By Lt Col Paul Kearney Royal Marines, and Playing member of ORUFC
Please direct any queries/comments to: paul@inspiredleaders.com
One night last summer I was in an unusually contemplative mood as I lay in the Helmandi desert trying (but dismally failing) to catch a few hours sleep before the mayhem that would follow early the next morning. That day the Afghan force we were supporting had unexpectedly hit stiff Taleban resistance and had taken casualties. Tomorrow the men under my command were to clear the area and heavy fighting seemed inevitable. I had delivered my orders and we would move out at 4am, which left us with a few hours to rest and reflect. Sleep does not come easy at times like this for any commander. The plan had to be dissected, double and triple checked. Every precaution had to be taken to ensure nothing was left to chance – men’s lives were at stake.
As I lay under the immaculate ink-black Afghan sky my thoughts eventually turned to friends, family and – unexpectedly - to one of the other great pillars in my life, Ormskirk Rugby Club. As a young man I was a bit of a tearaway, to put it mildly, and I am convinced that the maturing effect of playing men’s rugby during this period kept me ‘onside.’ A few years later I returned to Captain the 1st XV but that was in a different time – a time before 9/11, a time when there were constants and fairly predictable outcomes in my life. One of the almost universal reactions to combat is that you stop planning on the future, almost as if to do so would be to tempt fate’s violent retribution. When dawn broke I had a job to do and that mission was my absolute priority but once it was done, I quite fancied a pint down the rugby club.
After several operational tours I returned to Ormskirk Rugby Club in time for the start of the new season last year and was immediately struck by the vibrant atmosphere surrounding the club. Ormskirk is one of the biggest sports clubs in the North West with over 400 playing and non-playing members both male and female ranging from 4 to 75 years of age. Like any amateur club, Ormskirk has had its ups and downs but with my newly acquired outsider status I could see that the Club was in good strength; I did not however have any concept of the unprecedented (for all except the under 16s!) success that the club would achieve at almost every level throughout the coming year.
Although it hardly seems it at the time, I have been lucky enough to see some of the very worst places in the world. I say lucky because it allows me to see past the petty disputes and arguments that clutter our daily view. Even in the most desperate of places you will find humanity, the missing factor is almost always community. A million miles from Helmand or Baghdad is Ormskirk Rugby Club on a Sunday morning when the club is teaming with boys, girls, mums and dads all busily taking time out to live life. A good example of this is the Under 14s, and in particular their driving force Mark Bailie. When I started playing for the Club as a temperamental teenager Mark was the 1st XV Captain. Following a year in the social sides this was were my apprenticeship began. I remember Mark falling out, catastrophically, with the South Liverpool back row and also I remember him, bizarrely, having his false tooth stolen during pre-season training. Most of all however, I remember him as the Captain that led Ormskirk to their first promotion in 1988. Now Mark coaches the Under 14s side that includes his son Dan and he has clearly not lost his touch, as this year he led the team from a slow start to the Lancashire Plate final. Although they unfortunately lost the final to a strong Vale of Lune side it provides a great example of how a community based club like Ormskirk can offer success at so many levels.
Mark is just one of the many senior players who supports the Mini and Junior sections on the coaching side. In addition to the technical expertise and leadership they provide, these players, men and women, help to glue the Ormskirk Rugby Club community together. If Helmand has taught me anything, it is that the common experiences, ambitions and acquaintances that make up a community are more valuable than any grand strategic plan.
As a Royal Marines Commando I live and work in an exclusively male environment that inevitably has both advantages and disadvantages. One of the things that has struck me as we patrol around the villages of Helmand province is that you very rarely see any women. Children run up and play much like anywhere else and old men till the fields or work around the farmsteads and they may be friendly or not depending on the tribal allegiance of the village. Women on the other hand, if you ever see them, will avoid any eye contact and would never ever enter into any form of conversation even if they have been the victim of an attack. I am in no position to judge but I cannot help but be struck by the very different community that I returned home to. Women have always played an integral role within Ormskirk Rugby club and the growth of the mini and junior sections has helped to brush even further aside some of the more conservative rugby club tendencies. Girls play throughout the mini and junior sections and the ladies senior side is a thriving aspect of the Ormskirk senior rugby community. The Ormskirk Ladies gained promotion from the North West League last year and this year continued their impressive run with a second place finish in the National Challenge North 1 league and a place in the Lancashire Cup final. The success of the ladies team runs well beyond Ormskirk as the team boasts seven Lancashire players amongst a variety of other representative honours. Once again this team is a microcosm of the cyclical community so prevalent at Ormskirk, as several men’s senior players help to coach the women whilst women’s players take an active role in coaching the mini’s and junior school sides.
