Last week, we had the privilege of joining the Todd Clever Foundation in supporting youth rugby development, a cause that celebrates discipline, teamwork, and grit. While the event itself was a joy to attend, it also gave us space to reflect on something deeper: the incredible overlap between the values built on the rugby pitch and the demands of great operations leadership.

At Predictive Supply Chain Solutions, we talk a lot about data, decisions, and dynamic forecasting. But behind all the tools and tech is something that can’t be coded or modeled: leadership.

Rugby is a sport that teaches you to read the field, trust your teammates, and make fast decisions under pressure. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the same mindset that drives high-performing operations teams.

1. Clarity in the Chaos

A rugby match is 80 minutes of organized chaos. Sound strategy meets split-second judgment. Leaders on the field don’t just follow the play, they see it unfolding, adapt, and communicate with clarity. In the supply chain world, the same principles apply. Leading through disruption requires a calm, confident voice and the ability to make decisions when the path isn’t always clear.

2. Resilience Under Pressure

Rugby doesn’t stop when things go sideways. Whether you’re down a player or defending your goal line, success comes from composure and clear-headed action. In operations, market volatility, supplier delays, or internal breakdowns are our version of that. The leaders who rise above are the ones who stay steady, re-focus, and guide their teams forward.

3. Team Over Ego

In rugby, no single player wins the game. It’s about the unit, the support runners, the ruckers, the finishers. Operations is the same. No plan, no matter how predictive or optimized, works in isolation. Great ops leaders empower their people, cross functions, and foster a culture where every role matters.

4. Continuous Improvement

Even the best teams in rugby analyze every match, review tape, and train for marginal gains. We believe the best operations teams do the same. They look at their data, question their processes, and build the muscle of continuous improvement. Whether it’s reducing stockouts, improving lead times, or aligning better with finance; small wins compound.

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Leadership, like rugby, is built through contact: contact with challenges, with people, with change. We’re proud to support the Todd Clever Foundation and the values it promotes. Because ultimately, the best players on the field and the best leaders in operations aren’t so different. Both show up. Both adapt. And both drive the team forward.

Interested in how operations leadership can evolve with the right tools? Let’s chat. We’ll bring the data—you bring the grit.