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Ed Said - Heroes – a relative term

 

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The country, almost to a man, feel like they have won the Rugby World Cup on their own. We follow the All Blacks doggedly and repel vehemently any negative press from opposing countries and their sportswriters then personally and unashamedly share in the glory when they win. Despite the odd loss, New Zealand has been recognised as the greatest rugby nation in the world for the past 100 years with the highest accolades for players, yet precious little for coaches who are tasked with the job of producing the results. Invariably it’s not necessarily the greatest players who become the best coaches and, in fact, few aspire to that role.

To follow instruction and act to a plan as a participant is one thing, but to have the knowledge of the job at hand, the patience to plan a long tactical campaign and the psychology to motivate a large body of very individual and sometimes temperamental adults to continued success is no small feat, and so we must respect the likes of Steve Hansen. But this column isn’t about rugby and ‘heroes’ is a relative term.

Consider this: Are adults any more or less difficult to organise than teenagers? And is a bunch of men any easier to motivate than a group of mixed-sex teenagers?

Nine years ago local farmer Sandra Grayson, concerned as to the future of some of our youngsters given the trend towards TV games and technology stifling active development, instigated the Mangawhai Cadet Unit, a military-style organisation for interested teens both male and female who were prepared to step outside their comfort zone in a vast variety of disciplines and test themselves to their limit as both individuals and as a team.

Sandra’s input has not just been as their leader but her own five children plus a foster child have also been through the Cadet movement. She has had to develop her own skills as facilitator, motivator, sometimes tyrant, then tactician to assess and bring out the best in her troop in ten weeks of training. This in preparation for annual regional and national competitions where they perform as near to 100 percent as possible as a team where individuals shine in newly found skills and are then supported by other team members through other disciplines to achieve to ultimate goal.

Sounds like World Cup rugby doesn’t it?

On a national scale few Kiwis know where Mangawhai is but in terms of Army Cadet competitions Mangawhai is well-known, perhaps notorious and, in many quarters, feared by all other units and not un-noticed by the NZ Army hierarchy.

In eight years of regional competition the Mangawhai Unit remains unbeaten, the latest being in early October winning eleven of the twelve disciplines – again no small feat when one considers as senior members move on from High School, new and younger recruits take their place thus it’s a new squad each year.

On November 1, ironically RWC Final day, the ten-man squad completed three days of competition in Army-type skills in-cluding fitness, strength, leadership, team-work, firearm handling, casualty evacua-tion and much more winning the National Skills title for the third year running. Can you compare that record to the All Blacks? Probably not, as it’s not comparing apples with apples, but it’s a formidable record by highly motivated and dedicated young people with confidence in their ability and respect for their leader.

I, too, feel I’ve won the RWC. Sonny Bill, brilliant off-loads, McCaw, dogged determination, Dan Carter – what can one say? But on this occasion, Sandra Grayson, you’re my hero!

Just my humble opinion. Cheers,

-- Rob

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