Spotlight on Rugby
Shape Up Cornwall – Rugby Article written by Mike Bratt
I believe Rugby is a very special game. Because of the varied physical attributes and skills required for each position it offers an almost unique opportunity, compared to most other team games, for people of all shapes and sizes to genuinely contribute to the success of their team.
Rugby prides itself on the good sportsmanship and lifelong friendships that are a major part of our physical sport. Whether you are a top class player training daily or a local club player training and playing once a week, Rugby offers a great way to keep fit and have fun with a group of friends.
Cornwall has a rich history of success within Rugby; from the whole County team representing Great Britain at the 1908 Olympics to Phil Vickery being the present England captain and more recently beating Devon to win the 2008 Tamar Cup. The Duchy has had many more great people involved in the game, far too many to mention here.
Our present young talent is nurtured at both schools and clubs. All our secondary schools play Rugby within their curriculum and many primary schools use Tag Rugby (a non contact form of the game) in PE lessons. 22 of our clubs offer Youth Rugby with most having teams from ages 7 to 16. Find your nearest club on the links below. For those players aged between 13 and 16 who wish to take their skills a little further, Schools and Clubs have joined with the Cornwall RFU to offer skills based training sessions which feed into County, Regional and National squads.
For the adult player (17 or over) there is a Rugby Club not too far away from where you live. We have 30 clubs playing league rugby within Cornwall and most of those run more than one team. So if you would like to give Rugby a try, either for the first time or coming back after a while out of the game, find out where your nearest local club is from the link below and get along for a warm welcome.
Womens and Girls' Rugby is growing fast and as well as many more clubs and schools now offering the opportunity to play, the County also puts out representative teams at ages 15 and 18.
If playing is not for you there are other ways to stay active and also be of great help to others. Officials and Referees are vital for any sport and in rugby we pride ourselves in the way that officials are respected. Even if you don’t actually score the tries running around after the other 30 who are playing is a great way to stay fit.
If you would like any further information about any aspect of Rugby in Cornwall please contact Mike Bratt, RFU Rugby Development Officer for Cornwall:-
07764 960 380 (m) or mikebratt@rfu.com
Also have a look on the following links for more information:-
http://www.rfu.com/
http://www.cornwall-rfu.org.uk/
http://www.rfu.com/goplayrugby/