High-Performance National Programs Coach Nathan Grey is hoping to guide the next generation of talent as they implement the 'Gold Man Program.'
Grey and head coach Shannon Fraser are overlooking the Australian Schools and U18s camp in Canberra, preparing to play an Invitational U19 Barbarians side on Sunday.
Watch Australian Schools and U18s take on the U19 Barbarians on Rugby.com.au
With the program stifled for game-time as a result of COVID, they are using the week-long camp to help players make positive transitions into professional programs.
“It’s a player development program which we’ve designed at RA around equipping these players with the skills to be Wallabies on and off the field,” Gray explained about the Gold Man program.
“A lot of those things don’t involve footy but we’re equipping them with the mental skills to be able to perform at the high level and the intricacies that go with that.”
Grey is the perfect person to lead the charge, well aware of what it takes to succeed both as a player and coach.
He came into the Waratahs set-up in 1997 as the fruits of professionalism were starting to blossom, eventually making his way into two World Cup squads, including 1999 as he came off the bench in the Final.
The 35-cap Wallaby then served as defensive coach for the national side before making the transition to the pathway programs as Junior Wallabies head coach.
With a unique view on the game, Grey stressed the importance of off-the-field aspects of the game as key to fostering the development of up-and-coming talent and developing a new generation of Wallabies.
“Being a player going into coaching, you get that double perspective, I certainly would have a strong conversation with myself as a young player if I knew what I knew (now),” he said with a smile.
“That’s part of growing up and developing, definitely around preparation what I would’ve done different as a young gun but also some things I did that I didn’t have an understanding of and dealing with the difficulties of a young player going into professionalism.
“A lot of those things are something as simple as learning how to cook for yourself, cooking well. You’re training at a high level so learning how to refuel and how to recover, you can take for granted so those young guys need to learn that and the mental approach to that is important for development.
“That’s something that’s really important for their development as footy players but also as young men. We want to prepare them to be winners. We want to have all the tools off and on the field to be a successful and winning Wallaby."