I occasionally lecture on Leadership to corporate organisations as the military offers dramatic examples of why leadership is fundamentally the same in any situation. When I came back to Ormskirk at the beginning of the season it was clear that the 1st XV had been gripped. Phil Harland, my old sports teacher and the man who introduced me to Rugby, had returned as the coach. Phil is quite literally ‘old school’ and an unquestionable level of commitment to the cause backs up his enormous technical experience. Phil takes straight talking Yorkshire-ese to a new level. The vital second element for the 1st XV leadership team’s success is the physically imposing although slightly more considered influence of Cliff Kirby, the 1st XV Captain. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes and there is rarely a perfect solution but a leadership team that lacks substance will ultimately, and catastrophically, be found out. Ormskirk1st XV, in this duo, had put in place the fundamental building blocks for success as they provided structure, discipline and direction to a talented group of individuals. There is however a second element to leadership that aims to take a team to the next level - Inspired Leadership must also be delivered in style. (Although our Prime Minister may disagree!) This final element, although technically not part of the leadership team, would arrive a few weeks into the season. Ben Davies, an early star of the Ormskirk junior section and former England schoolboy international, returned to add literal and figurative weight to the back row. Ben is unlikely to win diplomat of the year any time soon, which is rich coming from me, but he undoubtedly has a style all of his own. Ultimately however the rugby pitch is very similar to the battlefield, there is only room for one leader. When things are going well everybody wants to be in charge but when the going get tough, most fall into a natural hierarchy. Cliff Kirby skilfully navigated the egos, opinions and doubts over a turbulent season and so deserves the accolades that he will probably never hear. In terms of leadership the results speak for themselves but to win battles you also need skilful and experienced operators. Ormskirk is currently blessed to have some very talented players from the experienced (old) Molyneux to the young (reckless) Webb with everything in between. This combination of talent and leadership has led to one promotion and I am confident that there is more to come.
Combat is not a glamorous experience but I understand how it can become glamorised. In addition to unleashing the very worst aspects of humanity it also, paradoxically, can bring out the best. The levels of personal bravery and selfless dedication, in the most demanding of circumstances, can be quite staggering. Whilst nothing, thankfully, can come close to reproducing this maelstrom, nothing comes closer on a physical and emotional level than rugby. Good rugby players invariably make good soldiers, both require the combination of physical and mental robustness supported by good technical skills. Notwithstanding the successes of the 1st XV, there is no better example of this at Ormskirk than the Under 16 side. This is an exceptionally talented team having only been beaten twice in four years, and never by European opposition. Obviously to reach these standards the team is full of stars and the individual honours that they have collectively achieved beggars belief; as an Ormskirk man I am proud to be evenly tenuously associated with them.
As a commander however I know that the successes that they have achieved over such an extended period owe more to team dynamics than individual brilliance. The excellent coaching duo of Donny Sutherland and Gareth Stratton, supported by legions of duly proud parents, have created and supported an impressive team ethos that embraces all members of the enormous squad. The stronger members of this squad undoubtedly have the potential to challenge for full international honours and the entire Ormskirk Rugby Community looks forward to basking in their reflected glory.
Closer to home the Ormskirk senior sides eagerly anticipate the addition of these technically honed athletes to their ranks; it seems inevitable that members of this team will form the backbone of the Ormskirk 1st XV before too long. Each of the individuals will find their own level in rugby but they will benefit from the experience in everything else they do. From a young age they have learnt responsibility, the value of teamwork and the focus of having a collective aim. Whatever they choose to do in life provided they stick to this template they will do alright. The older playing members of the Ormskirk community (particularly me) look forward to being embarrassed by these polished athletes.
The morning of the assault came following a long and tense covert night insertion I found myself on the line of departure surrounded by highly trained and motivated young men. It is funny but the human body does not provide any extra emotions for such dramatic situations and so I found myself with the familiar pre-match combination of excitement and apprehension. More important than this however, I trusted the young men around me with my life. On returning to Ormskirk, in (slightly) less dramatic circumstances, I found myself playing for the 1st XV in an early cup game. As the opposition prepared to kick off I looked around that pitch, some familiar faces that I knew I could rely on if the match got tight but also there was a smattering of new faces – or faces I had last seen as boys charging around the club. The analogy was perfect and I was delighted, if not a little concerned, that the Captain had selected so many young players. The excellent free flowing victory that followed was a strong vindication of this policy and I was a little frustrated with myself for instinctively erring towards experience.
I enjoy the combative edge of 1st XV games but I had to admit that younger and better players were available for selection and so committed my season to the 2nd XV. The Seconds, or Raiders, as we are affectionately known also enjoyed a highly successful season and as such were able to develop a number of young players throughout the season that we hope will make the step up to the 1st XV next term. Promotion to the Millers Homes league Division 2 was the reward of The Raiders’ hard work and consistency this season. At every level the ‘next generation’ is coming through as success builds on success. The Under 15’s team is once again built on a strong coaching infrastructure built around the manager David Evans and three highly able coaches from John Moore’s University Wayne McCabe, Tom Potts and Lewis Sharpe. As confidence flowed through the club the teams early season indifference began to galvanize into a strong cup run. Like virtually every team at Ormskirk their season ended in victory with a fantastic 12-10 victory against Sedgley Park in the Lancashire Vase final. The senior mens’ 3rd and 4th XVs also tasted success. With fifth-place finishes in their respective leagues, both teams will play in a higher league next season – testament again to the strength and depth that currently resides within ORUFC.
