Rugby Australia move to lock in young talent

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21-09-18, 08:34
The InnFORCEr

Rugby Australia move to lock in young talent

Rugby Australia is moving to secure top young talent by broadening its Super Rugby Academies.

According to The Australian, the new model will see academies bring in boys as young as 15 in an effort to combat poaching. The academies have previously focused on school leavers.

There will now be two tiers before reaching the school leavers, with three separate groups for 15-16-year-olds, 17-18 year olds and 18-20-year-olds being established.

In the first two groups, the academies will complement school and club programs, and are designed to improve the individual skills of players. As players progress and enter the third stage they will work closely with senior clubs.

Players at the third level will play representative matches in the newly established Under 19 Rugby Championship, the National Rugby Championship and be in the mix for Junior Wallabies representation.

“We envisage these programs touching 2000-odd players at different levels,” said Rugby Australia’s high performance general manager Ben Whitaker. “Some will have access to representative teams into championships, others will get more assistance around technical, tactical and physical development, other to holistic development and as you come through the system the attention in those areas is increased.”

“It’s never easy to land on a model that every single stakeholder is completely happy with, however, we have taken a consultative approach that acknowledges the needs and tremendous value that schools and clubs deliver.”

Australian Schools Rugby Union president Bob Wallace said that while the championship will play a significant role in selecting the Australian Schoolboy sides, the academies will play regular matches against each other that could also culminate in selection.

“Could do,” said Wallace. “As we understand it, the academy games won’t clash with the championships. Indeed, the main clash they might have might well be with the schools about the level of the boys’ commitment to study and play sport and releasing them to go away for extra weekends here and there.”

Wallace also said the academy programs may involve boys under 18 who had already left school.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/rugby...-young-talent/
21-09-18, 09:18
AndyS

Idiots. These age structures should be part of each NRC team program, not independent programs hothousing the delicate little flowers.

When they say 'academies', I suppose they still mean just one in NSW and one in Q'ld....?
21-09-18, 09:46
Bakkies

Brumbies and Force both have an academy set up. Laurie Fisher is big one it.
21-09-18, 10:03
AndyS

But are they 'its' Super Rugby Academies that RA are going to step in and broaden...?
21-09-18, 13:13
GIGS20

Eagerly awaiting the Rebels' announcement of every 15 year old rugby player in Australia

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21-09-18, 14:35
JSJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyS

But are they 'its' Super Rugby Academies that RA are going to step in and broaden...?

The Force and the WA business people, including Twiggy, who funded the Emerging Force for several years now, are years ahead of NSW/RA in this area I believe.
However the interesting bit will be if RA and NSW allow the Western Sydney/WSR team to put the young star players in Western Sydney into their own academy.
21-09-18, 15:04
GIGS20

No, the REALLY interesting bit will be the RA's reaction when the Western Sydney team starts writing contracts for the best players in "THEIR" academy!
21-09-18, 15:45
JSJ

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIGS20

No, the REALLY interesting bit will be the RA's reaction when the Western Sydney team starts writing contracts for the best players in "THEIR" academy!

Yes. it will be a bit of a turf war. I imagine if NSW are paying out money or an education bursary out for some star kid, there will be a contract in place to stop the kid signing with some other team for 2-3 years. Maybe this sudden interest in young future stars, is to lock the best young players in Western Sydney away from WSR before they get going in Sydney.
21-09-18, 22:00
Bakkies

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSJ

The Force and the WA business people, including Twiggy, who funded the Emerging Force for several years now, are years ahead of NSW/RA in this area I believe.
However the interesting bit will be if RA and NSW allow the Western Sydney/WSR team to put the young star players in Western Sydney into their own academy.

Yep the Brumbies are the same. The Chiefs were after Will Goddard was offered an academy deal from the Brumbies and accepted. Little credit was given from the RA. Boyd Hollingsworth-Dessent appeared on the Roar last year signed by the Brumbies no credit. Rorke who went to the Raiders was offered a deal by the Brumbies so wasn't ignored by Rugby as highlighted by the Sydney press. Rugby got the blame for dismissing him but he did get an offer. Young Jiminez who is still at school has potential needs a bit of bulk. Very similar to Joe Roff in style. I say the Brumbies will get him.

That's what is about be proactive rather than throw your hands up in the air. Australian development used to be like that. The Force widened that net yet the arséholes threw it in the bin.