GLASGOW WARRIORS
THE URC CHAMPIONS LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW SEASON
Michael Hamilton
The United Rugby Championship is the competition that our two elite rugby teams, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby, play in. It’s an 18-team tournament consisting of teams from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, South Africa and Italy. The competition has consistently been dominated by teams from Ireland, but last season it was won by our very own Glasgow Warriors.
I went to visit the Warriors to chat about their fabulous win in South Africa last year and what aspirations the team has for this coming year. I caught up with Ayrshire’s own Michael Clark, Senior Team Physio, and Ben Afshar, scrum half during that amazing season, to find out what gave the team the edge when it mattered most.
The Warriors finished fourth in the regular season and went on to win the URC through the play-offs. A home win against the Stormers was followed by an incredible win in Munster before flying to South Africa to beat the Bulls and lift the trophy. I wanted to know if Michael had a quiet treatment room before the big game with everyone wanting to be picked or if it was business as usual.
“My role is long-term injuries, so anyone from six weeks or longer is who I will look after. It’s a fairly steady workload over the year but I’d say the week of the Bulls game it was quite quiet. People were coming in just to make sure they were 100%, but everyone was so focused on the game that it seemed normal. After we won in Munster, and we won well, everyone was so confident and the boys were in a great frame of mind.”
Playing in South Africa comes with its own challenges: the travel, staying away from family and of course, the altitude. The Bulls stadium is 1350m above sea level, and if this is something you are not used to or prepared for it can seriously affect your performance due to your body taking in less oxygen. There is a sign when you arrive detailing this (perhaps an attempt to get into the away team’s heads), but the Warriors had their own way of dealing with this and it certainly worked. Michael told me:
“We are constantly looking for ways to improve and knowing we had to go to South Africa a few times last season we hired a breathwork coach. A former rugby player who I had met when I was at Nottingham came up and coached the guys on how to use breathwork to support their performance, but also how it can help their mental state during games. We used it to get us ready for the altitude but also learnt how to use it to be mentally tougher in games and more resilient when things aren’t going our way. Everyone thinks you need lots of fancy equipment but it can be as simple as doing runs while holding your breath. It was hard on the boys, but they saw a tangible difference quickly and that helped them buy into it and put the extra effort in.”
Ben echoed Michael’s thoughts and talked me through what it was like in the beginning:
“The thing with altitude is that it’s in your mind as much as the effect it has on your body, especially with the signs everywhere trying to get in your mind. The first few times we did the breathwork training it was really tough, but we got used to it physically and mentally and it definitely helped. The effect on your mind was so impactful, knowing you were going to be deprived of oxygen but knowing if you stick at it you’ll get through it.”
I was intrigued to know what was happening at half time during the final as the team was down six points and had lost to the Bulls just six weeks before the final.
Michael and Ben were both confident at half time. Michael felt that even with a six point deficit the team were fitter and stronger than the Bulls and were going to come back well in the second half. The converted try right on half time swung the game in the Bulls’ favour according to Ben:
“We had all the momentum going into the dressing room. The coaches instilled that in us, reinforced the messages we had been getting all season and we just knew as a group we were going to go out there and finish the job.”
Michael and Ben were absolutely right; two converted tries in the second half secured the victory for Glasgow. Ben, watching from the sidelines, said that the last few minutes were the most stressful of his young professional career.
“Those last few minutes seemed to take forever, but when that maul got held up and the final whistle went it was just incredible. To do it in South Africa, in front of 60,000 fans, probably only 200 Glasgow fans, was amazing. There was a whole range of emotions, some tears, joy, and just knowing that all your hard work during the season was worth it. You make a lot of sacrifices, you’re away a lot and some of the lads have young families. It meant so much to the entire cub.”
Neither Michael nor Ben could remember much from the celebrations post-match but the team did get to have a memorable moment back in Glasgow. They had a fantastic celebration on the Tuesday after the final back at Scotstoun with their fans and the players’ families.
It was very special for Michael who had his wife and sons on the pitch celebrating with the team.
“It was amazing. You sacrifice a lot with travelling, so to be able to celebrate with my wife and two boys meant so much to me. It was a great night, enjoying it with the fans, showing off the trophy the boys had worked so hard to win, a moment I’ll remember forever.”
Thoughts are already well under way for the new season, with the team already back in pre-season. The win from last season is still fondly remembered but the focus is now the upcoming season. The team know there is a target on their back and every team will be looking to do a number on Glasgow.
I was keen to know what the physio team were looking to focus on this season and if there were any other marginal gains that could be made similarly to the breathwork from last year.
“Right now we are in testing mode. We are doing lots of baseline testing focused a lot on necks and shoulders to ensure there aren’t any trends or deficiencies that could lead to injury. We work across our whole team – strength and conditioning, nutritionists and ourselves – and look at our KPIs for the boys. We will keep striving to find advantages for the players as we want to be world leading in that respect and ensure we set the boys up for success.”
Ben had a real breakthrough year last year, playing more games than he expected and exceeding his own expectations.
“I absolutely loved last year. I know there were circumstances that went in my favour but the coaches here are great. They allow us to play with confidence and freedom and I know they trust me and the entire squad. You don’t feel like you are just getting on because of an injury, you feel trusted and the whole team is so united, you’re free to play your own game. I can’t wait for this season. We know every team will be coming to try and roll us over, but we are ready for it and fully confident going in to this season.”
Glasgow are hoping for another great season this year. Retaining the URC and success in Europe will be difficult but the entire organisation is committed to working tirelessly to achieve their goals. I asked Ben for his prediction for the season and from speaking to him and Michael I think this sums up the current mood at Scotstoun:
“Win everything!”
The Warriors had an amazing season last year and it is clear that more success is not just the aim, it is expected by the team. I’m looking forward to following their campaign (which starts away to Ulster on September 21st) and seeing the hard work off the pitch leading to more success and silverware on it.
