Harvey Biljon joined Rotherham Titans last year after investors pulled the plug on the Jersey Reds. Photo: Gareth Siddons
Topping the second division with the result was an underdog team that smashed a loud cup in front of the TV cameras and then disturbed the sleeping giant; Harvey Biljon had a few years. To put it bluntly, he will become a household name and have similar success in football, with clubs vying for his signature. The 46-year-old is now seeking the recognition he deserves.
“Who has nude pictures of me somewhere?” Billon is joking. “Who did I set off along the way? I don't know. I'd like to think I don't have any skeletons in my closet.
“I tried to gather evidence based on what I did on the field with the players. Except on a couple of occasions when there was important work to be done, I was unable to come into the discussion room before the club decided to take a different route.”
This season has felt so long and packed with storylines that it feels like last September was years ago. But it has only been six months since the Jersey Reds, still title holders, beat Bath with an impressive performance at the Rec. The 34-10 win in the Premier League Cup, televised by TNT Sports, was backed by a powerful attack and ended with a 70-metre counter-attack that featured a try from Russell Bennett.
Jersey Reds stunned Bath 34-10 in the Premier League Cup last September. Photo: Getty Images/Bob Bradford
Although the hosts were far from at full strength, Jersey's excellent performance reflected a decade of progress under Billion. And then, 10 days later, the club's professional division ceased to exist. Players and staff went in different directions, in a familiar pattern from the defeats of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish. For example, Sam Gramslow, the badass prop, was recruited from Jersey by the Bristol Bears.
Billion experienced a unique summer in 2023. The “absolute euphoria” of Jersey's championship win gave way to a sense of futility as the club knew they would not be able to gain promotion to the Premier League due to the league's minimum standards criteria. A month after investors pulled the plug on the club, citing a lack of clarity in the league structure, Biljon joined Rotherham Titans to oversee the first team alongside Gareth Lewis.
The Yorkshire side were relegated to the fourth tier in 2020 , when a mathematical formula was used to calculate league results during Covid. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Rotherham intended to celebrate their centenary by winning the National 2 North. Do that and they will secure their first promotion in 21 years since they were in the Premier League in 2003-04.
Billion's first action was to “pull the handbrake” and ask his players to look in the mirror. He examined the data – unforced errors, penalties, chances converted – and identified his team's “superpowers” to develop additional tactics.
“I needed to make sure people knew I was actively coaching and that I didn’t go into the desert,” Billion admits. “And wherever I coach, this team will make progress moving forward.”
With his young family remaining in Jersey, Billion flew in every Tuesday, staying until Sunday for two practices and a game. . Rotherham have strengthened their defense – they have conceded just over 18 points per match in 26 league matches – and continued their phenomenal run of bonus-point wins since their 26-20 defeat to the Leeds Tykes in November.
Billona's Jersey was the best performer. Launchpad to a higher level
In late March, the Titans ousted the Tykes, who again lost to Field. When Rotherham faced Sheffield Tigers in their penultimate league match, they overcame “dressing room anxiety” to score 24 unanswered points in the second period. A week later, the Titans accomplished their goal by defeating Billingham. Next season they will play in the National League 1.
Biljon believes Charlie Capps, Jack Bergmanas and John Okafor are the key players. The “very rewarding” experience “gave him new energy.” Managing semi-professionals and some amateurs presented a new challenge. Among the biggest compliments Billon received was Martin Jenkinson, Rotherham's director of rugby, who told him in a bar one night: “This club has got its mojo back.” Further success with the Titans bolstered Billion's impressive resume.
A scrum-half who joined Wasps from the Natal Sharks in 2000 and spent time with superstars Matt Dawson and Rob Howley, Biljon began coaching at Blackheath. He won the British and Irish Cup with Cornish Pirates in 2010 and, days before ring fencing, reached two play-off finals in 2011 and 2012. Billion's jersey was famous for its free style and served as a launching pad for the transition to higher levels. for players and coaches. Unfortunately, Billion himself now does not understand how he can continue to climb the career ladder. Uncertainty about the second level cannot be useful.
“Where do you go now and earn coaching support, where every week you are under pressure and have to solve problems and adapt?” – Billion asks. “Where is the path? It is felt that when the opportunity arises, someone will come from abroad or a 75-year-old person will be appointed.”
Billion offered his services to the Rugby Football Union as a mouthpiece at the second level without being enlisted. At the moment it is again in standby mode. “You have to practice what you preach,” Biljon says. “You talk to players about resilience and overcoming adversity; how when they're not selected, they need to stay motivated if the opportunity arises because they might be needed for the biggest game of the season.
“It's not easy. I can only compare my situation to a player who has just returned from injury and is not selected for the quarter-finals. They need to train as hard as ever to be at their best if for any reason they are needed in the semi-finals and finals.”
Biljon wanted to take the Jersey Reds to the Premier League, but the club was denied promotion due to the league's minimum standards criteria. Photo: Getty Images/Anton Novoderezhkin
Jersey surprised everyone, including herself, by winning the championship last year. Their triumphant campaign, which turned out to be the last, was to be the first step of a three-year plan to achieve the premiership. On a personal level, Biljon was ambitious. However, he stopped window shopping to focus on what was in front of him.
“I remember looking at what the next opportunities might be and thinking they were so few and far between. from a friend,” he says. “I made a conscious decision that if I wanted to reach the top level, I would have to get the Jersey Reds there myself.”
Rotherham is lucky to have someone with such enthusiasm, who believes he “can give.” much more”. More broadly, English rugby union cannot afford to let coaches become disillusioned.
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