Ice Hockey UK’s national talent identification officer Mark Beggs recently visited Premiership rugby union side Harlequins.
Beggs spent time with the club’s head coach Paul Gustard, along with Andy Sanger (player development), Tom Williams (academy transition coach) and Nick Evans (coach).
“It was very useful to visit Harlequins and I thank them for their time,” said Beggs. “The aim of the visit was to discuss the structure on a day leading up to a game.
“Culture is clearly evident in the Harlequins message and after speaking with various staff and players, everyone was on the same page from tactics, performance and systems.
“On the day, Steve Borthwick (England Rugby) and John Mckee (Fiji head coach) were also visiting and this led to additional opportunities on how they approach selections and utilisation of camps, as they face similar challenges on contact time with players.
“How the day is structured is a valuable learning opportunity as there is a lot of engagement with all of the staff from analytics, performance and coaches, players having conversations which drives a positive environment.
“The video sessions are very focused with everybody expected to contribute and not be single-voice dependent. This provides a key development for the coaches as they are performing at a high level.
“Further benefits that can be utilised is the importance of communication between medical, as well as strength and conditioning, with club teams to ensure players are ready for camps and returning to club duty injury-free or recovery time through injury.
“This is a key component for preparation and knowing who might not be available for camps.
“It was a great opportunity to continue personal development and share my findings with the GB programme.”