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Well, that's an interesting move
Western Force swoop on Hawke’s Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich to boost their coaching team
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Sat, 11 September 2021 12:10PM
Western Force have swooped on Hawke’s Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich to strengthen their coaching team.
Ozich is joining as attack specialist in a coaching group led by Tim Sampson that will be further boosted by Force academy coach Dylan Parsons as skills coach and current defence boss Nick Hensley.
Ozich will strengthen the New Zealand links at the Force after Chris Goodman joined from Super Rugby powerhouse Crusaders to head up the club academy.
Goodman spent six years with the Crusaders and was recruited by Force chief executive Tony Lewis who helped steer Tasman to back-to-back national provincial championship titles.
“Mark is a fantastic addition to the coaching team,” Lewis said.
“He is a coach that has achieved and understands success, having won two national title school titles and winning silverware with Hawke’s Bay in recent years.
“He is an exceptional educator and communicator who will instil confidence and belief in the squad to be the leading force in Super Rugby.”
Ozich, who is also a qualified teacher, took Hawke’s Bay to championship success in the NZ provincial competition and the Ranfurly Shield last year.
He joined Hawke’s Bay as an assistant in 2017 before taking the top job.
He was this season’s Highlanders Super Rugby Aoteroa under-20 coach and has been involved in coaching NZ Secondary School teams and the Southland Stags.
Good background info on Mark Ozich.
Looks like the perfect background for the WF and WA.
From Hawkes Bay Rugby Club Facebook page:
Ozich Departs
Hawke’s Bay Rugby today announced that successful Magpies head coach Mark Ozich will be departing at the conclusion of the 2021 NPC to take up a fulltime coaching position with the Western Force in Perth.
Ozich who was assistant coach to Craig Philpott in 2017 before taking the reigns in 2018 has overseen a resurgence in the Magpies culminating in the winning and retaining the Ranfurly shield and then defeating Northland to secure the Championship title last season and with it promotion to the NPC Premiership.
Ozich said today that ‘’Signing with the Western Force is really bitter sweet for me. I’ve had the most amazing time coaching the Magpies over the last 5 years and will leave at the end of the season with some incredible memories, strong friendships and plenty of lessons learnt along the way. A move to Perth with my family is an exciting prospect and I am looking forward to the challenge of coaching Super Rugby’
Hawke’s Bay Rugby CEO Jay Campbell was philosophical confirming ‘it was simply a matter of time before Oz’s outstanding coaching ability was recognised and the Magpies success and style of play over the past few years meant it was simply a matter of when not if, the right opportunity presented itself’
‘But this success comes down to the fact Oz is a great human who is universally respected by all the players, management, staff and rugby fan he deals with. Further more his ability to create an outstanding culture and motivate and get the best from those around him has been the cornerstone of his success alongside his obvious outstanding coaching ability, which in my opinion along with Josh Syms are as good grass coaches as there are in provincial union rugby’’
Campbell suggested while Ozich hasn’t followed the traditional route of a rugby coach, having not played first class rugby and developed his trade through club, school and representative rugby, ‘success follows him and he cares deeply for those players he coaches while having an acute understanding of how to create a winning culture and game plan and he leaves the Magpies high performance programme in great health’
Ozich is now firmly focussed on finishing his time with the Magpies on a high saying ‘’With this finally confirmed and out in the open we all can concentrate and look forward to performing well in the NPC. I love Hawkes Bay and this team and despite moving on, I’m as determined as ever for our team to do well and the coaches and team are fully focussed starting with BOP this Sunday’’
Campbell finished by saying ‘Whilst we are gutted that Oz is departing, we are also very proud and delighted for him and we wish Mark, Gabriel, Lachie, Carlo and Claudia all the best for what shapes up to be a exciting opportunity to experience life in Western Australia for the next three years. I am sure there will be plenty of new Force fans across the Bay for Super Rugby Pacific in 2022!”
Ozich is set to depart for Perth at the culmination of the 2021 NPC campaign, with the magpies set to return to the field where they defend the Ranfurly Shield against Bay Of Plenty at McLean Park this Sunday afternoon with a 2:05pm kick off.
Source
Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
I'm assuming Andrew's link was supposed to be this: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sup...ach-mark-ozich
Super Rugby's Western Force nab Hawke's Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich
Hawke's Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich is heading to Oz.
The popular coach has accepted a full-time role on the Western Force coaching roster for Super Rugby Pacific.
Ozich said on Sunday that signing with the Force was "really bittersweet".
"I've had the most amazing time coaching the Magpies over the last five years and will leave at the end of the season with some incredible memories, strong friendships and plenty of lessons learned along the way.
"A move to Perth with my family is an exciting prospect and I am looking forward to the challenge of coaching Super Rugby."
The Magpies squad was told of Ozich's prospective move on Friday.
Ozich told Hawke's Bay Today in 2020 that he was contracted until the end of the 2021 season "depending on how things go".
