Sir Ian McGeechan& Peter Keen to head Eng Performance Review
By kath
August 13 2012
Peter Keen and Sir Ian McGeechan to lead England performance reviewTWO of the world’s leading names in high performance sport are working with the RFU to ensure England’s success at the highest level.
| England Performance Review |
Former UK Sport Performance Director Peter Keen was the architect of the systems and processes that resulted in Great Britain’s 19 gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, and continued to oversee the performance pathways that delivered 29 golds and ensured huge success at London 2012, while Sir Ian McGeechan has coached the British & Irish Lions five times as well as leading London Wasps to Heineken Cup and Aviva Premiership titles. The independent consultants are reporting to Chief Executive Ian Ritchie as part of the RFU’s drive to make sure England teams have the foundations necessary for long-term success. “I’m delighted we’ve got two outstanding individuals involved and this is a very positive move,” said Ritchie. “We have one of the greatest rugby brains of modern times allied with one of the most respected performance experts Great Britain has produced and that experience of best practice at the very top of elite sport can only benefit us. “Across the organisation we’re continually looking at how we can do things better. In this case that means the best performance pathways, support mechanisms and programmes which ultimately result in better England teams. I know they’re both very excited about their involvement and I’m looking forward to working with them closely.” |
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Rob Andrew role to be reappraised as RFU drafts in Sir Ian McGeechan for England elite rugby review
Rob Andrew’s role at Twickenham is again under scrutiny after the Rugby Football Union announced on Monday that it had appointed Sir Ian McGeechan and Peter Keen, who played a significant part Great Britain’s record Olympic medal hauls in the Beijing and London Games, to conduct an independent review into all aspects of England’s elite rugby set-up.
Andrew was moved aside from direct involvement with the senior team in the fall-out from England’s dismal World Cup campaign 10 months ago. The turmoil triggered by events at that tournament resulted in several high-profile casualties, notably England manager Martin Johnson. Andrew survived in a reduced, redefined capacity, now answering to the title of professional rugby director.
One of the board recommendations at the time was that there would be an appraisal of structures in and around the senior England side. Stuart Lancaster was appointed as interim head coach in December 2011 and confirmed as the man the RFU want to take England through to the 2015 World Cup on home soil in March.
There are several elements of Andrew’s department that will not come under review, such as sevens, which will feature in the Rio Games, referees, the women’s game and his dealings with the professional clubs and competitions. However, RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, pledged last year to evaluate the infrastructure that extends from talent-spotting right through to the performance of the senior England team.
McGeechan, four times Lions head coach, believes that Keen’s involvement will introduce the sort of rigour and expertise that helped Team GB deliver their rich haul of medals at the last two Games. Keen, formerly in charge of British Cycling, joined UK Sport in 2004 as performance consultant, becoming director of performance in 2009.
“As Team GB have shown so wonderfully over the last fortnight, if you get the right programmes and structures in place, then you’ve got a chance of achieving things,” McGeechan told Telegraph Sport.
ENDS
Quite honestly, I am one of the many who has questioned Andrew's role within the RFU for some time, but I don't believe that anybody deserves this much scrutiny every time the RFU decides to appoint yet more cronies to carry out another review of the England set-up! Moreover, I fail to see what they are hoping to achieve with these incessant reviews, unless they are going to actually act upon the recommendations that emerge from them.
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Even if you don't like Rob Andrew it must be awful for him and his family every time to have this constant scrutiny pressure.
Some of course will say that is what he is paid for and if he does not like it 'get out of the kitchen' but imagine your job being raked over like this and each time in the public domain.
anyway no doubt we will find out when they want to tell us what is in the offing.
Bring back Sir Clive Woodward I say!
Yes, you have correctly interpreted my post. No matter what one feels about RA, I don't believe anybody deserves this amount of scrutiny IF they are considered the right person for the job. IF he'snot, they should get rid and accept that there is likely to be a massive pay off.
As for Sir Clive coming back, I've responded to you on that suggestion on another thread. I think the budget he brings would be prohibitive!
I'll wager that there a large number of blazers full of byggr all at RFU who are glad to have him as a shield.
Unhappiness, where's when I was young
And we didn't give a damn
'Cause we were raised
To see life as a fun and take it if we can