YORKTON - Young athletes considering rugby as their sport received some sage advice when a beginner’s workshop was held in Yorkton.
Jamie Cudmore, a former Team Canada rugby player who represented Canada on the world stage 46 times while playing in four Rugby World Cups was in the city lending a helping hand.
The Yorkton event held at Century Field focused on various activities where Cudmore was helping coach.
The Winnipeg-born Cudmore said working with youth is critical for the sport.
“It starts from the grassroots,” he said, adding it’s not just about getting a ball into the hands of younger players, but “coaching other coaches as well.”
In Cudmore’s own case, he actually came to the sport of rugby somewhat late – in his mid teens.
Like many Canadian youth Cudmore had wanted to play hockey.
“My mother wouldn’t allow me to play hockey because it was too violent,” he told Yorkton This Week.
“A year or two later I started to play rugby.”
And that introduction was almost by happenstance. He had a job and the boss said he didn’t have to work a weekend if he came out for rugby.
The decision to try the sport was also aided by a family connection.
“Dad played in the early 70s,” related Cudmore.
So at around age 15 Cudmore was a rugby player, and as it turned out a rather good one.
“I was very fortunate to play professionally,” he said.
The pro career included time in Wales for Llanelli and Llandovery, and in France for Grenoble, Clermont and Oyonnax.
Cudmore would play until he was 38, and then transition directly to coaching, his last contract in France having him playing two seasons then coaching, a step he said was huge.
“That was extremely difficult,” he said, adding he was quickly reminded “good players don’t always make good coaches.”
Cudmore said he had to basically learn a new career on the fly, a journey which started by admitting he didn’t know much about coaching to start.
“It was the bottom of the ladder I had to work my way up, just as you do as a player. . . It was a very steep learning curve,” he said.
But, as he did as a player, Cudmore succeeded. He is now the Head Coach of the Atlantic Selects as well as a Rugby Coaching consultant and RugbyPR founder.
Attending events like those in Saskatchewan are important said Cudmore.
“It’s what I came back to do,” he said, adding he believes working with youth makes the entire program better over time.
It’s great to have the Toronto Arrows in the MRL for players to aspire to as one day professionals on Canadian soil, but you need a system that prepares players to be good enough to be pro one day, said Cudmore.
In that regard Canada has faltered, in particular on the men’s side of things, missing the World Cup for the first time.
So there is something of a talent rebuild taking place.
Cudmore said some programming cuts for youth rugby happened around 2005, which impacted the game manifesting in not qualifying for the World Cup.
“We’re reaping the non-benefits now,” he said.
The focus must return to building a broad foundation, youth and new coaches, with the Arrows now there to shoot for.
“The Arrows are a huge benefit for us in Canada,” said Cudmore, adding they are a goal for players, and a place to put finishing touches on young players with the talent to make it.
Slowly it is getting better for rugby in Canada.
“We’re definitely starting to see more and more kids,” said Cudmore, adding he is seeing players that started out in rookie rugby moving through the ranks as they get older, so the system is working.
The Yorkton visit was one of a handful of short stops across Saskatchewan including at the Regina Rugby Union for a scrum session July 13, and July 16, at CN Sportsplex/Rugby Park for a coaching session and a training session, with attendance from Lashburn Lucky Ladies Rugby Lashburn Jr. Men's RFC and Meadow Lake She Devils girls rugby team.
