The season ahead - 'we're just growin' up in stages'
- 1874tsmith
- 19 hours ago
- 6 min read
I should be flying straight, no delay
'Cause time takes from everyone
And we're floating here
Waiting for our wave to come
Take us to the place
Takin' us where we have gone
Hear it ask me all the time...
I'm just growin' up in stages
Patience - Tame Impala
Kevin Parker may not feature prominently in many people's lists of the top 100 lyrics of the 21st century, nor indeed Tame Impala in the best acts, but as a long-suffering Cov supporter of some 65 years or so, there's something about 'Patience' that resonates with me.
It strikes a chord, so-to-speak.
In professional sport, patience is scarce in a time when success is gauged by trophies, promotions, or even basic financial survival.
And for most supporters, achieving a higher position than last season is considered success, while finishing lower is seen as failure.
Even at Championship level, progress is often measured mainly by on-field results, with both sponsors and spectators concentrating on the standings instead of a broader evaluation of the improvement. It's easy to be self-righteous, a criticism that might be directed at me here, but I guarantee that were Cov to begin this season poorly and lose, say, 5 or 6 of the first 8 games, there would be significant demands in some quarters for the dismissal of coaches and questions about the players' commitment, irrespective of Cov finishing last season in its joint highest position since the advent of the professional era (excluding its relegation from Courage National Division 1 in its first season)
Just before Christmas last season, after a series of disappointing results (such as the loss at Chinnor, the first-half performance away at Hartpury, and the defeat at Donny), questions arose from some quarters on social media about the coaches, particularly concerning their ability to lead Cov through the next phase towards achieving a top-two finish and possibly promotion in the future.
Fast forward about four months, and following a strong run of form where Cov secured several impressive victories, including the 64-28 thrashing of Worcester and a semi-final against Bedford, you would never have guessed there had been any hint of dissent earlier in the season.
A third place finish...a great result for the club.
Fans, and Cov fans are no different, are a fickle breed. It was ever thus.
Which brings me back to Tame Impala and 'Patience'.
Whether it involves Jon Sharp, Brett Townsend, or Alex Rae, the consistent message to supporters has been that the club is on a journey with the long-term goal of achieving promotion to the Premiership, obviously depending on the RFU eventually establishing a level playing field that allows Championship clubs fair access to the elite tier of English rugby.
Success shouldn't be judged solely by results; it must be viewed holistically, with the club's ability to be self-financing being just as crucial as its standing in the league table. They can't be mutually exclusive if the club is to achieve the kind of position in the English game it believes it merits.
In other words, there's no quick fix. Patience is very much the by-word, particularly when it comes to the club become a self-financing business. There will be knock backs and disappointments along the way, but the model is a viable one and the plans are in place...
But it takes time. The club is moving in the right direction but it's never going to be a linear progression and there will be the odd backwards step but we all need to remember is that we're 'Growin' up in stages'...
...and that's where we are, right now.
The club is making gradual progress towards its objective, which in the near to mid-term is likely winning The Champ.
Who can claim they're not on the right path?
Certainly not me.
The problem is that sports fans often live in the here and now, prioritising immediate success on the pitch over long-term goals that might include understanding business plans and financial constraints .
Their attention is typically on results rather than the process of working towards those objectives. That's why upwards of three or four thousand might attend home games, but only a couple of hundred, at best, attend a fans' forum where the club lays out its future plans to those who are interested.
I've always felt it's a shame more people don't attend these forums, as they help clarify the numerous obstacles the club faces and the efforts made by everyone involved in managing the club to address them as effectively as possible.
Beyond the need to achieve self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on the generosity of a few major donors, one of the key areas that the club is focusing on is the nurturing of home grown talent through its thriving Academy set up. Yes, it provides an important resource for the local community and there is clearly some fantastic work being done i collaboration with schools and colleges, both within Coventry and further afield.
UnderJon Sharp's leadership, the club has become an important ambassador for the city and whilst that in itself justifies its existence, it is also starting to provide a steady stream of players into it's Senior Academy, several of whom already have first team experience at Champ level. Sam Gibson, Taio Varndell, Sam Harding and Drew Johnson are all in their second year, whilst Will Dorrell, Charlie Stallard, Elefio Vulimai-Igiladi and Cornelius Nartey have also recently signed professional contracts.
The club must consider these players capable of playing the game professionally and is allocating resources to them, understanding that their future in the game is closely tied to the club's success as well.
What could be more fitting, then, than beginning the 2026/27 season not with a first team match, but with three academy games? In recent months, much of the supporters' attention has been on updates about new retentions and additions to the first team squad for the upcoming season. However, the groundwork for Cov's future successes in the coming seasons is already being laid.
Coventry Rugby U18s played host to Leinster and Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday, with each club playing two games. That Cov can even put out two sides at this level shows the interest the Academy is generating, with players coming from 24 clubs afar afield as Southend and Darlington!
I'm assuming that the side that played Leinster was pretty much made up of youngsters already attached to the Academy, given the team sheet for that game included squad numbers for each Cov player whilst that was not the case for the Ealing game? Maybe they were an invitation side with a chance too impress teh Cov coaches at the same time?
The results from the three games were:
Cov 14 Leinster 29
Leinster 49 Ealing 12
Cov 25 Ealing 50
Whilst all three clubs had plenty of quality on show, Leinster looked extremely well drilled and organised and I thought the Cov youngsters did exceptionally well to stay in the game for so long. Indeed, Leinster were forced to defend for long periods in the second half.
In the second of Cov's two games, there were several impressive performances. However, Cov often lacked a little fluency, despite some standout individual efforts. For me, Tobi Idowu, playing openside at 7, was someone to definitely look out for, should he remain part of the Academy, although I'm aware it's a little unfair of me to single out one player when there were so many encouraging performances..
There was no lack of effort though and all the youngsters involved from all three clubs gave it their all. With a decent crowd for all three games and food and drink available from 11.00 onwards, there was much to enjoy. Fair play to the club, as hosts they appeared to do a good job and everyone seemed happy. The use of the scoreboard and the addition of the PA for all three games was also much appreciated, especially as this hasn't always been the case at previous Academy games.
The whole day had a really 'professional' feel to it.
The real success of the day for me, though, was the sight of so many youngsters playing in a Cov shirt with family and friends watching on from the stand. It's these sort of occasions that capture the hearts and minds of those involved and hopefully we'll see a few of these lads and their families coming along to Cov for the odd Champ game, spreading the word about the club and generating further interesting in the local rugby community and beyond.
Growin' up in stages...
It appears that little has changed regarding the area around the ground. The small marquee by the car park entrance remains in place, so it will hopefully become a 'permanent' feature this season; it gives the far side a busier feel on a match day and adds to the atmosphere.
A lot of the 'crap' behind the scoreboard has been removed, giving that far side a much tidier look, it had become a bit of an eyesore over the course of last season. Otherwise, it was much the same. Until decisions have been made regarding the proposed alterations to the ground, there's little else that can be done with it.
All in all, a great start to what is looking likely to be a very exciting season if your a supporter of Cov Rugby.
Still need for a little patience, though..
Up the Cov!
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