Whilst England Rugby (RFU) has floundered on the rugby field its counterpart and Rugby World Cup 2015 organiser England 2015 has flourished. Much has already been made of the failings of the English national side from poor leadership and management to the players lacking the required mentality to compete at the highest level. This, however, is not another bashing of the squad and management but a celebration of all that has surrounded them and indeed the other nineteen nation’s teams and fans that have descended upon England to witness the power of The Pack.
The Power of The Pack: Rugby World Cup Volunteers
At this cross roads of the tournament with the quarter finals upon us, twelve nations have now returned home, some further than others, but what will have travelled back with them alongside an overdue hangover and bags full of merchandise is the incredible atmosphere of the tournament. England 2015 set out once they had won the bid for the 2015 Rugby World Cup to generate the feel good factor that was stimulated during the London 2012 Olympics and it was the volunteers at that tournament that build the stage for the athletes to put on the show. The search for The Pack was launched in February 2014 with 20,000 applications being whittled down to the 6,000 that have so far and will no doubt continue to excel at every venue.
From personal experience as part of the logistics arm of The Pack, based in Manchester for the dead rubber of England vs Uruguay, valuable insights and experiences helped to show why The Pack and England 2015 has been so effective. As with all organisations particularly in sport the frontline workers are just as important as the back room staff and both are responsible for the results of the team. Too often it is easy to blame the coaches, the managers, and the back room staff in general when it is what happens on the pitch and on the frontline that ultimately determines the success. England Rugby failed to match expectations and it is up to you to muse as to why, but England 2015 delivered upon its expectations due to the attention to detail, passion and desire of every employee and volunteer.
From the senior management on site to each every volunteer there was a dedication to get everything done right and to the highest possible standard. This has been evident throughout the tournament at all the venues. Pack members greeting fans at train stations started the ball rolling for what was an excellent supporter journey throughout each host city and venue. As a supporter in Leeds alongside a touring US side, Blackthorn RFC, it was incredible to witness the fruits borne of the efforts put in by all of The Pack members and the management. Training for the volunteers began in earnest prior to the summer readying everybody for the Rugby World Cup. Ensuring that once the tournament opened and fans began to flock to England’s shores everyone was ready to welcome them.
The key to all this success though is the experience. Experience emanates from the England 2015 team throughout the management and the volunteers. Veterans of Olympics, Commonwealth Games’ and other high profile events both the volunteers and staff were ready prepared to rectify any issues that arose. Here in lies another comparison with England 2015 and England Rugby that highlights the success of one and failure of another, experience. It takes the knowledge of failure and mistakes to know how to best counteract them in order to succeed. England 2015 prospered at this and has so far despite some issues (mainly transport away from the ground which was out of their hands) managed to put on a massively successful tournament. A huge challenge lays ahead for the organisers, with England out and the underdogs who came out fighting now sent back to the international wilderness for another four years, of maintaining the interest across the country.
The power of The Pack has hopefully been witnessed by all who have not only attended matches but by those who live in the host cities. A huge thank you and congratulations much be extended to every volunteer who has made the Rugby World Cup so special for so many. England 2015 has exceled at everything it has done and despite the teams’ failure to reach the knock out stages. Everyone involved in the organisation of the tournament will be taking this week to look back, reflect and then come out fighting to ensure the rest of the tournament is just as incredible.
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