Whole Brain Rugby

How do you approach your game? Are you a team player or an individual on the field? Do you get very emotional on the field or can you keep your composure? Are you able to keep discipline on the field? Mila, with the help of the NBI Rugby Profile can help you to gain insight into how you approach the game as an individual. By understanding how each member of your team approaches the game, communication on the field is improved. Coaching is made much easier by understanding how each member of the team prefers to approach the game.

"As a result of scientific training methods it is becoming almost impossible to be stronger, faster or fitter than your opponent. You will have to out-think him."

Mighty lesson on winning

RUGBY is a game watched by gentlemen and played by hooligans, the old adage goes. But nothing could have been further from the truth when it came to our lads' performance on Saturday.

In a relentlessly tough game against a not-always clean opponent, the Springboks displayed the qualities of true winners.

And their performance in Paris has indeed given us license to freely acknowledge the team as our "Glory Boys" and swell our chests with pride because "Boks rule the world!"

But the 15-6 win, a full 12 years after their first triumph, was not just about rugby and a turnaround in the fortunes of the team, nor was it only about the unbridled outpouring of joy that we have seen and are likely to see in the days ahead.

The triumph of the Bokke represented something far greater, something we all share and around which we are all unreservedly unified: The dream that our country as a whole will go from success to success, that South Africa will be a winning country, one that will make all our chests burst with pride and about which we will all jubilantly punch our fists into the air and yell "Our blood is green!".

So what are the lessons in winning given to us by our magnificent 15?

Firstly, they had a plan. For four years they developed a strategy and when they got onto the field at Stade de France, they stuck to it. You could see it in their discipline and restraint.

And then there was creativity, body-smashing fearlessness, professionalism, self-sacrifice and sheer, non-stop bloody hard work.

And, ah, self-control. Despite being tripped, shoved and "accidentally" having their faces mashed in, the Bokke kept their cool and their eyes on the ball.

The man the British media ridiculed for his hairstyle, dubbing him "Percy the Peacock", was not only the winning boot but also provided us with a flawless example of self-control.

After a "helping hand" from opponent Toby Flood sent him flying over advertising hoardings into a photographer and TV camera, and injuring his hand, there were no dramatic recriminations from the Bok star. "Monty" simply played on.

Captain John Smit paid tribute to him afterwards, saying: "He has been the best example of a professional player. He has been brave and Monty has epitomised our spirit during this competition."

And it is this selfless commitment and professionalism that we need to see manifest in greater degrees, not only on our sports fields but in our halls of government and our communities.

After the months of increasing acrimony ahead of the Polokwane vote, the World Cup has opened a window of goodwill. It is one to be seized, not only for the sake of 2010, but for the future of our country.