A COCKBURN rugby club hopes their new academy will give young players the encouragement they need to improve.
The Southern Lions Rugby Union Football Club’s junior academy is a skills based program that aims to provide players the next level of training and fitness through the use of specialised drills, bodyweight training and nutrition education.
Southern Lions junior vice president Sandra Leef said the club had noticed a need to upskill players to help with their development when coach Jock Tiernan offered to run the pilot academy program over summer.
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READ NOW“The normal team environment doesn’t always provide the one-on-one training that young players need, but the academy allows them to focus on and improve a player’s immediate skills needs,” she said.
“We are hoping the academy will better their skills, fitness and understanding of the game as a whole, but more importantly give the player the techniques to have more confidence in themselves.
“The academy will be run in the rugby off-season each year, from November to March, and as each year progresses we will introduce new players.
“For those that return we can upskill the training to continue to develop them-one year is never enough for those that have aspirations of higher level rugby.”
More than a dozen players aged 10 to 16 from Southern Lions and ARKS Rugby Union Club have signed up for the inaugural academy, as well as two Australian Rules Football players.
Locals interested in joining the Southern Lions for the 2019 season can email secretary@southernlionsrufc.com.
Registration days will be held on February 16 from 12pm to 3pm and February 22 from 5pm to 7.30pm.
Visit www.southernlionsrufc.com for more information.