Takeaways from a Rugby Game

May 13, 2022

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In January’s issue of the VET, I communicated my takeaways from the A-N football game. In this month’s issue, I want to address my takeaways from a different game in a different sport, one that is near and dear to my heart: the game of rugby. If you don’t know anything about rugby, I usually describe it as the child of American football and soccer. Like American football, positions are split between large humans (“forwards” – whose job is to move and/or tackle other humans) and skilled position players (“backs” – quick and nimble individuals that score points). Like soccer, ANYONE can handle the ball, kick and score.

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I like the gladiator aspect of rugby (think about watching an NFL game where no one is wearing pads), but I love the strategy and non-linear nature of the game. Unlike many sports, the coach’s job ends at kickoff. Play is executed by a team of fifteen individuals on the field that develop a plan going in and then work together to adapt as the game progresses.

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The D1-A Rugby National Championship was played in Houston, TX two weeks ago and featured my rugby alma mater: Army. All the service academies excel at the sport of rugby, but there is some interesting history on the Army rugby program specifically:

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• Founded in 1961 during the Vietnam War, the Army rugby team is the winningest intercollegiate team (defined as percentage of wins) in West Point history
• From 1961 until 2014, rugby was a club sport, which meant limited funding for uniforms, travel and support
• The Women’s Army Rugby team (WAR) was established in 2003 and has developed into a powerhouse at the national level, winning its first National Championships in 2011 after only eight years in existence
• The men’s team, although successful based on winning percentage, had not won a National Championship in its 60+ year history

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On April 30, it finally happened. I was one of several hundred alumni who traveled from across the country to watch the game and to say it was emotional is an understatement. After playing in the championship game NINE times without a victory, we finally emerged victorious. On the trip home, I reflected on the experience but also what I’ve learned from watching, playing and coaching rugby for almost thirty years.

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My main takeaway? Culture matters in a winning organization. Army coach, Matt Sherman, was mentored by the “father of USA rugby”, Jack Clark, at Cal Berkeley and was an exceptional player for the U.S. National team. His pedigree is the reason he got the job at West Point, but the culture he has established was the main driver of Army’s championship season. When I spoke with him about it, he said he borrowed most of it from the military. There are several examples from the team’s culture that leaders of growth companies can consider in the context of their own organization – and specifically when considering veterans for positions on their teams:

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• Trust your people: Rugby is a dynamic game that changes minute-by-minute. Players must trust their teammates to know and do their job…one player failing to do his or her job usually exposes a weakness that can be exploited. The same is true in combat. Coach Sherman emphasized trust with his team, and it paid dividends in the face of a fierce attack from their opponent in the 2^nd half of the championship game. Army’s success is best described by one author in his description of the benefits of veterans in the private sector: “once you’ve witnessed what people and teams can achieve with trust, and you’ve been a part of an organization that puts self-interest aside and focuses on achieving an objective, it stays with you.”
•  Confident leadership: Four weeks prior to the national championship game, the Army captain Nolan Green had a Joe Namath moment and guaranteed a victory in a speech to a large crowd of alumni. His quote: “make no mistake, we will win the national championship.” At the time I would describe my reaction as “nauseous.” In retrospect, Nolan was merely expressing how much confidence he had in his teammates (who were in attendance as well). Veterans, through their leadership experience in the face of difficult situations, develop confident leadership skills like those displayed by the Army captain
• Selflessness: A common phrase uttered by Coach Sherman is “less me, more we.” Throughout its history, the program has always emphasized selflessness, but this team embodied it. Much of the success of our nations military and the leaders it produces can be attributed to selflessness.  In short, you can count on veterans to put the mission and goals of your organization first

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Ahead 10-0 at halftime, the Army team was rolling. Their opponent, Saint Mary’s College, hadn’t been held scoreless in a half all season. But in his halftime speech, Coach Sherman sagely said, “something bad is going to happen in this half, and when it happens, you’ll have to trust the man next to you, be confident in our game plan and do your job (i.e. be selfless). If you do this in the second half, you’ll be national champions.” Coach Sherman was right…something bad happened but the Army team lived its culture and prevailed.

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Charlie Mike*

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Dave & the Summit Partners Veterans Community

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* “Charlie Mike” is the military phonetic alphabet for the letters C and M which stand for “continue the mission,” a phrase commonly used in tactical situations