Jared Tuoro’s first coach had a big influence on how he sees the game of rugby and why he loves our game so. “I remember Mum used to take our trainings when my brother (identical twin brother Chad Tuoro) and I were five,” Tuoro recalls. ”She would make it all about having fun. It was just great fun.”
How idyllic. Growing up in Rotorua, having fun and playing rugby with your brother while being taught by your mother. “Dad would referee our games and I also remember him sending me off,” Tuoro says “for talking back to the ref.”
Tuoro, aka J.T. as he is known by all who meet the amiable New Zealander, believes that fun and enjoyment are the reasons why rugby is such a great game. “Variety and competition makes training and learning fun,” continues Tuoro, “but there must be peer recognition for this learning to truly engage with the players.”
I catch up with J.T. at the World Rugby level 2 coaching course he is conducting at Racecourse ground in the heart of Colombo and see firsthand his use of variety, competition and peer recognition to engage with the coaches.
J.T. represented Auckland in the National Provincial Championship (relaunched as the Mitre 10 Cup in 2006) but a neck injury curtailed his playing ambitions so he turned his hand to coaching. Studying hard to achieve his goal which was “…to let other people experience rugby like I did,” J.T. candidly acknowledges he gained a Bachelor of Sport before graduating top of his class in the UKCC (Sports Coach United Kingdom) level 4 coaching qualification. This path led to implementing rugby development programs and coaching positions in Canada, Scotland and finally New Zealand where he finds himself as a Coach Development Manager for New Zealand Rugby Union.
J.T. is a renaissance man of sorts. You won’t find him whiling away his time watching movies on a 10 hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Singapore. When others will mentally time out, you will find J.T. listening to audio books for guidance like ‘Everyone Communicates, Few Connect’ by John Maxwell or ‘Good to Great’ by James Collins. He may be drafting an entry in his journal saying that reflection is a big part of growing and learning. Here is a man that believes coaching is more than line out calls, back moves and training drills.
He points towards other coaches when asked about influences on his coaching philosophy. “Chris Boyd (head coach of the 2016 Super Rugby Champions, the Hurricanes) has a great saying that I believe rings true for me,” begins J.T. “…know where to go and how long to stay there…”. He is talking here about having an emotional connection with his players so they can fulfill their potential.
However these Yoda-esque quotes are open to more than one interpretation. When asked to define success as a coach J.T. leads me towards talking about an easy distraction, the All Blacks. “What is success for a team like the All Blacks after Sir Graham Henry has led them to a Rugby World Cup?” J.T. questions”, for Steve Hansen (the current All Black coach) it is to become the most dominant team in history….so is his team a success?” That’s the way our conversation continues with J.T.’s answers posing questions about rugby that lets us explore our own understanding of the game together.
Being innovative when creating a learning environment and culture is the nugget of wisdom J.T. leaves me to ponder as he strolls off to continue to pursue his own success at letting “other people experience rugby like I did.” And you get the feeling he won’t be stopping there
 and I were five,” Tuoro recalls. ”She would make it all about having fun. It was just great fun.”){kind=link}