If you spoke to the majority of the current crop of professional rugby players, it’s likely they grew up having the dream of making it full-time in the sport. Getting paid to throw a ball around in the biggest stadiums on the international stage would have been a tangible pathway in their formative years. However, given that the sport only became professional in 1995, for Colin Gregor and many others of similar generation who carved out a career in the professional game, rugby was played at an early age simply for a love of the sport. PSYCHEDiN spoke to Colin to discover how participating for fun until his early 20's molded his career pathway and fits perfectly with the values he hopes to instill in his current role with basketballscotland.
“Enjoyment, friendship and just being active were what my memories of being a kid were,” Colin begins.
“I left school in 1999 and even when I went to university, rugby was played purely for the fun of it. I didn’t grow up thinking I wanted to be a rugby player, I didn’t run about the garden pretending I was playing at a packed Murrayfield. Being honest, it wasn’t something I thought of.
“It is different these days though with the pressure of family, peers and coaches. It’s a completely different atmosphere I guess now. The game has moved on so much from when I first went professional in 2003. There was still professionalism, but the amount of time and money put into training and analysis now means that the standards are so much higher and are only getting higher.”
To say that rugby was something Colin instantly took a shine to however would be wide of the mark. As a self-confessed shy youngster, with this brought a handful of early teething problems.
“My mum and dad were both extremely supportive. There were times in my first year or two of playing mini rugby where I refused to get out the car. I was pretty introverted and shy as a kid, I still am a bit now as it can sometimes take me a bit of time to feel comfortable with people. My dad was really good though in the sense that he wouldn’t try force me out by the ear, he would just calmly point out the reasons why it would be a good idea to join in and encourage me to just give it a go.”
Persuading your child to leave the car to participate in a youth club, summer camp or even school is perhaps something readers can relate to. Now, a dad himself, Colin has taken inspiration from his dad’s technique and in the shape of an Australian swimmer when it relates to developing a child’s self-discipline and motivation.
“I listened to a podcast with Iain Thorpe who shared how his parents always said to him they were happy to take him to training and wake up early for it, but they wouldn’t be the ones to set an alarm. If Iain wanted to make it to a training session, it would be him who had to wake them up. I think that putting some responsibility on a young person is a great way to increase motivation and commitment to something.”
Having that ability to show self-discipline and the drive to take developmental opportunities by the scruff of the neck was clear to see in Colin’s final year at the University of Edinburgh when Scotland first came calling.
“I was studying a degree in history whilst playing for Watsonians and playing some 7’s. In my 4th year around November time, I got a letter inviting me to train with the Scotland 7’s team the following January with a view of playing at the Hong Kong 7’s in March. The first session would be a fitness test, which I was quite happy about because I could focus on getting my fitness to the best possible level. Over that Christmas and New Year, I was back home and had my wee sister stood in the freezing cold with a stopwatch as I was running up and down the street.”
Juggling a final year of a degree alongside acing the aforementioned fitness testing and gaining selection for the tournament in Hong Kong, a full-time opportunity in rugby followed.
“In 2004, the following year, Glasgow Warriors had a backup game against Edinburgh and were struggling to get players, so I was asked to step in. I played okay and was asked if I wanted to train with them. I jumped at that opportunity because I had finished my degree and was doing all these horrendous temping jobs. In the summer, I was offered a contract as a stand-off.”
Initially joining the ranks at the Warriors as the third-choice fly-half before injury to Calvin Howarth and international duty for Dan Parks saw Colin gain regular game time, this helped Colin build a far stronger awareness of who he was as an athlete and where he was at in his career.
“Dan Parks was helpful to learn from. His kicking game was his great strength, and I learnt a lot training with him and doing extras after sessions. Looking back though, the sheer amount of time he spent on his kicking, his training hours, were far greater than mine. He was at a stage of maintaining a skill, whilst I was at a place of improving and developing.
“I couldn’t necessarily just try and focus on doing better than he was, instead it led me to focus on what can I do and what do I bring to the team. His kicking was his strength, which wasn’t for me. I had to think about how I could add value in other ways. I was more about running, creating opportunities, keeping the ball in hand.”
Having that understanding of your performance identity as an athlete and the benefits your skillset can bring to a team is important, however, as Colin certainly experienced, it can be a challenge to maintain.
“The challenge when I got the chance to step in and play became people expecting me to do what he (Parks) did. I needed to try have the confidence to understand more what my style of play was and have the confidence to say to people this is how I see the game and play.
“There are certain ways that people naturally play, a default style. You can tell Finn Russell to sit deep and kick the ball and he’ll obviously do it to a good level because he’s a top-level operator, but that won’t get the most out of him. You have to encourage him to play how he wants to play. Teams have to have a framework, but you also have to have the confidence to let people express themselves within that. I went too far the other way at times throughout my career, only thinking about the team. After a game once someone said to me it looked like I was playing the way someone wanted me to play as opposed to instinctively. The times I played instinctively, it felt smooth and natural, almost a rhythm to it.”
Whilst at times with the Warriors in the 15-aside game saw Colin struggle to tackle the game in the manner he believed suited his skills and views of the game, the 7-aside version of the game seemed to align better. In 7’s, with two seven-minute halves creating a faster tempo and far more space on the pitch, Colin thrived in this environment and loved the specific mental challenges it brought.
