Colts team on agenda as champs hatch plan
A FIRST grade premiership doesn't mean Ipswich Rangers are going to rest on their success.
Rangers have developed a model to move forward following a club workshop recently.
It followed their first grade side's win in the Barber Cup grand final last month.
"The key thing out of it was a new draft strategy plan to take to the next board meeting," club president Kim Rowcliffe said.
"Then to start implementing it next year.
"The focus is definitely on continuing to develop and grow our juniors with the intent to feed the senior playing group.
"And identifying that grade 12-colts period as critical."
While junior numbers were up this year and Rangers fielded three senior men's teams for the first time in years, the club was unable to attract enough players to field a colts team.
It is at that age many players get jobs, move for work, leave for uni and develop other interests that take higher priority than playing rugby, Rowcliffe said.
But without a strong colts squad, the ability to continue to feed the senior grades is jeopardised. "We want to fill that gap and provide opportunities for guys who are staying local to play rugby," Rowcliffe said.
Another key area the club identified to ensure future success was maintaining and improving coaching standards.
Rangers first and second grade coaches, Mike McLean and Dan Trevorrow, have both stepped aside following the 2012 season.
"We're updating the general knowledge of our coaches and doing some succession planning," Rowcliffe said.
To help the cause, Rangers will employ a director of coaching to assist and oversee all the club's coaches and programs.
One of Rowcliffe's immediate tasks is to find people to fill the coaching and director of coaching roles.
