JOIN THE RUGBY ACADEMY AND LIVE THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
The Rugby Academy allows athletes to improve their Rugby and individual skills with the best coaches available in a safe, enjoyable and stimulating environment within the best rugby countries in the world. For 2017, 2018 and 2019 we will be running the Rugby Academy in conjunction with important leading rugby schools and clubs based in Ireland, England and New Zealand, considered among the best in the world.
We promote active learning and also the intellectual, physical and social development of the learners with a variety of coaching styles involving both coach centred and athlete centred components/game-based approach.
The Rugby Academy provide each athlete with the best possible coaching staff with the aim to empower the players to reach their full potential via a high quality and inspiring education, considering the age and ability of the players.
RUGBY PROGRAMME
Our programme has been created in conjunction with the “long-term player development programme” fostered by World Rugby.
All athletes will learn the essential techniques required to play safely, they will learn and develop new skills and ways to express themselves in a team environment. There will be “humbleness” that comes by working with a group and the “conscientiousness” for the safety and enjoyment of all players involved. We encourage fun and healthy competition.
Coaching
All participants will be assisted, coached and guided by professional coaches, professional players and well-experienced teachers. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following topics: individual skills and techniques; mini-unit skills and team skills; communication and the ability to make decisions under pressure and perform under the pressure of time, space, and under fatigue and do so consistently.
The Rugby Academy is open to players of various level. The rugby programme maintains the fun aspects of rugby and promotes rugby’s core values: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship. Enjoyment will be considered a fundamental aspect of the programme.
We encourage coaches to use a broader range of coaching styles and behaviours at different parts of the Coaching Continuum: Coach centred <=> Athlete centred using a Game-Based Approach (GBA) appropriate to particular situations or circumstances such us types of athletes, age and size groups, with the aim to increasingly raise athletes’ self-awareness, gives them greater responsibility for their own learning and leads to an outcome of increased athlete self-belief.
Age Grade of Play
We ensure that all players are able to enjoy rugby in a safe environment where they can develop their sport, personal and social skills. The programme is for all players aged 6 – 18 in clubs, schools, colleges and within the representative pathway and it incorporates the rules of play, regulation, competition formats and the structure of the season worldwide.
Rugby course contents
Athletes will have more than 25 hours a week of training and interrelated activities which include theoretical lessons, coaching, skills assessments and progressions, developments of the mental strength, intelligence and rugby abilities. Matches or training games will be part of the programme and analysed through video supports when appropriate.
RUGBY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
| Players 6 to 18 years old |
| Ireland, England and New Zealand |
| 2 or more weeks |
| Host family or Residential Accommodation |
Skills Development Programme
- Catching and Passing or Kicking
- Tackling
- Support and Evasion
- The Breakdown (Defensive and Attacking with individual, mini-unit and team skills assessment and progressive development )
All sessions will have one of these four core skills as its main focus, which will be assessed and developed progressively. Particular emphasis will be placed on the following topics:
- Communication and the ability to make decisions under pressure
- Leadership activation; mental strength; tactical intelligence
- Functional assessment and development
- Speed, Agility and Quickness
- Game related fitness
- Strength and conditioning
Players who attend the Rugby Academy will be coached by Top Level coaches, fully DBS checked and first aid trained. Our staff, which includes a full-time physiotherapist, will be looking after players at all other times. They conform to Ireland, England, France and New Zealand’s Rugby Football Union and the World Rugby’s guidance in coaching rugby.
“The game of rugby is a balance between skill and physicality”
“A club should say GET MORE SKILFULL because the easy part is the physical part, the hard part is skill. The skills are so hard to improve: your catch and pass skills… to improve your decision-making is hard…and you‘ve got to spend more time on those areas…the gym part is the easiest part.
It is easier to get fitter and stronger”
Cit. Eddie Jones (England Rugby Coach) at Oxford Union F&Q, Summer 2017
At Play Rugby, we are trying to instil this into players and create athletes that are much more diligent in the skills training.
Watch the full video on our blog.
HIGH PERFORMANCE
| Players 14 to 23 years old |
| Ireland, England and New Zealand |
| 2 or more weeks |
| Host Family or Residential Accommodation |
Hi-Performance Development Programme
The Rugby Academy will provide players and teams with an opportunity to experience a development programme which will be tailored to the team and/or the individual.
