The Welsh speaker, who recently signed a new contract with the Ospreys, has become the official representative of Ospreys in the Community’s new Welsh language programme.
Ospreys and Wales prop Rhodri Jones has joined Alun WynJones in becoming an official Ospreys in the Community Ambassador, after coming on board to support the Trosiad programme.
Trosiad, OitC’s newest offering, aims to help teach primary school children Welsh through the medium of sport. It launched after the Spring half term break and has had an incredibly successful first few weeks, reaching hundreds of pupils at 14 schools right across the region.
The initiative has been set up thanks to funding received from the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 Grant. The Cymraeg 2050 Grant is a key element of the Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. It has provided funds to innovative, short-term projects which aim to increase people’s daily use of the language and to promote technology which supports the use of Welsh.
Rhodri commented on becoming the Ambassador for Trosiad:
“After coming to join in on a Trosiad session with the Ospreys in the Community coaches I saw the fantastic impact the programme was having on the pupils and as a Welsh speaker myself I was really keen to get involved.
“OitC have come up with a very unique way to help children learn Welsh and encourage their confidence when using the language. The pupils are so busy having fun and playing rugby they’re absorbing the words without really realising it which is so different from them sitting down and learning in a classroom setting.
“I think learning to speak Welsh is very important for children, it can really help with their future prospects as so many jobs in Wales now require Welsh speakers. I’m really looking forward to being involved with initiative and seeing how it grows over the coming months.”
Paul Whapham, Foundation Manager, Ospreys in the Community, added:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have Rhodri join Alun Wyn as an official Ospreys in the Community Ambassador. He is the first of several OitC programme Ambassadors that will be announced in the coming months.
“It’s great to see the Ospreys players becoming more and more involved in the work Ospreys in the Community do. Not just as figureheads for the charity, but also physically joining in our sessions like Rhodri has done with Trosiad. I’m looking forward to seeing his further involvement when the programme kicks off again next term.”