2008 Season Kick-off - Aurora Barbarians, where to from here?
Apr 11, 2008

I have spent the last five years trying to figure out what makes a "great rugby club", and while I don't think that I have made any huge breakthroughs it is useful to share some of my ideas and thinking.

This is particularly important to summarize as we are a few weeks away from the start of the 2008 season, a season that we start as the defending Cup and League champions and the holders of the ORU Magnificent 7's title. Not bad progress, 2008 will represent our fifth season in the top level of rugby in the Province of Ontario.

Of note, however, we must remember that the Women's team have one year of seniority at the senior level having won promotion to the Ontario Women's League, (OWL), in the second season after the merger, a season ahead of the Men!!

My findings suggest that there are three key factors that make a great club and have contributed to the overall success of the Aurora Barbarians:

• Strong leadership and a culture of excellence throughout the club
• A vision of building a club where a player can spend their entire career from Junior teams through senior to veterans!
• An inclusive club that allows players of all skill levels to find a home and encourages alumni and parents to play an active role in the club.

Leadership comes in many different styles and as a club we have been privileged to have the strength and dedication of a number of outstanding individuals over the last decade. This was of hugely important during the merger, which although difficult at the time, has proven to be successful beyond many people's expectations. It is important to recognize the role of John Reich and Jack Heald in providing the clarity and dedication and the "vision" for the club. In addition, a number of individuals, (to lengthy to list, but you all know who they are!!) in both the playing side and the administration have provided many hours of dedication and hard work in building new programs at the Junior and age group level and in new tools like our outstanding web site. We truly have built a "culture of excellence" at all levels of the club.

A great rugby club is like a family, and the idea of player retention and growth is central to the goals of the club, a concept that a player can start in "mini or flag rugby" and progress through the age group teams to senior rugby. Our club has a huge number of players who have spent the majority of their rugby career playing for the founding clubs, the Toronto Barbarians RFC, York County RFC and Aurora RFC. Players like Marco, Ivan, Leighton, Brian D'Andrade, Paddy, Franklin, Stu Hulbert, Alf, Bart, Drew, Rob Futter and Rob Kruus, Nat and Vern follow in the footsteps of dedicated stalwarts who preceded them and helped set the stage for our combined success. Many clubs have a "100 club" to recognize players who have played over 100 games for club teams and I hope that the Barbs can develop this program over the next few months, back to those great teams from the 1970's and 80's. 100 games represent five complete seasons and there will be a number of new players reaching this milestone this season.

An inclusive club is an extension of the "family" culture - central to this goal of "inclusivity" is the idea of recognizing that players have different needs and goals. The pressure of combining career, family and the demands of rugby presents a number of huge challenges for the contemporary player. Their can be little doubt that size and speed of the modern game and the increasing demands from representative or elite level rugby places great demands on players and it is critical that all players can find a level of participation that meets their own personal needs within a one club structure. The Aurora Barbarians are committed to releasing players for representative levels and encourage any player to pursue ambition for elite or representative teams. Equally important is the huge amount of support from alumni and parents - we are a successful club and we can all share in this success!

In closing this season kick-off article it is important to reflect on where we are at. We have come a long way over the last seven years. We have successfully built on the wonderful heritage and history from the founding clubs and hopefully we have continued the values and ideals that many of the founders of the club hoped to foster.

We will face a huge challenge from other teams this season, teams that will try to beat the "double" champions. The model that we have used to build excellence is not unique to the Barbs, in fact a number of other clubs have developed and are developing excellent Junior programs to build the level of talent that clubs will need to sustain the overall level of success and excellence.

But there is something exciting and unique about the Aurora Barbarians that makes me proud to be a small part, a very small part, of this great club. When all is said and done this is a club based on a superb understanding of people, of the human values that underlie all great organizations.

In a following article the goals and objectives for the club will be discussed and then I can return to my first love in writing game reports. Sitting under my trees at Fletcher's watching as much expansive and entertaining rugby as I can physically endure seems to me to be a wonderful way of spending Saturday afternoon - and the prospect or renewing friendships both within the club and with my contemporaries from other clubs is hugely rewarding. And so many new babies and families to play great uncle to!!!

The prospects of an exciting season, 2008 a season to enjoy!!

See you at FF!!

Simon