Biljon brings Championship experience to Titans’ squad
ROTHERHAM Titans director of rugby Harvey Biljon is enjoying the challenges and excitement that come with transitioning from a fully professional setup to a semi-professional one.
The dissolution of Jersey Reds a year ago has prompted a new chapter for the Championship title winning coach.
It’s clear that both the man and the club he now leads are focused on growth following their promotion from National Two North.
Biljon told The Rugby Paper: “I’ve really embraced going to clubs that I’ve never been to and enjoying that challenge as well as the rugby that’s being played across the country.
“I enjoyed the back end of National Two and it’s been the same again with National One. The one thing that stands out at Rotherham is that it’s a great club – in terms of the way it’s supported.
“What a hub of activity it is for the community and the people of Rotherham. That’s something that has really stood out to me.”
Rotherham, having recently returned to the third tier, are a club in transition and Biljon, below, is fully aware of the learning curve ahead but remains optimistic.
He said: “We’re going week to week. I don’t know all the clubs, their styles, or what they’re about. We’re focusing a fair amount on ourselves. Overall, it’s a young squad and I think there’s a huge amount of growth potential there. I just want to see the squad of players reach their potential.
“We’ve recruited a lot of players that have just come out of university, and this is their first challenge playing senior rugby.”
Despite being only five games into the new season, ahead of this weekend’s action, Biljon has observed the competitive nature of the league.
He added: “It’s difficult to say after five games how the league is doing competitionwise, but what I’ve seen is very competitive. The likes of Rosslyn Park have some experienced campaigners with Premiership and Championship experience, sprinkled with a couple of younger players.
“Darlington are probably an established National One and you can see how competitive they are.
“Then you go to Esher and they’re a bit like us, they’ve just been promoted into this league. They’re a young group with a great brand of rugby.
“They’re building and they might not be getting the results at the moment but, you can see there’s a style of rugby they’re trying to implement.”
For Biljon, rugby is all about playing the game. He advocates for players to take every opportunity to get on the field. This, he believes, is where the most growth happens.
He added: “Rugby players need to play rugby. I’ll encourage any player to get out and play, that should be their ambition and that’s where the most growth and learning will be.
“The scenarios they encounter with other players, that’s the best place for them to develop.”
As Rotherham Titans work to rebuild both on and off the field, Biljon has his sights set on longterm success.
Biljon said: “I’ve got to practice what I preach with the players and go week to week. I do have a track record of success and winning the Championship. I’ve got to stay active as a coach. Our results and reward will come if we have the right attitude.”
