Overview

Northumbria University Sport has been widely involved with the delivery of community initiatives for many years, making both the development of students and engagement with the local community the primary focus.

In 2011 Team Northumbria  teamed up with Brewin Dolphin, Team Northumbria Rugby Unions Official sponsor to deliver a Girl's Rugby Community Project.

The initial concept of the project was to provide high quality rugby coaching sessions for girls, offering a short term block of coaching to introduce beginners to the basic skills and techniques of the game without the worry of the physical contact through the use of Tag Rugby. Following consultation with the Northumberland RFU and the Northumberland Women’s and Girls’ steering group (NWAGs) the project emerged into a much more robust development initiative to support the current lack of provision within schools for girls beginning to play and the development of players at intermediate level to encourage progression into the county level structure. The link with the Northumberland RFU and NWAGs also highlighted potential ongoing and sustainable pathways for the project through the development of student-club partnerships for coaching and development roles for both the girls and junior forms of the game.    

The Project

In the school summer term of 2011 the delivery of the project took on two strands:

1)  Provision of beginner sessions within local schools

2)  Delivery of Rugby development days for girls already involved in the game who would further improve from specialist coaching.

Team Northumbria’s ‘offer’ to the schools and girls development group came in the form of a high profile coaching team. Ex-England International, current Team Northumbria player and University staff member Katy Storie and Scotland International, Northumbria Graduate and current assistant S&C Coach Suzi Newton led the coaching team supported by student volunteers and club members. The project was largely coordinated by a student Community Sport intern who liaised with the schools, club contacts, other student coaches and Northumbria staff.

Phase one of the project saw the delivery of beginner’s taster sessions within local schools largely within Newcastle and North Tyneside. The coaching team delivered a combination of practical ‘introduction to rugby’ sessions along with classroom based workshops highlighting the coaches ‘athlete story’ including discussions based upon body image and confidence. The age of the school pupils the coaches worked with ranged between 14 and 18, delivering to an average of 20 girls at each school session. The schools the project engaged with at this phase were Church High, Sacred Heart, St.Roberts, Emanuel, Thomas Moore, Excelsior, Kenton High, Monkseaton High, Heaton Manor, Academy 360 and Central High.

Phase two saw the delivery of ‘rugby development days’ offering tailored specialised coaching for girls already involved in the game but also for those that the coaches had worked with in schools who had shown interest or potential for the game. Phase two was delivered in partnership with the RFU Northumberland Community Rugby Coach along with the Northumberland Under 15’s and Under 18’s county coaches. Delivered at Team Northumbria’s home of rugby, Bullocksteads the sessions brought together girls from clubs and schools across the county.

“May I express my thanks for a very well run couple of days. The feedback I have received from the girls was that they all enjoyed the training sessions as well as the advice and company of the coaches”

Dave Chatterway, Morpeth Coach

 

Future Delivery

Following the success of both phases, the project will roll over into 2011/12. The delivery element of the project will modify and expand with the sponsorship allowing students to be trained to both coordinate the planning and also lead the execution of the coaching sessions.

Additionally, through the link with the RFU the project will take on a new feature, utilising the trained students to create a physical link with a local club. Each student will be based with a club to assist in the coaching and development of both the girls and junior teams. It is also hoped that through this support and links with the local clubs and RFU a Newcastle based girl’s team will be developed.

The support of the county structure and delivery of the ‘development days’ will also continue utilising our student and staff coaches as well as the quality facility Bullocksteads provides.

Look out for updates!

For more information email sportcommunity@northumbria.ac.uk