Education and Rugby
Education and Rugby
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Aims Developments within the Game
“We always look to help players step into club
rugby and have seen over 10,000 players going on to
attend clubs from our programmes. The clubs have been
brilliant in giving people a warm welcome and I think
that reflects on what a positive social atmosphere many
clubs have as well.
For us it is vital that we help and support our clubs.
There are clubs from up and down the country of
various sizes and we see our role being to focus on
helping them to bring the game to their
communities. Our rugby clubs are
fantastic places to go so anything
we can do to help them be
sustainable, strong and
enjoyable is important.” “Within the area of education, policy is always
changing. For example, the student fees being introduced
has meant a huge difference to how universities present
the non-academic pursuits that they provide. That has
been very good for sport but has also meant that we
have really had to pull our socks up to make sure that
what we provide to help universities is really focused
on making sure that students have a really high quality
experience outside of what they do academically.
Sport is now generally much more
joined up; traditionally I think
that there used to be a lot of
competition between different
activities which if overdone
can sometimes lead to
potential
participants
not having clarity over
what sport can offer.
I’m pleased to say that
now there is a much
more
joined
up
approach between
different
sports
working
together,
giving people a lot
of choice so that they
can make an informed
decision on what they
want to do.
Another development
during my time here is that
coaching has become much
more serious. Coaches are keen
to be the best that they can be now
and even when volunteering people
put a lot of time and effort into developing.
We have a workforce of over a hundred coaches out in
communities and that development can only be good for
helping people to enjoy the game and continue to learn.”
Our Programmes
“We
have
a
number
of
programmes to help
people to improve
their own rugby
provision. We have
just under thirty
Focus Colleges now
that we assist with
funding to help them
develop and also work
with local clubs.
In the university sector
we have two main pieces of
work. The first is the University
Partnership Programme which
involves working with a number of top
universities with a focus not just on their top
level provision but extending their broader participation
to more of their students.
Our latest programme in this area is working with
University Clusters; we have around fifty universities
in approximately twenty clusters across the country,
for example Manchester University and Manchester
Metropolitan. We help to fund an officer who focuses
on those players that may go to university and decide
not to play anymore. They are the people we regard as
most likely to fall out of rugby and sport as a whole. It is
a really important group for us as they have the potential
to be the life blood of clubs in the future.
There are those players that will always find rugby or
rugby will find them but there are also those who may
stop playing if they don’t receive the right offer and I’m
pleased to say that we’ve been getting some really good
traction from that group as well. I have to say that a lot
of people that we have worked with in the universities
have been fantastic, they are really helpful and very
proactive and it has been great to get the chance to work
with them.”
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Ambitions
“We work hard to make sure that we are accessible
to everyone. The growth in the women’s and girls game
has been huge. Just in the All Schools programme 60% of
those schools involved are running it for girls and boys.
There is a perception that rugby is a middle-class, white
male sport and I’m pleased to say that the demographic is
growing and we’re hoping to see it continue to progress.
From the broader game point of view we really
want to focus on what will continue to make the game
successful in the future. Times are changing and with
the digital age and more modern technology people
have a lot of choice so we are working hard to make
sure that we can offer an attractive game for players.
I’m confident that if we get that right they’ll fall in love
with rugby and its values, meaning that they go on to
become the coaches, referees, committee members etc.
of the future.”
HEREFORD SIXTH FORM COLLEGE:
MAXIMISING POTENTIAL ON AND OFF THE FIELD
At Hereford Sixth Form
College, success in education
is more than just qualifications;
it’s about broadening the mind,
skills and experiences. There is a
real emphasis on being involved
in community life at the College,
whether it’s the huge range of
sports, music, drama, debates or
whether it’s helping students find
a way to give something back to
society through volunteering or
work experience.
The continued growth and
success of Physical Education
and Sport at Hereford Sixth
Form College has allowed for
fantastic enrichment activities in
addition to the varied academic
courses. These range from: an
active timetable of drop in and
coached sports sessions; an Elite
Athlete Support Programme for
elite performers; and the Sports
Academies.
The Rugby Academy, founded
in 2000, is designed to give
students access to high level
coaching and competition with a
view to develop individual talent.
It is fully integrated within the
academic timetable; allowing
students training and playing
opportunities alongside their
education. Players commit to two
90-minute training sessions and
two Strength and Conditioning
sessions per week plus weekly
games as part of the AoC
College Sport Leagues.
The Academy has grown
significantly since 2000 and
regularly enrols in excess of fifty
players. Due to this growth, there
are now two male teams and a
female team. Playing standards
have improved dramatically
over the years and the team
competes well with nationally
recognised establishments and
has made good progress in
national competitions.
The success of the programme
has been recognised by the RFU;
Hereford Sixth Form College is
the first to be awarded an ‘RFU
Focus College’ status.
For more details, please
contact
Andy
Douthwaite,
Head of Sports Academies at
Hereford Sixth Form College:
[email protected]
RUGBY
MAXIMISING YOUR POTENTIAL
ON AND OFF THE FIELD
• Ofstead ‘Outstanding’ in all areas
• Specialised Sports Science Support
• High quality coaching and player
development
• Opportunities through AoC
Leagues and Cups
• Membership of Sixth Sense Fitness
Centre
• Individual fitness assessment
OUR NEXT OPEN EVENT
Saturday 8th February 2020
9.30am-12.30pm
Hereford Sixth Form College
Folly Lane, Hereford HR1 1LU
T: 201432 255166
E: [email protected]
www.hereford.ac.uk
www.rugbyclubmag.com
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