Development News
The Rugby clinic and talent identification for the U18 continues this week in the West where the Development unit team is scheduled to conduct skills sessions at St Thomas, Jasper Williams, Natabua, Ba Provinicial and a few others. The participants will then play a few on Friday to select potentials.
Development News
The Development Unit ran the same program last week in Levuka where a few talented girls were identified. Former national 7s coach Etuate Waqa will assist the FRU to continue the training programme for the Ovalau girls at Saint John’s College.
Women’s Development Officer Vela Naucukidi was impressed with the talents displayed by the girls during their trials on Thursday afternoon.
“The girls had been training and playing in the first term of school and our visit was basically to see where they are and to tidy up areas that needs improvement on,” Naucukidi said.
“I am very impressed with their talents and all they need is more game time to help them develop their game.”
Waqa and Paulini Tamatasasa assisted development officer Alifereti Mocelutu in running the clinic and Waqa was engaged to be a selector due to his 7s expertise.
The basic skills drills conducted included:-
- Passing and Handling
- Running /Evasive
- Tackling
- Picking up the ball
- Ball handling
- Decision Making
- Support Play
- Ball presentation
Meanwhile, three new schools, Levuka Public Secondary School, Delana Methodist Primary and St James Primary got introduced to Get Into Rugby Programme. It was well received especially with the girls and they participated in the try and play stages. Teachers requested for GIR kits which means the kids wants to stay in the game.
Apart from teaching the U18 girls basic rugby skills, Mocelutu spent two hours a day with the Ovalau Rugby Union provincial side to tidy up some areas they needed to work on before the season kicks off next week.
On the first day he worked with them in the ruck area and the second day on the scrums. This week, development work for girls rugby moves down to the Sugar City with the hope to identify more talents in schools and also to promote women’s rugby.