Bath Rugby – Rebuilding Culture and Identity Under Johann van Graan
Bath Rugby, one of England’s most historic clubs, found itself in disarray by 2022. Years of underperformance and instability had left the club at rock bottom. In the 2021-22 season Bath finished last in the Premiership, a stunning fall for a six-time league champion. Morale was low and the playing style had become chaotic. Enter Johann van Graan. Appointed Head of Rugby in mid-2022, the former Springbok coach faced a massive turnaround challenge: to rebuild Bath’s culture and identity from the ground up. In just a few years, van Graan has led Bath from the bottom of the table to trophy contenders, instilling a new ethos and strategy along the way. His approach highlights leadership principles of cultural reset, clarity of vision, and emotional intelligence that any business turnaround executive can appreciate.
From Bottom of the Table to Renewed Purpose
When Johann van Graan arrived at Bath, the club lacked confidence and coherence. An immediate cultural reset was needed before wins would follow. Van Graan started by diagnosing what had gone wrong. Bath’s playing style had become helter-skelter and error-prone. There was also a leadership void and fragmented team spirit after years of chopping and changing coaches. Recognizing this, van Graan’s first mission was to restore discipline, clarity, and belief in the squad.
He introduced a more structured, fundamentals-first game plan to stabilize performances. “Johann quickly changed that. He put a massive emphasis on defence and building a set-piece base,” recalled attack coach Lee Blackett, whom van Graan brought in to help overhaul Bath’s tactics. In practice, this meant dialing back risky play in favor of solid defense, strong set pieces (scrums and lineouts), and kicking for territory. This shift gave Bath a platform to be competitive in every match, instead of beating themselves with high-risk moves. Blackett noted it was a 180-degree turn: “It went from one extreme where Bath would always play off their own line to the other extreme where they kicked a lot… It needed players and coaches to come in and move the club on”. By simplifying the strategy and focusing on basics, van Graan created early stability – a crucial step in any turnaround, where quick wins and defensive solidity can rebuild confidence.
Behind this tactical reset was a deeper cultural change. Van Graan prioritized rekindling pride in the Bath jersey and unity within the team. Club captain Ben Spencer observed that since van Graan’s arrival, the whole mood around Bath Rugby in the city shifted “from frowns of frustration to smiles of success.” Van Graan immediately engaged with Bath’s proud community roots. Players were reminded that Bath isn’t just a team but a community asset with passionate supporters; reconnecting the squad with that identity gave them extra purpose. “When I joined Bath one of the biggest attractions for me was to be part of a rugby-mad community… the club is a focal point… and the city appears to be smiling once more,” Spencer said, reflecting on how the team’s resurgence has energized fans and players alike. This reconnection to a larger purpose – playing for something bigger than oneself – was a vital motivational tool in van Graan’s culture rebuild.
Leadership Actions: Clarity, Consistency, and Empowering People
A hallmark of van Graan’s leadership at Bath has been clarity of vision and direct communication. He set out a clear long-term goal (to restore Bath to title contention) and mapped out the process to get there: first rebuild the foundation (culture and defense), then layer in attacking flair once confidence returned. Throughout this journey, van Graan has been, in Spencer’s words, “a very considered, very detailed and very determined man”. He does not deal in vague platitudes; he gives concrete direction to both players and staff. Spencer highlighted how van Graan provides “absolute clarity to the guys – they know when they’re playing, what’s needed from them, what their work-ons and roles are”. This transparency builds trust. Even players who aren’t getting game time understand where they stand and how they can improve, which “the way he manages is quite exceptional,” noted Spencer. For business leaders, this underscores the importance of clear communication and role definition during turnarounds – employees cope much better with change when they know the plan and their part in it.
In addition to clarity, van Graan brought consistency and stability to a club that had seen constant upheaval. He retained much of the playing squad and instead focused on changing mindsets, whereas many struggling teams attempt wholesale personnel changes. Spencer pointed out that Bath’s “massive improvements” have come “largely with the same playing group, which shows that the leadership is strong”. Van Graan chose to believe in the existing players and make them better, rather than blame the squad. This is a textbook use of emotional intelligence: rebuilding the team’s confidence from within. As veteran hooker Tom Dunn put it, “Van Graan had made the players truly believe in themselves again…Belief is probably the biggest thing that’s different between now and then… It is so much easier when you are winning!” By engineering small successes and celebrating progress, van Graan created a virtuous cycle of belief leading to better results, which in turn reinforces belief. In corporate terms, leaders should focus on building morale and self-efficacy in demoralized teams before expecting peak performance.
After winning the Premiership Cup in 2025, van Graan reflected not on himself but on seeing his family and players celebrate together: “We’ve got a family first culture… In life, it’s not what you do alone, it’s what you do together,” he remarked, crediting a “real sense of community and pride” for the team’s achievement. This highlights emotional intelligence in leadership – van Graan recognizes that rugby (like business) is ultimately a human endeavor built on relationships. By showing empathy, humility, and appreciation for every contributor (players, staff, families, fans), he deepened everyone’s investment in the turnaround mission. The result is a tight-knit Bath squad willing to “go the extra mile” for each other and for their leader.
Turnaround Lessons for Business Leaders
Bath’s resurgence provides a rich case study in leading organizational turnarounds and cultural renewal. Key insights include:
1. Establish a Clear Vision and Steady Plan: Van Graan came in with a clear goal (make Bath winners again) and a phased plan (fix the basics, instill belief, then expand play). He communicated this vision relentlessly, giving everyone a north star. Business leaders should similarly set a clear turnaround strategy and avoid constant zig-zagging. Early stabilization (financial or operational “defense”) may be needed before pursuing innovation (“attack”).
2. Reset the Culture on Day One: Cultural issues often underlie poor performance. Van Graan immediately addressed Bath’s mindset and standards. Take stock of cultural drift and actively define the values and behaviors needed for success. This might involve tough calls (removing toxic influences, setting new norms) but pays off by uniting the organization. Culture change and strategy must progress hand-in-hand.
3. Leverage Emotional Intelligence: The Bath case underscores that turnarounds are as emotional as they are technical. Van Graan rebuilt confidence by treating people with respect and honesty. He maintained transparency with players about roles and gave praise and support to rebuild their self-belief. For executives, engaging hearts and minds is non-negotiable: listen to employees’ concerns, celebrate small wins to boost morale, and demonstrate empathy during stressful changes. As van Graan showed, inspired people can rapidly surpass their past performance when they feel valued and focused.
4. Align Your Leadership Team: A unified leadership front was critical to Bath’s revival. Van Graan ensured his assistant coaches and senior players were fully bought into the vision and could echo it to the wider group. In business, the top team must be in lockstep – any conflicting messages or power struggles at the top will sabotage the turnaround. Invest time to get your key managers on the same page regarding priorities, and empower them to be culture carriers.
5. Reinforce Identity and Purpose: Finally, Bath’s story reminds us that teams perform best when they feel their work has meaning. By reconnecting Bath Rugby with its heritage and community, van Graan gave players an extra emotional drive. Corporate turnarounds can emulate this by articulating a compelling purpose: remind everyone why the organization exists and who it serves. Whether it’s reclaiming a market-leading status or renewing a customer-first ethos, linking daily tasks to a bigger mission fuels perseverance through the tough turnaround phases.