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Anderson celebrates Force’s win at Club 10s
19th Jul 2016 6:56 AM
STEVE Anderson has played a lead role in Super Rugby franchise the Western Force winning its first piece of sporting silverware.
The former Central Queensland director of rugby was manager of the team which was recently crowned the World Club 10s rugby champions in Mauritius.
Seven members of the Future Force Foundation high-performance squad which Anderson oversees were members of the team which beat the star-studded ACT Brumbies 7-nil in the grand final.
"It is the Western Force's first trophy of any kind in its 11-year history so it wasn't too bad at all," Anderson said.
"To be involved with this squad was a thrill and indicates the Western Force has plenty to look forward to in years to come after a disappointing 2016 campaign."
On the way to winning the title, the Western Force defeated highly fancied title contenders Toulon (French Top 14 champions) and the Asia Pacific Dragons, which contained several former All Blacks stars.
Anderson, who took up his appointment with the Western Australian rugby franchise in January, said the impressive victory in Mauritius provided a ringing endorsement for his program.
"We have been training with the nucleus of this squad since January with several key players already making Super Rugby debuts this season, a good indicator that the program has substance," he said.
"I've put a lot of structural framework around the delivery of our rugby concepts that also includes a formal leadership program. It's not just about rugby - producing well-rounded athletes is key.
"It's the education and learning for post-career which is highly important."
Anderson's role also involves talent identification and he has been eyeing potential Western Force recruits from Queensland talent pools.
That included a visit to the Confraternity Carnival recently staged in Rockhampton, which involved 48 rugby league teams.
"Many of the league products in Queensland play rugby so it makes sense to explore all possible avenues," he said.
"Obviously I was familiar with a lot of the kids, particularly those out of the Central Queensland nursery, and it was quite easy for me to earmark some talent.
"Two local products have caught my eye and potentially could soon be on a pathway to rugby success with the Western Force."
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