EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Stormers, Lions and Saints scrumhalf Nic Groom chats to Sport24

Sport24 asked: How are you enjoying being back in Cape Town?

Nic Groom: It’s great to be back in Cape Town having last played in Europe with London Irish in 2021. As a young family, we decided to return home. I’m currently assisting the Ikey Tigers and am involved with player improvement and skills development. I do a lot of work in terms of one-on-ones with players and small groups, looking at areas in which they want to improve. We sit down and figure out how we can track their improvement. It’s very tough to sometimes have an eye on the long-term because with games coming thick and fast, you’re more focused on the short to medium term. A lot of what I do with the team is measured in terms of repeat actions. Improvement is a multi-layered area but essentially what we want to see under pressure situations in games is skills executed at a higher level than what they previously were. Statistics can measure that to some degree but much of my work stems from watching clips taken from training and comparing how players have evolved over time.

Sport24 asked: Would you still entertain a playing offer from WP?

Nic Groom: I would definitely consider it and think I could add a lot of value to the place. I chat to Dobbo (John Dobson) every now and then and my conversations with him are extremely upfront. He knows where I’m at and what I’m about. He’s aware that I’ve got no interest in going anywhere else and, if a playing opportunity doesn’t come up, I’ll continue to move on with the next chapter of my life which excites me…. I believe the union has made good moves in bringing back seasoned pros such as Deon Fourie, Juan de Jongh and Brok Harris. There is a level of maturity they bring to the game and it bridges a gap. As a union,