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UCD Smurfit Executive Development and Leinster Rugby Launch New Course Offering

  • Date: Mon, Sep 6, 2021

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Monday, September 6th 2021. Creating the proper foundation for high performance teams is becoming ever more important in corporate environments where collaboration is increasingly seen as the solution to superior output.

UCD Smurfit Executive Development in collaboration with Leinster Rugby, are delighted to announce a brand-new three-day course Building and Leading High-Performing Teams.

Through the integration of examples from the sports and business worlds, this unique, intensive, and highly interactive short course, will equip participants with insights and skills to build their leadership strengths and prepare themselves for greater challenges.

The co-designed course will take place from October 27th to 29th and will be delivered on campus at UCD Smurfit Executive Development with a site visit included to Leinster Rugby’s headquarters, and state of the art training facilities at Belfield, UCD.

The faculty team led by Helen Brophy, Director at Smurfit Executive Development will include a number of Leinster Rugby’s leadership team including Head Coach Leo Cullen and Dr. Emma Burrows, Personal Development Manager at Leinster Rugby.

Building and Leading High-Performing Teams is designed for those with at least five years professional experience from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors and whose career has evolved consistently with increasing levels of responsibility.

Programme Director, Helen Brophy, Director at Smurfit Executive Development said “Through cross-functional team building and helping participants to develop an enhanced ability to build, lead, inspire and sustain high-performing teams, this three-day course places participants in settings and contexts that will change the way they experience leadership.

“Each day they will test new strategies and practical tools through hands-on experiences with instant feedback and participate in integrated sessions that connect course content to their real-world issues.” 

Leo Cullen, Head Coach at Leinster Rugby said “I’m looking forward to the course. It is the first time that we have engaged in this capacity with UCD Smurfit Executive Development and it will be interesting for me to step back into a lecture theatre again but I am also looking forward to bringing the class back up to our head office and training centre in UCD.

“That ability to bring the class up here to our training base, to interact on site and to discuss in detail some of the lessons that I, as a head coach, but also we as a professional sporting organisation have learned over the years, will be invaluable.

“I’m also looking forward to what I and what we in Leinster Rugby can learn from the course participants and that shared experience is one that I feel we will all benefit from.”

Once completed, successful participants will be presented with their course certificates at a special awards ceremony at a Leinster Rugby home match in either the RDS Arena or Aviva Stadium.

Participants will also enjoy an exclusive “behind the scenes” pre-match stadium tour, to see the Leinster Rugby team prepare in the build-up to the match, before taking their seat to enjoy the performance.

 “The course will deliver a 360-degree learning experience, offering executives fresh insights on their professional and personal strengths. Individual and group exercises are designed to encourage leadership development beyond the classroom and action learning activities include recognising the importance of emotional intelligence and how to raise your EQ” added Helen Brophy, Director at Smurfit Executive Development.

The inaugural intake commences 27th – 29th October 2021. To find out more click here or to book your individual place or group booking please contact Maria Keany on +353 1 716 8059 or email maria.keany@ucd.ie.

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