Always good to hear from Hugh McCaughey, this week’s guest on the podcast.  He now sounds like he’s intending to see a 5-year plan through, although he was speaking of it like a short term job when he came in.  He had a lot of interesting things to say about club rugby in Ulster and about developing the schools to produce more players. 

It’s also good that he did not have to say a lot this time about getting the budgetary problems fixed, so hopefully that’s now sorted.

Haven’t listened to it all yet but it was interesting, and yes I agree good to hear he staying for the 5 year plan.  About developing players I still think Ulster have a huge black hole here, as they only have a few School compared to Leinster system, they need to be doing more with clubs and “non traditional rugby” ( ie Catholic) schools.  Its a lot better compared to when I was a kid but they have a lot to do ( and in fairness maybe not the money).  Ulster has a Pop of 2.2 , Leinster 2.9, Munster 1.4, Connacht 0.6 million, we have the potential to clear from Munster and closer to Leinster, but there is a lot of work to be done to exploit that and reach people that don’t currently have access to rugby ( I think success of the National team helps this).  

I watch a 20min video on youtube about what went wrong with Welsh rugby, and while there were a good few different things, he blame the cutting in funding for youth coaching being the most harmful.  I think if ulster went all in on youth coaching in clubs and getting it to more clubs they will reap the benefits in 10+ years 

He didn’t say much about budget, but that does not mean its not still a problem. He did talk about falling match day attendance, the average last year was 13,196 (URC) and unless the last 2 home games are selling outs I think it lower this year and Hugh said out side the derbies, attendance is lower.  The worrying stat is for Gen Z Rugby is not in their top 20 sports (Ithink he said its in the top 4 for middle aged men), that’s bleak for the future 

There are some moves to beef up coaching in some of the schools outside the big 3.  I think there is IRFU money helping to fund Kieran Campbell at Coleraine (my old haunt), Al O’Connor at Ballymena and Gareth Steenson at BRA.  But a long way to go when you think how little rugby is even played “west of the Bann” and in Catholic schools, not to mention Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan.