By Michael Vlismas.
He grew up watching The Springbok Saga tape four times a week and is passionate about the game. He’s an introvert who believes success can be more dangerous than failure in how it can change who you are. He has four non-negotiables for his players. And his full name is not actually Neil Powell. The new coach of the Cell C Sharks is definitely going to bring his unique touch to the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
In an exclusive interview in November, Powell opened up about his life in rugby, his passion for shaping more than just great rugby players, and his vision for the Durban franchise.
For the talismanic former Sevens coach, it all begins with culture.
“Culture has always been a non-negotiable for me. Culture is not a guarantee of success but it’s a big component of success. The culture of the Cell C Sharks is already at a really good level. You can feel that brotherhood. There are one or two things we can do better and that is one of my jobs – to make sure we drive that culture every single day. Culture can’t be visited. You need to live it every single day. A lot of people talk about culture and values and put it on the walls of their changerooms but they don’t really live those values,” said Powell.
“For me it starts with discipline, which is the boundary within which culture can function. If there’s no discipline then you can’t have a culture. Respect is also massive for me. It’s always easy to respect up – somebody who’s older than you or has a higher position than you. But it’s sometimes a challenge to respect down – somebody who makes you coffee or the players you’re coaching. That’s the challenge – respect for everybody. Even the person who sweeps the streets. And then honesty. You can’t have a culture if you can’t be honest and open with each other. That’s a two-way thing between coaches and players. Finally, integrity – to do the right thing when nobody is watching. That’s massive for me. Those four components are definitely something that I will drive in this environment at the Cell C Sharks.”
Powell’s dedication to the game is driven by his deep passion for it, starting when he was a boy with dreams of playing for the Springboks.
“My early love for the game developed with me watching that Springbok Saga tape three or four times a week. I really had a passion for Springbok rugby. I always wanted to become a Springbok. There was only one thing for me. I wanted to play rugby and become a Springbok. I just felt like it was in my blood and something I wanted to do. When rugby became professional after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, it gave me a bit of hope that I could still become a Springbok 15s player one day. I think I still have hopes of becoming a Springbok, even to this day.”
Born Johannes Daniel Powell, he was raised in a home where his father was the perfect example of discipline and hard work, and his mother backed this up with her incredible support of their family.
“My full name incorporates family names, and it’s also my father’s name. It’s caused me a lot of challenges because if somebody writes me a cheque for Neil Powell and I take it to the bank unfortunately I’m not going to get my money. Even booking flight tickets, I need to go with my full name. But they are proud family names. I was fortunate to be brought up by amazing parents. My father was loyal, true to his word, humble, respectful and disciplined, and my mom just had a servant heart. My parents were an amazing example to us of how we should be when we grow up.”
Powell admits he’s not a man for the limelight and has to work hard against his introvert nature.
“I’m a very private person. Between those four lines on a rugby field I feel confident and I feel at home, but outside of it I don’t feel as comfortable. It’s also why I don’t really do media. I avoid reading the newspaper and social media. I just believe that media changes what you think of yourself. So when people write about me the only way I find out about it is through my wife or friends. I think the passion I have for the game and people overshadows my introvert nature. My reward is when the young men leave the system and have done well in their rugby careers but have also developed well as people, and you can see how they are successful as a father or husband in their families, or as an employer or employee.”
As high as his standards are for on-field success, the off-the-field character of his players – and himself – is equally important.
“I’m more wary of success than failure because success changes you as a person one per cent a day, and then all of a sudden six months down the line you look back and wonder who this person is that you’ve become. Success can change you. I’ve had that experience before as a Sevens coach. You need those mentors around you who can keep your feet on the ground.
“It’s a massive challenge for the young players in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship. They can achieve immediate success from Under-21 to this competition and then into the Springbok side. That instant success is very difficult to manage. You’re just out of school and suddenly you need to manage this fame. We have a bigger responsibility as adults in these young players’ lives to help and guide them through this process.”
Powell is also keenly aware of the pressure on coaches in the modern game.
“It’s always going to be difficult to balance the pressure because of the investors and where we want to go, and obviously the outcome on the field. That’s always the challenge. But I believe if we implement the processes the results will look after themselves. At the Cell C Sharks we have the players and personnel and it’s just a case of getting everybody on the same page and making sure there is clarity in terms of what we expect from the players and as a coaching staff, and then add the effort to that. Then I believe the outcome will look after itself. It’s also important for me to be honest with myself and our investors and if we weren’t good enough in a game to admit that, and that we will work hard to fix it. That honesty is crucial. As soon as you try to manoeuvre yourself out of situations, I think you can find yourself in a difficult spot. If I believe the effort we gave out there wasn’t good enough I’ll definitely say it, and we’ll work hard to fix it. The key is respect. We will always have differences but it’s how we voice those differences and opinions and be honest with each other.”
And he’s more than willing to take on the challenge.
“A challenge is also an opportunity to be successful. That is what attracted me back to the 15s game. I’m fortunate and blessed to be part of this and can hopefully contribute to the future of the Cell C Sharks.