'There is obviously something wrong' - Vickery warns Gloucester must rediscover their identity after Ackermann exit
As Gloucester begin their search for a new coaching set-up following Johan Ackermann’s departure for Japan, former captain Phil Vickery is urging the club to rediscover their unique identity and heritage.
Vickery spent 11 years at Gloucester in a career that saw him win 73 England caps and play in five Lions tests and despite having last appeared in the famous Cherry and White colours in 2006, the fortunes of the Gallagher Premiership outfit are still a factor in his life.
“I am shopping in Tesco still getting grief from the fans but that is what I first fell in love with when I came here from Cornwall,” explained Vickery who was Gloucester captain in 2001-02 when they won the Zurich Championship and has carved out a successful career away from rugby, launching the Raging Bull clothing line and now a restaurant in Cheltenham while also holding the title of deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Gloucestershire.
“Gloucester has a beautiful rough edge and people really care about the rugby club and that is wonderful so use that as a positive. With Johan going I wonder about how you get that continuity and the next appointment is going to be very important. It is a good chance to map out the future of the club and where it is going and who wouldn’t want an amazing opportunity to map out the future of Gloucester rugby club?
“You have to ask what is Gloucester’s identity? All successful teams like Leicester, Bath and Saracens all had their own identity and you cannot keep reinventing a new Gloucester – you are what you are. You have to stay true to yourself and build on that heritage to move forward regardless of who comes in
“The Gloucester squad is as strong as any in the Premiership and Jonny May is back to join some real talent but the team has not been playing particularly well. What is the next cycle going to be? Will it be the same old, same old here we go again? It’s a shame because it seems as if you have to press the reset button again. It is about the tradition of what Gloucester rugby is about and moving it into that new era and you can build from a fantastic heritage.
“There is obviously something wrong and the area of concern for me that we don’t repeat what happened when Philippe Saint-Andre left (in 2002) and so did players with allegiance to him. What is then left behind? The club needs to look at that and learn from it because you cannot have everything hanging on a coach.”
Just like the club he loves, Vickery, the World Cup winning former England captain, faces a major challenge by opting to launch his first restaurant in the middle of a global pandemic. The 2011 Celebrity MasterChef champion has opted to delay his restaurant opening – called No3 after his playing number – and restrict his latest offering to a takeaway service but is committed to making his latest venture another success. ”This has been in the offing for a long time,” added Vickery. “This is a fantastic opportunity. Then COVID-19 comes along and we could either feel sorry for ourselves or do something to get the brand out there.
“It’s the springer-spaniel in me, wanting to get on the front foot and be positive.”
The 44-year-old, who has an oriental tattoo on his left shoulder which translates to “I’ll fight you to the death”, and a bulldog tattoo on his right, has a successful clothing company Raging Bull – his rugby nickname – and is a long-time supporter of Wooden Spoon, the rugby charity. At the heart of his many passions is rugby and Vickery believes the sport is at a crossroads and decisions made now will have a significant impact on the game’s future.
He said: “What concerns me more than anything is the impact on what is happening on the majority of the game. This is the time to look at what rugby will look like in the future, particularly at the grassroots where clubs are struggling at senior level. We have to look at the bigger picture and we need to think about how we keep the fantastic values of rugby alive. With playing numbers going down we need a mindset change to engage more people.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments