The achievements of the South Africa rugby team is continuously growing. In 2007 they reached the pinnacle of the game by securing the Rugby World Cup for the second time in four attempts, while earlier this year the British and Irish Lions were bruised by the brunt of the Boks, and they are currently unbeaten in this year’s prestigious tri-nations series.

Here at In The Winning Zone, we believe that to be the best, you have to compete against and learn from the best, which is exactly what Ross Doneghan, a young rugby player from Edinburgh, is doing.  In South Africa, of course.

Living, eating and sleeping rugby, the 20-year-old is honing his skills in the company of a group of young players who have one common goal: to get to the top of the game.

Doneghan took some time out of his rugby-crammed schedule to catch up with In The Winning Zone from his current base in East London, on the southeast coast of South Africa, to give us an insight into the lessons he is learning from the best in the business.

Doneghan’s enthusiasm for rugby was sparked by a visit that former Glasgow coach, Hugh Campbell, made to his primary school. Aged 10, his dad took him along to the local rugby club, where he found himself playing prop in the coalface of the scrum, where he spent the majority of his early years on the rugby pitch.

Perhaps the highlight of his early rugby career was his school team’s run of form during the 2006 Bell Lawrie Scottish Schools Cup. Having switched positions to lock due to a growth spurt, Doneghan helped a strong Stewart’s Melville side to victory over Robert Gordon’s College at Murrayfield.

After school, Doneghan moved to study history at The University of Stirling. However, seeing Stewart’s Melville as the best club for him at the time, he underlined his dedication to his progress by travelling to Edinburgh for training sessions and matches each week.

After a spell in the 2nd XV, of which he was captain, Doneghan broke into the 1st XV, under a coach who was an inspiration to him, Grant Mackenzie. During his first season in the 1st XV, in which he played every match, Doneghan received the Young Player of the Year award.

However, while watching his younger brother Michael – a member of the SRU national academy - on a rugby tour to South Africa in 2007, Doneghan realised that South Africa was the place for him to progress as a rugby player: “I remember watching the way the South Africans approached the game, with such grit and determination.”

During the summer of 2008, Doneghan received mentoring from Hugh Campbell. Campbell had heard about a new rugby academy which was opening in South Africa and he advised Doneghan to send in some footage of himself in action. 

“Hugh suggested that I apply to John Allan at the Legends Academy in South Africa. He knew I was determined to succeed no matter what and his help and advice has driven me on, he’s an extremely positive guy.”

Doneghan was fortunate enough to be accepted into the academy in February of this year, and although he would be thousands of miles from home, he had no hesitations on making his final decision.

“It wasn’t a tough decision at all. I knew it would be hard work. Both John Allan and Hugh had told me from the start that it would a tough environment, but if anything that made me more determined to do well.”

Having been out in South Africa for eight months, Doneghan has been working on both the physical and mental sides of his game. Anything he does at the academy, from his eating habits to his sleeping pattern, is targeted towards a better performance on the rugby pitch.

One thing he feels he has harnessed is the mental attitude of his team-mates in the academy. Being the only foreigner amongst a group of South Africans, Doneghan was forced to automatically mould into the competitive environment which exists.

“Like in Scotland they never give up, they play for the full 80 minutes, no matter what the score is. Training sessions can often be intense. Each guy is hungry to succeed, each one driven towards the ultimate goal of playing for the springboks. I can feel this hunger which, being in a positively charged team, has helped my game.”

Aside from daily gym work and skill training, the academy also work on specialist training each week, such as mental training.

 “The idea of mental preparation is to make sure that all of us and can switch on and deliver our best when we are needed. This can be applied to weights, skills training, strength and fitness testing and game day. You must be prepared mentally to give your all and never give up, no matter how hard it gets.”

Doneghan has also benefitted from the experience of a top South African wrestling champion, who visits the academy once a week to teach the young players various techniques to improve their game.

For the Scot, this training has been invaluable: “Looking at rugby from a wrestling point of view, being able to tackle your opponent and manipulate his body position into a position where you can try and turnover the ball, has been crucial for me.”

Steyn Swart, his coach at the academy has noticed a difference in Doneghan’s rugby since his arrival in South Africa.  

“He has come on with leaps and bounds and he has also improved his leadership potential on the rugby pitch” Steyn told In The Winning Zone. “He has also worked hard on his mental game, becoming a tough competitor, which he was not before.”

Doneghan’s time terrorising the opposition for his club and academy side during the season lead to his inclusion in the provincial training squad, Border Bulldogs under-21’s. His strong leadership skills throughout the club and academy season lead to him being named as vice-captain and pack leader of the provincial team.

He is aiming to make a name for himself in the under-21Currie Cup circuit, putting himself into contention for selection to spend some time training at one of the most prestigious rugby academies in the country.

The Dick Muir Investec Academy has been singled out by a number of top players, including Springbok captain John Smit, as ideal preparation for young players for the professional game.  “At the end of the season a small group of players will be chosen to attend the academy, I’m aiming for selection,” said Doneghan

Doneghan has taken himself out of is comfort zone to improve his performance on the rugby pitch. He has taken a number of sacrifices so far in his playing career and he is willing to continue that trend if it helps him reach his ultimate goal: to play for Scotland.

“All that matters is to pull on that blue jersey, and no matter what the cost, no matter how hard the training gets, no matter who I have to play against, I am more than determined to reach that goal.”

IC
©Copyright In The Winning Zone, MMIX, All Rights Reserved