
year and to reassure parents that their
20 Issue 79
offspring will be looked-after. That takes
role-model effort from the senior mens
teams and seamless work between youth
coaches and senior team coaches. We
can improve that.
RC: What do you believe could be some
of the biggest challenges the club may
face in the next five years?
RG: We were disappointed not to
have kept the Wasps academy, or part
of it when the pro-side left. That’s one
of our big challenges - either we find
a solution with the RFU and Wasps
Pros, or we will have to create the right
in-house pathway to keep our youth
players in black and yellow once they
graduate from the club.
RC: What are the clubs ambitions for
the next five years?
RG: On the park, Ladies to win the
premiership and to retain their place as
a dominant force in English womens
sport. Men to be playing at the top levels
of amateur rugby and the club to become
the reference for community sport in
London.
In terms of facilities, we aim to install
two all-weather pitches and continue to
invest in our gym and cardio areas. Off
the field we will continue to work on
bringing all members and branches of
the giant family of Wasps together.