The hardest moment for any commander in combat comes immediately after H hour when you say ‘move now.’ One never get used to the feeling of absolute isolation as the troops under your command step into the unknown. At that point a commander’s role, after hundred’s of years of military ‘advancement,’ is still to get on top of the nearest hill and watch your team carry out their orders. In that situation your every instinct is to go down and get involved yourself but as any good leader knows, the point comes when you simply have to trust your men and keep out of their way. The best support you can give them is freedom of action along with a clear understanding of their objective and how it fits into the bigger plan. After a couple of false starts Ormskirk now has a clear understanding of its future plan and the redevelopment of the clubhouse is obviously a part of this.
Ormskirk Rugby club is an important element of the town’s community and reciprocally the club could not exist without the continued support of West Lancashire District Council. As the Club now aims to expand in order to support its enormous, and expanding, junior player base the club will look to develop an even more intimate relationship with the local council. Also on the pitch the 1st XV must be able to offer rugby to all but the most talented members of the junior section. This progression has begun with this year’s promotion and the technical challenges will undoubtedly increase; the club has responded in acquiring the skills of an excellent player coach. Jonny Armstrong won the Lancashire Cup with Ormskirk as a Colt nine years ago and following an illustrious career – both abroad in Italy and closer to home at Fylde RUFC - he is returning to assist the club in reaching its obvious medium term potential.
Military history is an important part of an officer’s education and I always believed that the favorite pose of Napoleon, sat on top of a hill, was a leadership error that belonged to another age. Now having commanded in combat I understand that when the situation is chaotic, leadership must lend perspective and so, in retrospect, I must concede that le petit caporal knew his stuff (rather generous of me I feel). He is also quoted as saying that whilst Amateurs deal in tactics, Professionals concern themselves with logistics. Once again he was bang on, when lives are on the line the art of the possible is the only art that matters. I am a terrible routine administrator and so I respect anyone who can consistently demonstrate a good attention to detail. Ormskirk Rugby Club is blessed with so many excellent volunteers from the young lads who put out the flags to Jack Call who has been a pillar of the club for over half a century. At every level and in every team the volunteers give up their time to ensure that the rest of us can enjoy our weekends. It is unfair to single out individuals and I realize that in a club the size of Ormskirk I probably do not even know the most deserving candidate but I do want to highlight, by way of example, the input of the second team captain, Ged Dawson. Ormskirk has always had a strong player base but this has, on occasions, been inefficiently managed. Ged consistently put the best team available in the right place at the right time. Sound administration and quiet determination will never receive the plaudits it deserves but Ged’s results speak for themselves as he turned the 2nd team season into a promotion gaining procession.
A similar story unfolded with the Ormskirk Under 13s who nearly folded a few years ago due to tranche of player defections to Waterloo RUFC. A resolute and innovative coaching staff rebuilt the depleted team and encouraged several new players to join by running community-coaching lessons at local schools. The squad is now over 30 strong and the ‘small band of determined men (and women)’ have finally delivered their first piece of silverware by winning the Blacksticks Blue Lancashire Plate.
One blisteringly hot afternoon last summer we entered a small village in Helmand and I was surprised when one of the Afghan soldiers with us ran forward and greeted an old villager with a group of children. It is a rare and ominous sign to see too many males of fighting age in a rural village and so his apparent return caused quite a stir. Feeling slightly voyeuristic we melted back into the desert and waited for our friend to return as it was clearly a personal matter.
The first person I ever met at Ormskirk Rugby Club was the former 5th team Captain Sam Botfield, Sam introduced me to the club but I don’t think he ever got used to my more aggressive tendencies that were destined for a less social brand of rugby. Sam is a ‘club man’ through and through, he created the 5th and 6th teams that ceased to exist once his drive was gone and he was subsequently instrumental in the creation and maintenance of the Ladies section. The Saturday after the season I went down to the club to meet a friend and discovered that Sam had organized a schools’ tag tournament. Whilst I have been away I went on to learn, the day had grown from a small non-contact tag tournament into massive event that includes a variety of local, and not so local schools. The event is apparently so popular that it is only limited by the size of the Green Lane pitches, another favour to discuss with WLDC in due course! It was a brilliant to see Sam still weaving his magic and introducing boys and girls to the vibrant rugby union community.
Thinking, not too far back, the irrepressible kids running around the club were almost indistinguishable from the kids running around the village in Helmand, the only significant difference being the opportunities that lay before them. The problems of Helmand will not be solved with community-based sport and although I am proud to be associated with the successes of Ormskirk Rugby Club I would not want to imply their challenges are even remotely comparable. As we all know there are unfortunately countless complex and seemingly unresolvable problems both in England and around the world; there are plenty of reasons to feel pessimistic about the future. But that however is only half of the story and if you want to feel a little more optimistic about life, take a trip down to Ormskirk Rugby Union Football Club where you will see a community that is definitely worth fighting for.
