Much is written in rugby union about coaches & players coping in the professional environment, but do they understand what is meant by that and are they recognising that to achieve a positive environment is more than just about playing and winning games? Integral to this is a lifestyle approach that develops the best players but produces professional people and an environment that is conducive to perform.

The Welsh Rugby Union’s Performance Lifestyle Service (WRU were the first professional sport to achieve UK Sport licence status in 2000) is part of an integrated support service that can provide an athlete with the best environment possible to achieve their sporting & life aspirations. The aim of this service is to assist the athlete to integrate all of the demands of their sport along with everything else that happens within ones life. Many see the service simply as a career & education service, but it is far greater than a simple ‘find me a course or job approach’. The service does explore learning and employment opportunities but one of the strands to the programme is that of Transition Management.

A problem identified by the WRU Performance Lifestyle Manager is that senior players and possibly many of the coaches see it as a service for young up-and-coming athletes only; again this is a classic misconception of the service and possible lack of understanding of what and who can access the support. Senior players who have accessed the service are ensuring that issues away from rugby are dealt with and thus allowing them to concentrate on their performance.

Young elite players accessing the service buy into the programme fully. The players who continually access the service are seen as being more balanced in their lives and also despite going through difficult periods during their young careers have managed to cope with them through advice and guidance making them more aware and prepared. When they enter the professional environment unless they retain contact with the WRU Performance Lifestyle Adviser or their appropriate Academy Manager they enter an environment that does not understand or who have personnel who do not see the benefit of the philosophy.

Transition is defined as ‘a change from one state or situation to another’. There is a great deal of research and thinking on the impact transition or changes on an athlete’s life. These changes certainly influence and impact on the performance of athletes if they are not managed effectively.

These changes were the reason behind international sport recognition for a Performance Lifestyle service for elite performers. In some countries it is a Player Welfare Programme (NZ), Athlete Career Education – ACE (Australia), Performance Lifestyle (UK), Career Assistance Programme for Athletes (CAPA – USA) to recognise a few.

What we must all remember that each and every one of us go through life transitions, some are managed better than others. It is all about managing the changes rather than letting them happen.

Performance Lifestyle will help athletes (& Coaches) to take a proactive approach to the transitions in their life so that they don’t become an issue which can have a negative impact on their sporting performance and subsequent post participation career.

After five years of implementing the service to young Welsh Rugby Union elite performers there is now clear evidence on the impact of transitions or changes in an athlete’s life affect performance and if these changes are not managed effectively, the player(s) can face grave situations involving depression, under-performance, stress and anxieties. Therefore, the primary focus of any transitional support should be the all-round development of athletes as whole, people through their sport. The athlete’s needs should be treated holistically throughout the full range of the sports continuum.

Coaches tend to retain the knowledge, control and ultimate responsibility for their athletes, without realising the effect this may have on the self concept, psychological well being and overall performance of the respective player. Examples of this can still be found at all levels within Welsh Rugby. However, the major concern is that it still exists at the elite level of the sport in Wales; in simple terms – the inevitable.

There are two things that are inevitable in the life of an elite rugby player:

1. They will be introduced to a professional environment
2. They will leave this professional environment.

One of the hardest yet inevitable transition for any rugby player to deal with will be that of retirement, whether this is through a voluntary retirement or involuntary. Involuntary could be the result of de-selection, injury, poor performance. Examples of the two in recent sporting memory are Matthew Pinsent who voluntarily made the decision to retire from rowing and Robert Howley who involuntarily was forced to retire due to injury.

When a player is forced away from the sport one thing is for certain – it is unlikely that any will achieve a similar sense of belonging from any other industry they enter. Also it is unlikely that professional rugby players will receive an income that is anywhere near what they had from participation within their sport. It is worth noting that less than 2% of professional athletes make a living from the sport they participated in on retirement. So where and what do the other 98% follow.

Any transition, and in particular retirement, results in individuals going through a process that is similar to grieving. The individual will go through stages such as frustration, depression, anxiety, anger, denial and emotional swings before they accept what is happening. An aim of the service is to help the athlete to develop self help skills. This means giving them the skills so that they are able to help themselves with the obstacles and issues that they will definitely encounter.

Whilst there maybe only two ‘definites’ in an athlete's life, there are hundreds of ‘possibles’. It is these ‘possibles’ that can also have an impact on a player's sporting performance. Here are some examples that the WRU Performance Lifestyle Coordinator has encountered with today’s players.

- Moving away from home
- Integration of educational commitments
- Assumptions & Presumptions
- Conflict
- Moving from junior rugby to senior rugby
- New environments and resources
- Moving to University
- Injury
- Illness
- Selection & non-selection
- Financial management
- Retirement: Probably the major transition of all

20% of athletes suffer psychologically when adjusting to retirement. Cricket has a very high suicide incidence of retired players and it has been seen many other sports where great players / athletes have hit bad times later in life due to the fact they have not managed the transition or that they had assumed things would remain the same.

It is satisfying to see many young players in Wales now integrating their rugby with other academic, vocational & employment aspirations and development. To ensure that the Performance Lifestyle service is fully integrated and accepted by the professional rugby regions (Coaches, Players & Administrators alike) it is vitally important to make them aware of how the service can benefit them and what integration is.

For a majority of Welsh Professional Rugby players participating & competing at an elite level, a significant amount of time and energy is dedicated to achieving their sporting goals. This ‘exclusive commitment to sport may decrease preparation for the many transitions that they may have to deal with and subsequently be detrimental to achievement in sport and more importantly in other areas of life’ (Anderson 2000).

Does this worry exist in rugby? Our top talents, at ages 17-21 have increased rugby playing and training commitments. Rugby is seen by many as a genuine career pathway:

- Even at this age meaningful professional and personal development is often second to rugby
- As a result when they reach professional status professional development is not part of their work ethic

You only have to read reports and hear what athletes are really saying to see how important it is to develop people skills allied to rugby development:

“My head is really in a spin. I have three choices and am not sure how to decide on the best”

"I’m not sure if I’m ready for retirement"

“Every sportsperson enjoys performing in the spotlight at great sporting events, but what’s going to happen when that spotlight is turned off, or taken away from me”

“Just because I’m a successful sportsperson doesn’t mean that I will be successful after I retire. I have to make sure I enter employment that best suits me and keeps me happy”

“Now that I am retiring as a World Champion everyone is saying this and that about how I’ll be ok for work. But the work they are talking about isn’t what I want to do. I have always had other aspirations outside of sport, and now is the time to pursue them. Only the closest to me know what I will aim to do now. It wont be easy and so different from what I am used to but with the support of my lifestyle adviser I think I am as prepared as I could be for this huge transition”

The Key Goal in terms of retirement transition report ofr Welsh Rugby players is support to guide and assist rugby professionals in their personal and professional development both on an off the field.

Looking to enhance an individual’s performance by assisting them to achieve a balanced lifestyle, equip individuals with the competencies to manage the non-playing section of a professional career, assist individuals to develop and explore foundation for a career after professional rugby.

Players are individuals & the programme is flexible with relationships built on trust and honesty.

For further information, players should contact their WRU Performance Lifestyle Manager / Advisor.