Time to Move the Big Rocks for US Military Tour
Time to Move the Big Rocks for US Military Tour
Seattle Seawolves Director of Rugby and Head Coach Allen Clarke will take on a new job this November, one of those fun, unpaid jobs that rugby people tend to jump at.
Clarke will be Head Coach of the US All-Military Team that will being their tour of England this coming weekend.
All-Military Tour Features Impressive Coaching Staff
The US All-Military side will play the British Army on November 8 at Esher RFC, and the Royal Air Force on November 12 at Aldershot. The team itself arrives in the UK on November 2, so getting this group on the same page will be a task in itself.
Culture, said Clarke, is key. "It's about knowing the mission, what you represent; living the military values."
BUt over and above the games on the schedule, this is also almost a diplomatic mission. The team will attend the England-vs-Australia test match at Twickenham, and will also attend Remembrance Day services on November 11.
"That's always a special day in my life and for so many," said Clarke. "We are fortunate and grateful for the service of others; It's really important we recognize this globally."
The US All-Military kit will have the names of all of those who have died serving in all the branches since 9-11.
With players coming from varied branches of the military, varied rugby backgrounds, and varied locations in and out of the USA, the military values will provide common ground. But on a rugby level, even though he knows the background of the squad, Clarke will have to evaluate his players and figure out a plan quickly.
"What strikes me about all of the coaches and the guys like Mark Drown and Kevin Flynn running the program is how much they care," said Mike Tolkin, the program's Technical Director who, because of his recovery from transplant surgery, will not be making the trip. "What they're trying to do to build this program and do the very best job possible is inspiring."
US Military Tour About More than Just Rugby, But Rugby's Important, Too
He calls it "big rocks." That would mean the main and obvious things you have to move in order to operate smoothly. "[We need an] organized set piece and starter plays on both attack and defense."
What kind of a rugby team will we see? Hard to tell. GRR will be on-site throughout the tour, and so will be able to give you some thoughts about that in a few days. Right now, there are thousands of miles to cover, and for the coaching staff, plenty of unknowns.
