The Ospreys Community Rugby Department will be hosting a special coaching conference for secondary school teachers in the Neath Port Talbot Unitary Authority area next month.
The purpose of the conference, which is being organised by Dai Arthur, Development Officer responsible for the area, in conjunction with Tony Thomas, Ospreys Coach Development Officer, will be to provide assistance and guidance to the teachers currently involved in coaching rugby at secondary schools in Neath Port Talbot, highlighting ways in which the Ospreys are able to help with their operations.
Taking place at Llandarcy Academy of Sport on Thursday 5th December between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, the schedule for the afternoon will see Ospreys personnel delivering a wide variety of sessions focusing on different aspects of the game, as well as outlining the development structures in place at the region. Areas covered include the lineout, contact area, and blitz and drift defence, with sessions delivered by Head Coach Sean Holley, Regional Performance Development Manager Andrew Millward, and senior Ospreys players, Andy Lloyd and Steve Tandy, all of whom came through the ranks at schools in the Neath Port Talbot area.
Following the conference, Dai Arthur will also reveal details of a new schools rugby structure Neath Port Talbot that has been agreed, and that will see the schools competing in a new cup competition in the New Year, as well as a county wide sevens tournament, both of which will operate at each school year.
Elite Performance Director, Andrew Hore, who will also address the conference in order to outline the Ospreys Player Development Pathway, and Academy structure said:
“The importance of schools rugby cannot be underestimated, it very often provides the first opportunity for a youngster to pick up a rugby ball and develop a taste for rugby, so the part it plays in the development pathway is crucial. By working with the schools in this way, we are not only strengthening the links between the Ospreys and the schools themselves, through the assistance and support that we can provide we can help to raise the already high standard of school rugby even further, which can only prove beneficial to all parties in the long run.
“School rugby coaches can act as significant role models, on and off the field, and we are truly grateful for the significant work that they do, which can be a major stepping stone towards keeping young players involved in the sport. We’re all looking forward to this event which will, I’m sure, prove to be another success for our hard working Community Rugby Department, which puts in tremendous work to help ensure the long term sustainability of the Ospreys region.”