Things have since gone well for the popular coach, who is respected for his technical coaching nous and player management skills.
In 2020, the Magpies won the NPC Championship division and the Ranfurly Shield and Ozich said his focus remained on continuing that success for the rest of the current Bunnings NPC season.
Hawke's Bay Rugby chief executive Jay Campbell said it was "simply a matter of time" before Ozich's coaching ability was recognised and credited him for forming an "outstanding culture" at the Magpies.
"[His] success comes down to the fact Oz is a great human who is universally respected."
Campbell said Ozich had done it the hard way, having not followed the traditional route of a rugby coach. He never played first-class rugby and developed his trade through club, schools and representative rugby.
Western Force, formed in 2006, finished third in Super Rugby Australia in 2021 with four wins and four losses.
It was an upward move from 2020 when the team was last in the Super Rugby AU competition.
When the New Zealand and Australian Super rugby powers combined in Super Rugby Transtasman this season, the Force landed eighth on the table, after losing all five matches.
Ozich's coaching CV has included coaching or assisting with NZ Secondary School teams and the Southland Stags.
A role at Hastings Boys' High lured him to Hawke's Bay in 2016.
From Hastings Boys', Ozich transitioned to an assistant role with the Magpies in 2017, before securing the vacant head coach position in November that year after Hawke's Bay Magpies coach Craig Philpott took up a job with New Zealand Rugby.
In 2019, after good team performances, Ozich's two-year contract was extended.
In a pre-season interview in 2020, he revealed honesty was a key element of his coaching philosophy.
"I think, keeping it really simple for the guys around honesty, an honest effort, honesty around homework, honesty with your performance."
Ozich also has a knack for identifying and bringing young talent into the game and a healthy respect for fans.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
Cannot get behind the paywall on the West but appears that Paul Tito ex Hurricane lock has been added as an assistant fowards coach.
I really like the NZ flavour we are adding, hopefully it will help the kids on the pathway and help attract a few others along the way.
A bit on him that I could find:
Technical & Tactical
Yarrows Taranaki Bulls Assistant Coach
Head Coach Chiefs Under 20's
Former:
Maori All Blacks Player
Hurricanes Super Rugby Player
Chiefs Super Rugby Player
Yarrows Taranaki Bulls Centurion (100 Caps) Player
Cardiff Blues Centurion (124 Caps) Player
Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
Tito was the king of rangas. Jono would be proud.
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.
Here it is
Western Force grab former New Zealand Super Rugby second-rower and coach Paul Tito as forwards supremo
Nick Taylor
The West Australian
Mon, 13 September 2021 4:35PM
Nick Taylor
Western Force have added the final piece to next season’s Super Rugby coaching team, snaring former New Zealand Maori, Hurricanes, Chiefs and Cardiff Blues second-rower Paul Tito as forwards assistant.
Tito, who replaces ex-Fiji national coach John McKee, has been with New Zealand National Provincial Championship club Wellington after coaching the forwards at French club Pau.
He also coached the Chiefs Super Rugby Aoteroa under-20 side this season.
Tito was forwards coach with the French Top 14 side but returned to New Zealand when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
Tito, who had success as forwards coach with Taranaki in the NPC and Ranfurly Shield, took a lead role at Pau in 2020 when their two head coaches were sacked after a poor string of results.
He retired from playing in 2012, after 124 games in five seasons for Cardiff, 84 appearances for the Hurricanes and five for the Chiefs in Super Rugby.
Tito also played for the New Zealand under-19 and under-21 sides.
Force chief executive Tony Lewis said he was “thrilled” to have recruited Tito.
“Paul is another fantastic addition to the coaching team,” Lewis said.
“He is a coach with a winning mentality but importantly has a wealth of international experience both as a player and coach.
“I am confident that he will add the leadership, knowledge and exceptional communication to take the Western Force to the next level.”
Tito’s move comes after the Force signed Hawke’s Bay Magpies coach Mark Ozich as attack specialist.
The new-look Force coaching team, led by Tim Sampson will sees academy coach Dylan Parsons take on the skills role coach and includes current defence boss Nick Hensley.
Ozich took Hawke’s Bay to championship success in the NPC and the Ranfurly Shield.
He joined Hawke’s Bay as an assistant in 2017 before taking the top job.
He was this season’s Highlanders Super Rugby Aoteroa under-20 coach and has been involved in coaching NZ Secondary School teams and the Southland Stags.
The Force have also brought in Chris Goodman from Super Rugby powerhouse Crusaders to head up the club academy.
Goodman spent six years with the Crusaders.
Very impressed with the style of rugby being shown by The Magpies in the first 7 rounds of the NPC
6 wins, 2nd best PF (240) and 2nd lowest PA (166) for best PD (+74).
8 pts clear at top of table with only 2 round left
Go Mark Ozich!!
Hopefully seeyou soon in the West.
and still holding The Log, with only Northland left to have a crack at it this season![]()
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
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