Caribbean job drawing Roulston back (25/04/11)

Source: www.odt.co.nz

Story by: by Steve Hepburn

Murray Roulston has boots and has travelled - everywhere.

The former Highlanders and Hurricanes assistant coach and Otago rugby director of coaching is back home in Mosgiel after spending most of the past few years overseeing rugby in Trinidad and Tobago. He had earlier spent time in Japan and Romania, coaching a game he loves.

The Caribbean outpost was his latest home, as he spread the gospel of the game among the 1.3 million population, and he was likely to return there in the next few weeks.

Roulston (57) said the nation had a lot of naturally gifted athletes but that did not always equate to good rugby players.

"One of the biggest problems we face is at secondary school level they only play touch. And that creates some real bad habits for rugby players. They are not allowed to play contact rugby at secondary school," he said.

"They have about 11 to 12 clubs but not all of them are organised properly. There are just a few things that need to be done before I go back."

Roulston said the people were friendly and very laid back which was sometimes a hindrance.

A new government had been elected last year and Roulston was waiting to hear whether it would back the things he wanted. Roulston, who is based in the capital, Port of Spain, said rugby was about the fifth or sixth-ranked sport in the country. Cricket, athletics and football were the most popular sports though rugby was becoming more widely recognised.

Delon and Steffon Armitage, who have both been part of the England set-up, were born in Trinidad though not many ex-pats played the game.

"The whole rugby infrastructure had to be changed. The guys were great playing among themselves but as soon as they came up against another opposition they backed off.

"The thing is I went to Romania and there were different cultures within the country. You can't change those cultures but you can change the rugby culture.
"Rugby is good for young people because it creates camaraderie, teamwork and the physical contact. It makes them better people."

He gained the job through former Otago coach Lee Smith, who is Oceania IRB regional development manager.
Roulston said the job was all-enveloping as he had become everything from the chief executive of the national body to the coach of the national team.

The national side was ranked 46 in the world, although he hoped to get it below 40.

"It would probably be equivalent in talent to a side here like North Otago, Mid Canterbury."

The side plays in a tournament involving other nations in the Caribbean and will take on Guyana next month.
Roulston, who played and coached Mid Canterbury before coaching stints with the Wanganui and Otago unions, was the assistant coach at the Hurricanes from 2003-07 and was the Highlanders assistant coach in 2008.