Ospreys players dropped into Bishopston Sports Centre this week to hand out attendance certificates to children who have participated in the Ozzie the Osprey's 5-7 Rugby Sessions.
Ian Gough, Rhys Webb, Scott Baldwin, Ben Lewis and Conor McInerney to officially recognise the youngsters for their efforts at the end of the 10 week course, which is aimed at introducing 5-7 year olds to the FUNdamentals of rugby.
The course, which is still running at five other leisure centres throughout Swansea, provides a solid foundation to the children’s rugby development and is delivered by Ospreys Community Coaches,
During the course children were taught through the medium of tag rugby (non-contact), with the focus on the three main themes of the game - Running and Evasion, Ball Handling and Ball Familiarity, Tagging and Defending.
With the WRU and Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) both encouraging under fives to enjoy multi-sport activities, these courses are specially designed and adapted to encourage children aged between 5-7 to discover a passion for rugby, through the FUNdamental skill movements.
The courses have been delivered by Ospreys Community Coaches, who are qualified to a minimum of United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Level 1 award.
Speaking after attending the final session of the Bishopston course, Ian Gough said:
“It was fantastic to be able to join the Ospreys coaches and the children for the final session, not only to hand out certificates but to get involved in some TAG rugby with them as well. It’s great to see the children really having fun with a rugby ball, it’s important that we encourage as many youngsters as possible to play the game. The work that the community guys are doing will hopefully lead to these children going on to play rugby for many years to come. As players at the region, we know that we have a part to play in this, as role models we can inspire the youngsters to enjoy their rugby, and it’s important that we create the right legacy for the next generation of Ospreys and for generations after that to aspire to.”
WRU/Ospreys Community Development Manager, Jason Lewis, added:
“These courses are based on the fundamentals of Agility, Balance and Co-ordination which are essential attributes for developing the skills needed for Rugby and many other sports. Sessions have been designed specifically for the needs of 5-7 year olds, which means there is great emphasis on fun, teamwork and fair play. It’s fair to say that this current run of courses, which will continue at the five other venues for a few weeks yet, have proven to be incredibly successful and have seen plenty of children discovering the FUNdamentals of rugby.”
The Ospreys Community Rugby Department will be running another series of Ozzie the Osprey’s 5-7 Rugby Sessions in the New Year, at Bishopston, Cefn Hengoed, Morriston, Penlan, Pentrehafod and Penyrheol Leisure Centres, starting during the week commencing 11th January. A place on the 10-week course costs £30, to book you must contact the appropriate Leisure Centre direct, but will need to act swiftly as the courses always prove very popular.