Training in January is a bit of a change for Andrew 'Robbo' Robinson. After nine years coaching the incredibly successful Under 85kg Blues (followed by a year off) Andrew is the new head coach of the Premier Reserves. That Blues team won five consecutive division one championships between 2010-2014, which saw Andrew named Wellington Rugby's Club Coach of the Year in 2014.
The strength of the Premier Reserve team is crucial to any club's Jubilee Cup hopes and this season will be no different. Andrew sees great depth in this side which will boast a number of players with Premier experience mixed with exciting young players. He compliments the work ethic of the players who have been putting in the hard yards during the summer break and acknowledges there will be a lot of players pushing hard for spots.
The Blues were renowned for their camaraderie and team spirit and Andrew carries many fond memories, 'seeing the players win trophies was special after all the commitment and hard work they put in'. With experienced assistant coaches in Jamie Parkinson and Nic Fitisemanu and manager David Woods, the Premier Reserves will be striving to create similar memories. 'I think we all have in common a high standard we expect which is great... I'm looking forward to an enjoyable season.' Andrew believes the technical and tactical skills Jamie and Nic can add from their distinguished playing careers will combine to make a great environment for player development.
Everyone you ask down at the Evans Bay hub is praising the positive vibes across all our grades and Andrew echoes those sentiments, 'preparations have been good but just waiting for the games to start so the real hard work can begin'.