This week, I have a special treat for all my Reds Rugby Rules readers, a great interview with experienced player and coach Michael Hayes. I met Michael last year while he was coaching the Queensland Women’s Super W. (Since Super W began last year, it’s been awesome following and catching up with the QLD Women’s XV team and watching Australian women’s rugby take off.) Interviewing Michael last year didn’t quite work out and now, he finds himself at Norths, the club I wanted to visit and profile next!
So this week doubles as a look back at last years Super W season and Part 2 of my Norths Rugby Club interview series (click here for Part 1.) Michael’s enthusiasm and passion for rugby is extremely contagious - plus he shares lots of wisdom and knowledge here for all rugby players and coaches.
I hope you enjoy reading one of my best interviews yet!
Hi Michael, we didn’t get a chance to do an interview last year, so I’m glad it’s finally happened! Happy to be catching up with you at Norths!
Yeah, absolutely mate.
If it’s ok, I’d like to back-track a little bit, to the Super W season last year. What is your best memory from Queensland’s 2018 season?
Do you know what, I’ll tell you what, one of my most treasured memories was when they kicked the penalty goal (New South Wales) to win the game. And it was purely because, it was the end of what I thought was an outstanding rugby campaign, for women’s rugby. I sat there and I saw the ball go through the posts and I went: Well there you go. Fair enough… we’ve lost a titanic game of rugby where I thought we were probably the better team and yet these girls are probably going to celebrate with each other. There’s the “agony and the ecstasy” and 20 minutes later, they were holding each other and hugging each other and I thought to myself “that’s special.” That’s my most treasured memory. I let out a big sigh and thought “that’s the end of a magnificent campaign.”
That’s an interesting answer. Especially for someone who’s cousin is Grace. [New South Wales captain.]
That’s right. Yeah I know Gracie really well. She’s at Scotts [College] and I was down there a couple of times last holidays because I did some stuff at Scott’s college - leadership stuff… and I had a great chance to catch up with Gracie then too.
She’ll be one of my interviewees for this blog soon!
Is she? Well, you give her my regards.
I’ve loved supporting the Women in the Super W campaigns. Travelling down for the final was fun, tough way to end though. Thanks for your role in the campaign!!
(Laughs) Do you know what? We loved having you as a part of the campaign too. It was able to put women’s rugby on another platform. It’s a really great step, the way we can promote the Queensland women and just women’s rugby in general.
As a result, you can see what the IRB’s done, they’re really getting behind women’s rugby, enormously. It’s got a huge platform now. So to have yourself as a part of getting women on that stage, it was wonderful as well mate.
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| Some of the women's team at Norths. A couple of them were injured, but still showed up at training to support |
And how did I feel about the loss? It’s just a game of sport at the end of the day. And with it, comes the agony and the ecstasy… and the lessons you learn from that are great character lessons that hold you in good stead, for life.
Queensland’s women’s rugby has benefitted from your 35 years of coaching experience. What brought you to Norths?
Mate, that’s very very kind of you to say that. What brought me to North was an opportunity to teach some girls, who’ve never picked up a ball in their life the opportunity to enjoy what I enjoy about rugby. Camaraderie, becoming part of a team, working collectively and giving the girls an opportunity to enjoy the social aspect of rugby too. Cos it’s such a great family. Kids, adults, men, women, it doesn’t matter, rivalries… we’re just a part of this huge international family, which I love with a passion, because mate… I’ve played overseas, my eldest sons about to go and play overseas… and if you’ve got a pair of boots, it’s a passport to the world, rugby. You can go anywhere mate, that’s the beauty of it. So you know what? It’s just another chance to give back, that’s why I took up the job at North.
What do you love the most about this great club?
I’m sort of only involved with the women. But it’s the fact that it’s given these girls a family outside there own families. There’s young girls, 17, 18, 35 year old women here and one of my gracious experiences from coaching at Super W was seeing the love for the game, amongst women. And I see the same thing here at Norths. So, it just gives them an extended family. That’s the beauty of seeing the girls as a part of Norths.
I’d love to hear about your rugby journey. When did you start playing the game? Also, what led you to start coaching when you were 20 years of age?
Geez mate, you’ve done your homework! You are brilliant.
I grew up in rural New South Wales. My Dad was a rugby player, but we didn’t have rugby in our town… a little town called Crookwell and Goulburn was the nearest town. I was seven years old and my Dad said, “do you want to go and play rugby?” He said “I won’t even buy you a pair of boots, but you can play your first game in your riding boots - your RMs” (which are 3 sizes two big) and he said “if you like it, I’ll buy you a pair of boots”. So we drove from Crookwell to Goulburn. I played for Goulburn Norths, my very first team and I loved it.
My rugby journey… it’s amazing, on Facebook at the moment there’s this “10 photo” thing going and the photos I’m seeing come up are incredible. I was thinking “how am I gonna find 10 photos?” But the ones that people have sent me… I’ve played in Dublin, Argentina, in New South Wales Country, I’ve played in Brisbane, Sydney, I’ve toured New Zealand, I’ve played in Fiji…
To me, my rugby journey has been one of following a game that, like I said with the girls, has given me an extended family and I love what this game can do. I think it’s one of the greatest character builders available, for young boys and girls.
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| Michael coaching his squad at Norths Rugby Club, Wooloowin |
In todays society, we lack this capacity to have a rite of passage and rugby gives kids a rite of passage. Because it’s one of the few games where, you’re gonna feel discomfort, you’re gonna feel pain, you’re gonna get hurt, but you know what, you’re doing it for 14 other people. And they’re doing the same for you. Now that’s a pretty special thing. If you’re prepared to put yourself in that position, to allow 14 other people in a game of sport, that’ll do it for me.
That’s what rugby does and I say that to a lot of other kids too. It’s one of the few sports where you can tackle someone that doesn’t have the ball, you can present and exert yourself in a way that young boys are struggling with these days. There’s not really an opportunity to be masculine anymore and rugby can do that for you. For women, it has that same quality where you can be part of a team whereby your sacrificing, sometimes your own well-being to allow people to have a game of sport. That’s why I love rugby.
It’s a fantastic rite of passage for young people, but also it’s so unbelievably character building. I love rugby.
And you know what? To me, sitting with you, is a humbling experience. Because, you’re also passionate about the game. And that’s what inspires me mate.
Mate that’s awesome, great words. What advice would you give young players coming through the ranks, particularly to women?
Righto. My advice is this. Skills, skills, skills. And I’m reflecting upon my own journey. I was a country kid who always prided himself on his fitness, and you know, going to the gym. And I wish I spent more time, or as much time on the skill components, as I did in the gym. Because my boys who now play, have got more talent in their little finger, than I have.
As a Dad and a mentor to them, I would say to any aspiring rugby player now, I would say go and work on your skills because I see it’s an area that I feel is neglected these days.
And it’s fairly prolific when we see Wallabies and Super Rugby players unable to pass a certain side, or unable to chip kick… kicking’s a very important part of the game. Especially with this rushed defence. You’ve got to be able to put the ball in just behind. You know, strategic kicking…
So my advice is, go and work on your skills. The fitness will come, if you work on your skills, at high intensity, anyhow. The rest will follow.
Michael, thanks for your time, it’s been a pleasure.
Nah, it’s been my pleasure. Serendipity mate.
For more info on Norths Rugby Club, click here. And keep an ear out for Super W news as we get closer to 2020!
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