Story

GTS started from a passion and some missed opportunities shaped by life circumstances. When I became a father, it became clear my sons had found a similar love for rugby. I actually signed my oldest up for football first—I didn’t want to push my own passion onto him. But Little Kickers was full, and the local rugby club across the road had just started up, so rugby found us.

After his first training he came home and said, “Dad, I love rugby.” From then on, my focus became making sure my kids were as safe as possible in the game, especially around collision and keeping their brains as safe as possible—from ball carry to tackle. That meant holding high standards around the details: neck strengthening, head placement, contact confidence, finding space, and repetition during the week. I was clear with them—I don’t care what sport you choose, but if you’re doing this one, these are the standards.

We didn’t do anything flashy. We just repeated the basics, over and over, in different ways. Consistency mattered. That’s where the REPS program came from. It might look boring, but it works.

Whether they continue with rugby or not, the goal is simple: take good standards into life and be happy. And no matter how far they go, staying connected in some way to grassroots rugby—whether that connection is small or significant—matters. That’s where our sport stays healthy.