“The coaches I had in the 7’s game I feel were more aligned with how I saw the game. In 7’s, because you can play five or six matches throughout the day, it throws up different mental challenges than the 15’s game where it is one match at the weekend and a good week or so before your next match. You notice with guys parachuted from 15’s or younger guys who have not played any 7’s, if they make a mistake or had a poor first game, it really sat with them. In 7’s, you have to build more resilience. You must have the ability to park mistakes, park disappointment and realise the time to learn and reflect is to be done at the end of the tournament. The same can also be said for successes too, you can’t be all buoyed and lifted by a good game and just go into the next one expecting it all to just click.
“For me, when I showered after a match and had a bit of food, I tried to park it and have a little bit of time where I wasn’t directly thinking about what has happened or what will happen. It wouldn’t be until I’d go back into the changing room for the next game that I would re-engage and switch back on. I think processing things in this way and being successful at it is what separates sportsmen at the top level, that ability to understand that it doesn’t matter what just happened or what is about to happen, to instead know that the focus is on the here and now. 7’s most definitely develops that.”
In a career that had taken him from the Hong Kong 7’s in 2003 to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth games in the 7-aside game whilst appearing 122 times for the Glasgow Warriors in 15’s, a knee injury saw Colin retire from professional rugby, opening a door to a new chapter.
“I was at the stage where I was questioning whether I wanted to stay on anyway. A lot had built up towards the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and there was a real sense of disappointment at how we didn’t get to the level we’d have liked. I wasn’t a young buck anymore and whilst I was grateful for the opportunities to travel the world, 7’s was starting to become a young man’s game and I was conscious that there was life after sport. However, it was announced that 7’s was going to be at the Olympics for the first time in 2016, which I thought would have been a good finale, but thinking back on it now, if my knee hadn’t given up, I reckon something else would have.”
Post-retirement saw a couple of years of dipping his toes into industries like financial services, leadership coaching and public relations, but he was not naturally drawn to any of them. Instead, he made his way back to the ball, only this time a different shaped one.
“A job with basketballscotland came up and because I already knew someone working there, I had a chat with the chief executive. It was 2018, I had been retired three years and up until that point had been looking at the self-employed thing but started to realise that I wanted to feel part of something again. I’ll be forever grateful that he (chief executive) took a chance on me, because there was certain criteria I know they were looking for in the role which I didn’t have, but a big part of what he was looking to bring in was someone who knows about team culture, which I had been doing for my entire rugby career.”
A large part of Colin’s current role seeks to create an inclusive and developmental culture amongst staff in the hope it can filter out into the general public too. Speaking to Colin about his plans for the sport in Scotland, it is clear that both he and the team at basketballscotland are putting the sport in the best possible position for growth in a country where a less bouncy and orange ball takes priority in the shape of football.
“Getting buy-in from staff is a huge priority. Instead of simply telling staff that this is what our values are, this is how you should act, if you ask the question to them and allow them to shape the culture, people feel far more involved and invested.
“In terms of the public, we are trying to make people more aware of the opportunities that we provide. Within our regional academies, there’s a scholarship fund on offer where if kids are not able to afford it, it won’t be a barrier for participation. We’d obviously like it to be a free programme, but basketball in this country isn’t yet in a position to do that. So it’s about putting things in place where if you’re not in a position to pay, you can still come along because there are things in place to cover you.”
Having been Head of Operations for almost six years now, it is clear that Colin has found a role in his post-rugby-retirement that directly suits his values of community, development and enjoyment, but what would a successful tenure look like?
“Ideally, we would have more boys and girls playing the sport and for it to be more imbedded in schools. We’d also like the access to facilities to be easier for schools and clubs so that it would allow for any costs to come down. Additionally, outdoor courts would be renovated and look the part where it’s busy with people who are just enjoying playing the sport. Our strategy at the moment has an emphasis on highlighting positive experiences, that is the main thing. We want people to challenge themselves, their teammates and to enjoy themselves.”
Quick-fire Questions
Describe yourself in three words: Not too serious.
How would your friends and family describe you in three words? Easy-going, laidback and caring.
Are you more introverted or extroverted? Introverted.
Biggest personality strength? I look out for others a lot.
Biggest personality weakness? I have a tendency to start things and not finish them.
Best moment of your life so far? I had a baby boy a year ago so if we’re talking about the best impact of my life it’s definitely that, but the actual experience, when he is handed to you covered in blood and shouting, you’re thinking to yourself ‘just put him back’. For best actual experience, my wedding day.
Most challenging moment of your life so far? Finding a career after rugby. The introspective part of finding out what it was I actually wanted to do and the practicalities of finding a job too.
What is your death-row meal?
Starter: Prawn cocktail sandwich.
Main: Pizza with ham and mushroom.
Dessert: Ice cream with apple and raspberry crumble.
Drink: White wine and some sparkling water.
Best piece of advice you have ever received?
One that springs to mind, had quite an impact on me a coach said to me ‘did the ref miss the tackle? Did the ref drop the ball?’ We’d just lost and we were all ranting and raving about the ref and that kind of hit home that if we can’t have the perfect game ourselves how can we expect others to as well.