The rugby academy programme includes:
- Technical skill assessment and progressive development
- Positional play
- Tactical skill assessment and development
- Game Management Development & Training analysis through video supports where appropriate
- Mental Preparation
- Physical fitness, Strength, Power and Conditioning assessment and development
- Nutrition Analysis & Planning
- Access to expert coaching and fitness training
- Access to top-level coaches and playing facilities
- Performance analysis, Goal setting, Performance planning
- Medical and Functional Assessment and support (where and when applicable)
- Personal Development
SCRUM ACADEMY
| Players 15 to 18 years old |
| Ireland, England and New Zealand |
| 2 or more weeks |
| Host Family or Residential Accommodation |
Scrum Academy Programme
The Scrum Academy provides a scrum coaching development programme that include the most current and up to date trends in the game. The programme is delivered by highly qualified & experienced coaches in a professional and engaging manner.
The programme follows a traditional developmental model including the following Key areas :
- Foundation Blocks
- Bindings
- The Power Position
- Safe Scrumming
- Scrum coaching
- Scrum Consultancy
- Scrum Analysis
We provide a high standard of scrum specific coaching that will increase and improve players and coaches’s scrum knowledge, scrum specific skills and overall qualities and abilities to perform and deliver under pressure.
Staff
Our experienced rugby staff have a vast amount of experience in providing top quality coaching to young players. All coaches are fully accredited and qualified by IRFU (Irish Rugby Union), RFU (Rugby Football Union), NZRU (New Zealand Rugby Union). All the coaches have additionally completed World Rugby First Aid in Rugby and Safe Rugby.
Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy departments are present in some particular centres and available to a specific group of athletes.
Sports Facilities
The Academy has excellent world-class training facilities and a wide range of additional sport and recreational facilities to complement the training programme. High-performance gyms and indoor swimming pools are present in some particular centres and available to a specific group of athletes.
Excursions and other Activities
Activities and excursions are an important part of the course in New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe. Please contact us for more details.
RUGBY ACADEMY SAMPLE WEEK
HOLISTIC APPROACH
At Play Rugby, we promote active learning and also the intellectual, physical and social development of the learners with a variety of coaching styles involving both coach centred and athlete centred components.
THE PLAY RUGBY HOLISTIC APPROACH includes principles of leadership, empowerment, emotional intelligence, athlete learning preferences, Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU), game-based approach (GBA) within increasingly V.U.C.A. environments, Inner Game, implicit motor learning and experiential/discovery learning with an authentic respect for each individual willingness to achieve happiness while participating in rugby.
Accommodation
Host Families Students attending Rugby Academy should stay with host families. All our families are inspected and carefully selected by our accommodation officers who maintains regular contact with each host family during a student’s stay. Host families are conveniently located to the colleges and most have many years experience looking after students. Accommodation is arranged on a full board basis with packed lunch Monday to Saturday. Students normally share a room with a student of a similar age but of different nationality. Unless specifically requested there is only one student of any particular nationality in each family. Students normally travel to classes each day by public transport like bus, suburban train or tram. Living with a host family gives a perspective into a different culture.
College Boarding schools offer an alternative to the “host family” option for students who wish to immerse themselves in the complete school experience. Boarding offers a unique community orientated way of life and suits students who are outgoing, sporty & adaptable. It offers a comprehensive academic and extra curricular environment which serves to develop each student to their full all round potential. The Rugby Academy campus is a self-contained community, which offers to players a degree of independence and freedom to explore whilst providing a safe and secure environment. The well-being of our students is at the heart of our boarding provision. With a generous staff to student ratio, we guarantee round-the-clock care within a happy, well-ordered environment. We encourage staff to cultivate a friendly, lively, family atmosphere to ensure all students feel comfortable, contented and supported while they are away from home.
The College can accommodate residential students on-site, most in comfortable double or triple rooms accommodation. All the accommodation used by Play Rugby players is of extremely high quality. Each bedroom is either situated very close to our modern wash and toilet facilities or, alternatively, has its own en-suite shower room. Each student will have their own wardrobe, drawers, desk and chair.
The catering facilities provide both hot and cold meals and a range of snacks.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
