Rugby legend Shaun Wane tells business leaders his Down Under coaching ambitions hinge on his dogs

Wigan and England RL legend Shaun Wane says he wants to coach in Australasia – but pets could thwart his ambitions.
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The national coach was addressing a roomful of entrerpreneurs at the inaugural Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in Wigan and his upfront speech covered his business ambitions, the recent trauma of his team’s World Cup exit and a troubled childhood.

He said that honest conversations, attention to detail, and determination are some of the valuable ingredients behind his successful life.

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And there’s a possibility that the next phase of his career could be in Australia or New Zealand, but it will depend on a particular domestic issue.

Shaun Wane after giving his speech to the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in WiganShaun Wane after giving his speech to the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in Wigan
Shaun Wane after giving his speech to the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in Wigan

“I want to coach over there and I know I’ll kill it. Our biggest worry is that we’ve got two dogs, and if they can’t get over there, then we won’t be going – the deal would be off,” he said, though he added his wife Lorraine would be supportive of the move.

He said England’s golden point-defeat to Samoa in the Rugby League World Cup in November left him in a state “like grieving”, prompting a long period of self-analysis. Were his tactical decisions to blame, he wondered? Was the training regime wrong? The travel arrangements? “Get in the habit: if something happens, look at what your involvement is.”

For all the trappings of a career spent in elite rugby, the former troublesome youth from Worsley Hall had a hard childhood.

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“I was a shocking kid,” said Wane during his candid presentation. “I was never going to school, I was breaking into places, doing some terrible things. My dad would beat me senseless. He smashed me to pieces.”

Shaun Wane addressing the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in WiganShaun Wane addressing the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in Wigan
Shaun Wane addressing the Believe in Business Festival at The Edge in Wigan

Aged 15 and out of school for four months, he made a bomb hoax phone call causing all the pupils and staff to be evacuated. He was arrested and had to see a psychiatrist.

“I could’ve stayed around there, made an excuse with my upbringing, and carried on doing things wrong,” Wane said. “But I think there’s a sell-by date on blaming things. Are you a person who is going to fold and give in and feel sorry for yourself, or are you a person or a business who is going to get better?”

Indeed, Wane credits his upbringing in Wigan for something in his spirit that makes him different. “I had an assistant called Andy Last and he said: ‘when you meet Wigan people, there’s a look in their eye – they’re more competitive than everybody else. Their expectations to win are more aggressive.’ I thought that it’s a compliment. Wigan borough people, we’re really competitive, very humble, and we speak our minds.”

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Honesty is one of the qualities that Wane rates highly. “I have a saying and I see it as a form of care: tell everybody everything all the time. If I’m happy with you, I’ll tell you. If I’m not happy with you, I’ll tell you that as well.”

When he was a player, after nearly a decade at the club, Wigan sold him to Leeds – an unwelcome move which influenced his own leadership style. “They said: ‘John Monie, our coach, doesn’t think you’re very good.’ I said: ‘why did he not tell me that six months ago so I had time to fix it?’

"I’m never going to have a player who doesn’t know where he stands.

“I don’t think I’m intimidating. I don’t feel I need to neutralise it. I hope I’m friendly to speak to. But I am very abrupt.”

The rugby doyen also shared another key to his management approach: listening carefully to everyone and making them feel involved. “I’m coaching players who are far better than me. I’m just giving my opinion and I want their opinion. I love silences, so if I ask everyone, ‘what do you think?’, I can wait five minutes. Every day is a learning day.”

When he was at The Cherry and Whites, he organised a club photo including every member of staff. “I wanted to give the groundsman, the accountant, the chef, the cleaner, everybody a picture in a frame. When we had Grand Final wins, Challenge Cups wins, and World Club Cup Challenge wins, they played a part. If the groundsman doesn’t do his job, we can’t train every day.

“We did the small things really well. You can’t have detail on the field and be sloppy off it.”

The talk, peppered with laughter and questions from the audience, made for an engaging afternoon with a man who shows a clear love for his home town. “I’m proud to be a Wiganer.”