EMMANUEL OLUSEGUN
Coach Pote Human has a variety of achievements under his belt that include his work as the Blue Bulls Currie Cup Head Coach in the 2005/6 season and the Blue Bulls Super Rugby forward coach from 2005 to 2008. Since joining TuksRugby as head coach in 2013, he has played an integral role in leading UP to their incredible Varsity Cup Final win this year where they beat Stellenbosch University (Maties) with a solid 28-21 score line. Perdeby met up with Coach Human to discuss his successes of this year.
How does the feeling of being a Varsity Cup champion differ from your other successes as a coach?
Any successful campaign is a wonderful experience. The winning of the Varsity Cup is up there with one of my proudest moments, especially because of the effort of everyone – players and staff. We had sessions early in the mornings, 05:30 till 07:15, and late afternoons, 17:30 till 20:00, to accommodate the players with their studies. We worked extremely hard and were well-conditioned. Everyone bought into our structures and game plan and we enjoyed each other’s company.
Looking back at your preparations for this year’s tournament, is there anything you would have done differently?
I was very happy with our preparation and with what we achieved this season.
In what areas both on and off the field do you feel the team needs to improve?
The reason for our success was hard work and discipline on and off the field. There will always be room for improvement but we had a very special group of players with a hunger for success, so we will have to create the same culture and environment for future success.
UP has for a while now been consistently ranked among the best university rugby teams in the country. How do you deal with the weight of expectation and pressure that comes with being head coach?
I put my trust in God and know that hard work will be rewarded. There is stress but in a position of head coach you have to lead by example and therefore must try and stay calm and always be positive.
What advice would you give to any up-and-coming coaches and players with dreams of coaching or playing at this level?
Always be humble, honest, work hard and respect your colleagues and players.
Photo: varsitycup.co.za Twitter page.
