‘Never too high, never too low’ – how Belgium qualified for SVNS 2

Jeff Williams and Belgium’s Wild Dogs have a saying they use every day; never too high, never too low.

It has been the saying uttered most since the 37-year-old took charge of the nation’s men’s sevens team two years ago. Two weekends ago in Dubai it was those same six words that helped the side qualify for HSBC SVNS 2.

Ultimately finishing as runners-up to Canada in the desert at the first-ever HSBC SVNS 3 event, the side’s preparations for their trips to Nairobi, Montevideo and Sao Paulo are now in their infancy.

There they will join Kenya, Germany, the USA and Uruguay in competing for a place in the top four after three legs and the opportunity to compete in the HSBC SVNS World Championships.

Just the latest success in Williams’ time at the helm, the former Bath Rugby and Beziers wing sees his team’s qualification for HSBC SVNS 2 as a continuation of the processes established across the past 24 months.

“I never like to think too much about results,” Williams told RugbyPass. “We’re driven by attitude, effort and process. We didn’t have any meetings about what would happen if we went up or if we won.

“We talked about the experience. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from psychology and working with sports teams as a player is to take away the fear of these things and talk a lot about belonging.

“Then the players can deliver that great attitude, effort and process. The process is clear. The process is simple. If you put those things together, the results take care of themselves.

“It is a cliché, but when you do that, when you do it right, it just allows the player to play with freedom and to not play with this heavy burden on their shoulders of qualifying for SVNS 2 or getting to the Series.”

Such consistency of messaging and underlining of standards is just a small part of the good fortune Belgium are experiencing.

It is also indicative of a programme which has undergone comprehensive changes since Williams’ arrival.

First invited to Brussels by his former England Sevens teammate, Chris Cracknell, the 37-year-old was shocked by the standard of competition the team was competing in in preparation for major competitions like the Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series.

“We had about 14 players and we literally went to a university tournament,” Williams said. “There was Oxford University, the University of Toulon – not to be rude or anything it was a bit like the cabbage cup.

“We won the tournament. As we should have. It was a close game, but I remember thinking; my goodness, we’re going to have a hell of a time if we are going to compete in Europe.”

Making Belgium into continental challengers did not happen overnight. In 2024 the team were at a crossroads. Less than 12 months removed from a runners-up finish on the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, they were reeling from a poor Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series performances where they placed ninth out of 12 teams.

 

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Among many things, Williams has utilised the nation’s Under-20s programme to provide developing players with opportunities to develop and taken the squad to numerous training camps in South Africa, Italy and Morocco.

This is before you consider the use of players like Ryan Godsmark or Gaspard Lalli, whose skillsets would not look out of place on the HSBC SVNS Series if provided with an opportunity.

He has even created a team identity borrowed from his time at Farleigh House.

While contending for spots in the back three with Anthony Watson, Matt Banahan, Tom Homer, Semesa Rokoduguni, Aled Brew and Jack Wilson, the group were branded as the ‘Wild Dogs’. It had a ring to it, so now it is what Belgium’s men’s sevens team call themselves too.

Williams has also delved into his thick phonebook to help provide players with the best rugby educations. Tabai Matson, Dan Norton, Russell Earnshaw, Mat Turner and Nyle Godsmark (twin of Ryan) have all come into camp to offer pearls of wisdom free of charge.

“They come in and they give their knowledge and give me skills to upgrade my own coaching,” Williams said.

“These things are invaluable for me and I just want to give as much as I can to the Wild Dogs and keep growing the belief.

“When you start to show athletes that if you have a good attitude and you put the effort in, follow the process, the pressure is not even there. You’re just thinking about the next job, and you can deliver without fear.

“We are continuing this journey. It has been a great journey and now we’re in SVNS 2 and in the top 14 of the world.”

Named Sporting Director of Belgium Rugby Sevens last April, Williams oversees both men’s and women’s programmes.

He has also taken on coaching responsibilities of the women’s side after Warren Abrahams suddenly passed away in October while in Kenya with the team.

“It was so tragic,” Williams said. “I felt guilty because I was part of the team that brought him in. It was terrible.

 

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“The union rallied. Belgium Rugby were faultless. Everyone that needed to be supported was supported. We managed to get to Dubai six weeks after that and the girls had grieved.

“The first thing I said to my parents was that coaching the women is what is going to make me a better human.”

The Belgian women’s setup has recently taken part in a high performance camp with HSBC SVNS 2’s Kenya and Spain, where they have had a taste of what could await them with a strong Rugby Europe Women’s Sevens Championship Series campaign this summer.

Ambition has been very much at the heart of everything Belgium have done. That is why standards have been set. It is why words of affirmation are uttered.

Williams is not one for getting too far ahead of himself. His own career on the HSBC SVNS Series, in the Gallagher PREM and Pro D2 have taught him the pitfalls of that.

But he is not immune to setting goals and, with the full backing of co-CEOs Kristof Vanhout and Thibaut Andre, knows exactly where he wants to steer Belgium in the next two years.

“The Olympics, I think, for us as a programme – we’re chasing 2028,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and we need to be very adaptive and creative with how we can budget and create more opportunities to train.

“Moments like Dubai only help the cause. We don’t chase clout or anything like that, but sometimes you have to be proactive to show people a story that they want to invest in.

“Top eight in the world is something we are chasing. We are moving towards that ambition and to create a place where Belgium Rugby Sevens has an identity – where people want to watch us and that there are players who excite them.”