Ospreys players are making special visits to a number of community clubs over the coming weeks, assisting members of the WRU/Ospreys Community Rugby team to deliver a series of training sessions.
The visits, which kicked-off at Kenfig Hill RFC last week, are to reward the clubs in Ospreylia that boast more than 200 registered players in their junior section, with visits to Dunvant, Mumbles, Morriston and Bridgend Athletic also pencilled in over the coming weeks, with more to follow.
Ben Rose, WRU Regional Development Manager for the Ospreys region, said:
“These visits are a pat on the back for the successful clubs across the region who have established a strong junior section and who are working hard to produce the Ospreys and Wales players of the future.
“The players will visit along with a WRU Participation Officer and help with the delivery of a training session, creating a memorable and inspiring experience for the youngsters that will live with them forever. To receive coaching tips and guidance from an Osprey is pretty special, and the great thing about it is the players love getting out and about to local clubs to lend a hand as without exception, every one of them got to where they are today after starting out playing rugby at their community club.”
While this round of visits are rewarding the well established junior sections for their efforts, Rose was quick to stress that the services of the WRU/Ospreys Community team are open to clubs of all sizes as they seek to grow participation numbers.
“We are here to help every single one of our clubs and are active out and about in the community 52 weeks a year. To keep rugby strong in Wales, particularly in light of the growing success and popularity of Premiership football in South Wales, it’s imperative that everybody pulls together to grow the game.
“These player appearances, where they get their hands dirty out on the training pitch, can be of far greater benefit than simply turning up at the end of the season to hand over a medal and we would encourage clubs to engage with us to get the most out of them. It’s nice to have a photo to remember an end of season presentation, but the memories of when an Osprey passed on tips will be even more special.
“There are countless clubs who have benefited from working in collaboration with the team in many different ways. If you are involved with a local club, be it minis junior or the senior section, and you need assistance, there are ways that we can help. It could be delivering coaching sessions, working with local schools to drive new players to their local club, or assisting with coach development to improve standards across the club, anything which can help to grow your club and grow the game.
“If we are able to get more people playing, with better coaches, then it will lead to a stronger community game in Ospreylia with all the obvious long-term benefits of that.
Any clubs requiring assistance can contact Ben Rose at the Ospreys by emailing Ben Rose at brose@wru.co.uk.