Rugby Club Issue 73 | Page 32

Old Alleynians FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG the senior teams to deliver on England Rugby’s Holding On strategy and to ensure that the youth section is doing what it is there for, to generate senior players for the future. The club is establishing a player profiling system this season for youth players and operates a senior to academy buddy programme each year where a senior 1st or 2nd XV player is buddied with an academy player to support their transition in to the senior squads. The club also has a dynamic community outreach programme delivered by local social enterprise Give it a try! The objective of the programme is to grow the game locally in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham through local state schools utilising rugby as a positive tool for change. The programme called “building character through rugby” is delivering the game in 20 local schools, engaging with in excess of 750 children and over 80 students have transitioned from school to club rugby in the last two seasons. Old Alleynians is also an Old Mutual Wealth Kids First club and delivers Age Grade Rugby via a team of over 130 volunteer coaches who are currently in their second season of continual personal development, with a view to them all being appropriately qualified to deliver rugby coaching at their age grade by the end of the 2017-2018 season. This team is supported by an additional 60 plus volunteers delivering first aid, refereeing, safeguarding, administration, catering and selling kit in the club shop. The club also runs year-round O2 Touch engaging with the local community and growing the game by offering something different. Summer O2 Touch starts on 3rd June attracting over 50 players and will run throughout the Summer; this also includes youth summer touch as well, for U6s to U13s and the club regularly has whole families turning up to play! As part of the strategic plan, which was put in place by the new management team approximately 16 months ago, the club is now looking to develop a feasibility and options study We use rugby as a positive tool for change in primary and secondary state schools in South east London, improving student’s attitude, attainment & attendance. We build character, resilience and confidence through the delivery of a programme that combines rugby coaching and mentoring to support students to be the best that they can be! Building Character Through Rugby For more inFormation: [email protected] | www.giveitatry.org.uk teamwork | respect | enjoyment | discipline | sportsmanship 32 Issue 73