Chance for young rugby players to hone their skills

THE Investec International Rugby Academy will be back during the June school holidays with an exciting line up of courses and coaches to offer up their skills and expertise to rugby lovers from ages seven to 18 and aspiring rugby coaches. The June courses are from 25 to 29 June at St Charles College in Pietermaritzburg.

Hoping to level the playing field at school with that of professional rugby are rugby icons Murray Mexted, Dick Muir, John Smit, André Pretorius and many more, who aim to help young players fast-track their knowledge and skills, understand what it takes mentally, behind-the-scenes and on field to become a professional, and to grow the pool of talent available for selection.

“I think what we have learnt in the modern day, is that there is a wider range of skills required throughout every position and building on those skills is essential to being able to play at a certain pace and level,” said former Springbok Captain, John Smit.

“We put players in pressure situations to learn to be able to make decisions and, also, not to be scared when they make mistakes. A platform like the Academy is a great way to enhance yourself as an individual and as a player or coach, and to be able to be taught by players who have experienced the professional game – you can’t get a better area to learn from,” said current Sharks consultant coach and former Springbok Assistant Coach, Dick Muir.

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Investec International Rugby Academy also focuses on keeping coaches up-to-date with the latest, international coaching methods to maintain the professional standard from an early age.

“Knowledge-sharing, especially among coaches, is one of the most important things we have to work on as a country,” said Smit.

High school players (ages 13 to 17) are offered two options – a five-day players course. Primary school players (ages 10 to 12) spend four days in the Intermediate Players’ Course, while junior primary players (ages seven to nine) spend three days focusing on building a solid foundation in the game.

To attend, visit www.investecacademy.com or contact Greg or Bernadine Miller on 031 940 5565.

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