Earlier this month, the NSW Waratahs announced that Barrie-Jon "BJ" Mather had accepted the position of Director of Performance. In an interview with the Waratahs Media team, BJ discussed his ambitions for the Waratahs high performance unit and the pathway for men’s and women’s players striving to one day be a Waratah.
BJ, as the new NSW Waratahs Director of Performance, what is your role in the organisation?
Probably the easiest way of describing it is that I’m here to try and ensure we have systems and policies in place for long-term success. Head coaches, rightly so, want to win this week, and their focus is always on the next game. The role of the Performance Director is more to take a medium to long-term view and make sure that while we need to win this week, we also have things in place that help us win next week, next month, next season, and the season after that.
How do you balance the management of the four programmes — men, women, academy and sevens?
It’s tough. I’ve been here three days, and already we’ve got issues around who gets onto the pitch and when, and who can use it. Look, all of our programmes are important. We want to create the right environment for all of those, and if that takes a little bit of negotiation between the four, then that’s what we’ll have to do.
As Performance Director, what is the relationship with the head coach of each programme, and how does that extend to players and staff?
I think it’s really important that everybody knows we run coach-led programmes. They lead their staff and their squads, and my role really is to make sure that the way those programmes are delivered through the head coach fits in with the overall strategy of the organisation and its needs. So, growing out my relationship with Dan [McKellar] and Mike [Ruthven] at the minute over the last couple of days, hopefully that’ll be a really close relationship — one that doesn’t always agree, and where we can have decent conversations around the right way to go. But we’re all bought into their vision and the aim for both programmes to win, and win consistently.
What are your early observations of the New South Wales organisation?
Yeah, three days in... I’ve been really, really pleasantly surprised by how committed everybody is to making the Waratahs successful. You expect that from the players, obviously, and the coaches and support staff here, but just everybody in the organisation is focused on trying to provide what the team and staff need to win. I think they’re really invested in that, and have a clear picture of how their role helps. Once we’re all pulling in the same direction, hopefully we’ll see success on the field, and things will grow.
And how do you feel the Super Rugby Pacific squad under head coach Dan McKellar has developed in their first year under him?
I think Dan’s provided a bit of steel. Just in the last couple of days, watching him and his coaching staff, they’ve set their standards and expectations for those players, and they’re really good at enforcing those when standards drop below the mark. You saw that translate last season into performances on the field and how the players reacted to adversity. The performance they put in against the Lions was outstanding — missing a lot of their Wallabies players — and you can see belief growing in the squad that they’re on the right track.
The New South Wales Waratahs compete with the AFL and NRL for sponsorship and fans. How vital is a Super Rugby Pacific title to securing success on and off the field?
It’s going to sound strange, but define success. We want to win games. We want to win the Super Rugby championship. But it’s also important that we have well-rounded players and people who can represent the Waratahs in the community, make those links with junior clubs and partner unions, and build pride and connection. So success on the field is really important for that, but so too is success off it, for our players and staff.
Turning to our women’s team — they’ve won back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025, making it a record six. What is the challenge for such a successful team?
Three-peat? Let’s go for three in a row.
It’s a different sort of challenge from where the men are — the men are trying to grow and build and win that first competition. It’s a little tougher when you’re already at the top of the tree. Everybody wants to knock you off, and you’re always the target. Maybe that motivation for the girls to come back again and get that third title is out there — to prove people wrong and show they can do it. Again, we talked about environment previously, but providing the right environment for those girls is going to be the challenge, along with putting the squad together. There’s some uncertainty around what the game looks like after the Women’s World Cup review, so we’re just waiting on that. Whatever the outcome, that’ll determine how we put the squad together and what the programme looks like.
There has been a lot of discussion about extending Super Rugby Women beyond the five-week competition. Is this something you’d push for, and if so, how?
I think the main difference between our girls and their international competition is the number and quality of games they play. The short Super W season, while great, still leaves a gap. We need to provide either an extended Super W or another competition to get them those games. That would be great, but obviously it comes with commercial considerations and its impact on the junior and community game. So, short answer — yes, we should definitely push for it. But it’s a bit more complicated than just adding games.
Moving to the academy; the pathway has produced a constant flow of players into the senior ranks. What’s the key challenge for this programme?
The challenge is developing athletes who can play not just at Super Rugby level, but at Wallabies level. We need to raise standards and produce players who want to play for the Waratahs, pull on that blue shirt, and also have the ability to represent the Wallabies. The more world-class players we develop, the better the Waratahs will be. I know Andrew Cleverley and his team are working really hard to identify and develop talent through the junior ranks, and to get more young athletes into those programmes to give us the best chance of finding the next stars.
What are the key areas of youth development? How hard can these under-age players be pushed in academy programmes?
The key thing is individualisation. One athlete can be pushed really hard — you can throw him into the 19s or Waratahs A, and he’ll flourish. Another guy the same age might need more time to develop in other environments. The challenge is recognising what each athlete needs at a specific moment to give them the best chance of developing. That’s not always easy, but it’s what we’re here to do.
