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Bath to announce new DoR as Todd Blackadder heads for the door

By Online Editors
Todd Blackadder

Todd Blackadder today announced that he will leave Bath Rugby at the end of the season. The Director of Rugby has been granted early release from his one-year contract extension in order to allow him to join Toshiba in Japan as Head Coach.

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“It’s been an honour and a privilege to lead the Blue, Black and White for the past three years and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved. It might not be silverware but together we have built strong foundations and I leave knowing that the best is absolutely yet to come.”

“Bath is a very special Club. I’d like to thank everyone, especially the players and all of the staff. I also want to thank our supporters, even in the wind, rain and biting cold they are all at the Rec cheering us on. Thank you.

“Our sights remain set on a top four finish and we are all intent on making this season our best one yet,” commented Blackadder following the announcement of his departure.

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Tarquin McDonald, Bath Rugby’s Chief Executive thanked Blackadder for his unwavering commitment in his statement:?“Todd and I have been open and consistent with our conversations regarding the progression and future of the rugby department. We are confident that the Club can move forward and deliver on our long-term plan with solid foundations and a system that is ready to accommodate such change. I am pleased that we have been able to support Todd’s decision knowing it is right for him and his family.

“I have said before that it is a mark of Todd’s special and unique character, rare among coaches, that we have been able to bring about such positive change to the culture of our Club whilst he has been at the helm. Todd leaves us a stronger Club than the one he joined three years ago. He has been a pleasure to work with and I would like to thank him not only for his contribution of what has gone by but also for what is yet to come. I wish him every success for the future.”

The former All Black will depart Bath Rugby following the final game of the season.

The Club will confirm details of its coaching structure in the coming weeks.

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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