The Cracked Pot* is a famous fable about a water bearer with two pots—one perfect, one cracked—who carries water daily. The cracked pot feels ashamed of leaking half its load until the bearer reveals it watered seeds planted along the path, creating beautiful flowers. It teaches that flaws can create beauty, urging acceptance of imperfections.

One of the opportunities I have always loved about my role as a teacher ( 51 years now and counting) is the influence you can have in your classroom and on the children (or adults) therein. Of course, it’s the same as you rise up through leadership into headship on not just the people you lead but the culture of the operation in hand. If you choose to move irto other areas of life, be that for me to lead the development of Mini and Junior Rugby at Maidenhead RFC (1991-2000) onto the wider stage, if you choose, to influence, if you can, the culture and as a consequence the sense of wellbeing and success of the community you’ve joined.

When my older son expressed an interest in joining his school friends at Maidenhead Rugby Club on a Sunday morning, we swapped church for Braywick, the club’s home. Imagine my surprise to find that there were only 28 players in the mini-section, U7 through to U12. When I asked other parents why so few were signing up, it was because Rugby at the time was beset by stories of poor coaching, poor organisation, and, above all, injuries, particularly to the head. Whilst my initial intention was to drop my son off and hop over to the driving range next door to improve my golf swing, after 2 Sundays, my son had yet to touch a rugby ball, and the age group concerned, just a couple of footballing dads without a clue.

I’d already developed a relationship with Rhino Rugby with the school, and so I bought 72 neoprene headguards, and within the first month of the following season, every rugby player from Under 10 down was required to wear one, and by the time the third season started, the other clubs in the area began to fear Maidenhead, because of course protected by the headguard, the young players were able to be far more committed to the tackle. In that first cohort of players was a 6-year-old James Haskell, whose father Jonathan (RIP) was an inspirational chairman to work with, and clearly, as James wore such a helmet throughout his professional career for Saracens, England and the British & Irish Lions, I played my small part.

Rugby is one of those team sports for which Coaches know they need both the perfect and the cracked pots. I recall endless quiet moments at the side of the pitch,’ horse-whispering’ the child who felt so useless because he dropped the ball which would have led to a certain try, or missed a tackle that led to defeat, not victory. Like on the sports ground, in education, manufacturing, business and service industries, as Jim Collins might say, “you’ve got the right people on the bus, you just haven’t got them in the right seat”! Make them feel valued. Sometimes it’s about helping them see that there’s an objective to share, such as the Janitor at NASA. When asked what he was doing, he replied: “I’m helping put a man on the moon!”

Will Greenwood has just produced 5 short videos highlighting his current time at the same Club, Maidenhead, entitled “The Heart of the Game”. Will goes behind the scenes, exploring rugby’s impact beyond the pitch through powerful personal stories and voices from across the game. He recalls turning up one dreadful December training evening at Maidenhead, to find only 12 players present for the First and Second squads, and found himself wondering, “Why am I here?”. Over the course of the 5 films, we are introduced to a host of characters that make the club the success that it now is, but it was Will’s sense that the Rugby players needed to see themselves as ‘Brad Pitts’ on film, to big them up and help them see more clearly what they place was in the mission of the club. You can find those films on YouTube, the first episode here https://youtu.be/LbXF3ZjjGLM?si=wuTJB30Ow1PkcRIM

Will Greenwood finishes the series with the conclusion that “After everything, the Truth is simple. For Rugby is People, Rugby is Community, Rugby is Belonging. It’s the small victories that feel massive; it’s the safe spaces we build for each other, it’s the laughter, the tears, the graft, the kindness, all stitched together by 80 minutes on a Saturday. And as the whistle blows on another season, and the next one begins, we are reminded once again

THIS IS THE HEART OF THE GAME.

And Ave to that. Whatever the enterprise, the Truth is simple. And for those who lead, keep returning to these truths, and remember that in your role, it’s good noticing that counts best. Well done the Potter, Well done the Coach, well done the President who asked the Janitor the question and well done Will Greenwood – That’s why you are of course, a World Cup Rugby Champion 2003.

*The “Cracked Pot” story is a popular folk tale often attributed to India or China. It is a widely shared parable used to teach self-worth, highlighting how a woman/man uses a leaking pot to water flowers along a path, turning an imperfection into a source of beauty and purpose.