Next week sees the launch of a new and exciting off-field venture for the Ospreys as they host their first ever European Summer School.
Young players aged between 13 and 18 will travel from Italy, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic to the region where they will receive a complete Ospreys Experience.
The participants will spend a week based at Swansea University, staying in the halls of residence, with multiple activities organised on Campus throughout their stay.
Ospreys coaches will conduct a daily programme of rugby skills, which will be followed by lectures on a wide range of related topics such as nutrition, sports psychology and analysis. Tuition will also be provided on safe and correct conditioning methods.
In addition English Language Training Services, based at the University, will provide daily English language lessons tailored to the needs and abilities of the individual candidates. Meanwhile, a parallel programme of Coach Development will cater for coaches who attend from the various overseas clubs represented at the Summer School.
The Ospreys team will also hold a full training session at the University Playing Fields during the week where the attendees will have the opportunity to meet players and coaching staff, while there will also be a visit to the Liberty Stadium for a guided tour as well as opportunities to discover some of the many attractions throughout the region. All participants will receive a special ‘Player Pack’, including training kit and personal items.
Tony Thomas, Ospreys European Summer School Manager, said:
“This is a great opportunity to spread the Ospreys message far and wide. This will be the first of many camps and we have already received interest from as far afield as Indonesia, South Africa and Dubai for future events. We are determined that our visitors will receive a first class Ospreylian welcome and will go home feeling that they have had a truly beneficial and enjoyable experience.”
Andrew Hore, Chief Operations Officer at the Ospreys, added:
“A lot of work has gone into putting together the first Ospreys European Summer School, which I’m sure will be a huge success. As an organisation we’ve got a proud record of youth development and have run hugely popular and successful coaching courses for Ospreylian children since our inception in 2003.
“The European Summer School builds on those successes to offer the chance of a lifetime for children across Europe to enjoy the full Ospreylian experience for the first time. We’ve created a world-class player development programme, and the youngsters at the Summer School will enjoy an experience based on the exact same principles that we apply to our Elite Youth and Senior training programmes.
“It will be a great opportunity for our overseas visitors to mingle with people from a variety of cultures, to become better rugby players while also improving their communications skills. It’s also a great advertisement for the region, allowing the youngsters to see what a wonderful part of the world this is.”