Chance to taste the future (From Gazette Series)

Chance to taste the future

TWO exciting taster days are being lined up for keen young rugby players within the region, with the chance to rub shoulders with top Bristol Shoguns talent on offer to those who excel.

The tasters form part of an effort by the Bristol Academy of Sport, which is based at Filton College, to improve rugby standards across Gloucestershire by attracting and developing talented young players while allowing them to pursue their academic studies.

Each one day session will introduce young rugby players to the staff, facilities and opportunities provided by the academy, as well as to the benefits of its association with Bristol Shoguns.

Information on nutrition guides, individual fitness regimes and specific skills and training will be unveiled to the young players and their parents, before the youngsters get a practical taster session with sports academy coaching staff on the rugby field. In the afternoons, the players will be invited to travel to the Memorial Ground to watch Shoguns in action.

Andy Webb, the director of rugby at the Bristol Academy of Sport, said: "We're looking for players who are keen to develop to professional standards. They'll have the opportunity to play for the academy in midweek fixtures as well as completing their academic work on whichever course they choose from our vast range.

"The academy runs in conjunction with the Bristol Shoguns academy, which aims to get our first team players into Shoguns' under-19s and ultimately feed Shoguns' senior squads."

This prospect will undoubtedly appeal to Gloucestershire's junior rugby enthusiasts, who will have the chance to make a claim for a place at a top academy.

Many will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of England U19s star Matthew Williams, from Easter Compton, who graduated from Coleston College before taking up a place at Gloucester's Hartpury College last year.

The young winger, who attended Marlwood School in Alveston, was invited into the national U19s development squad in the summer, and is a good example of a rugby enthusiast from the region who has blossomed under the right guidance.

The two taster days will be at Clifton Rugby Club at Cribbs Causeway, Bristol, on February 29 and March 21, starting at 9am. To book a place, contact Andy Webb on 0117 931 2121.

l The Bristol Academy of Sport was launched in 2002 and focuses on mens and womens football, rugby, netball, golf, basketball and tennis, with plans for a rowing academy in September.

The academy concept enables students to continue their participation in sport while also gaining academic qualifications through study and schooling. Over 250 students are now a part of the Filton-based academy.