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Players

About

WRFU continues to provide an important focus on the development pathway of our players. The links on this page provide detail and insight into the development programmes offered at different ages and levels.

Club Contacts for Playing

To find your local club please visit our Find Your Club page.

U14s to U16s

Several Open Skills Days are held in each region. These are followed by trials for each age group to select regional based teams to attend our Development weeks. An updated timetable of these courses will be available in January 2010.

For further detail contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Emerging Player Programmes

On completion of all our trials and development programmes in October, the top 30 players on a positional basis were selected in each age group U14, 15, 16, 17/18 combined. These 120 players worked through a position specific programme in November which gave them aspects to work-on over the summer. They assemble again in March on Monday the 8th, 15th and 29th to further develop their rugby skills.

An updated list of the current Emerging Players is available here.

For further detail contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

High Performance Schools Group

A group of approx 20 players are identified in their final year(s) of college and are given specific strength and conditioning programmes to assist with their rugby development.

An updated list of the current High Performance Schools Group is available here.

For further detail contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Rugby Academy

Wellington Rugby Academy

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Wellington Rugby knows what it takes to make a professional rugby player. After all, professional rugby is our business.

The Wellington Rugby Academy was started to ensure that more players from the Hurricanes and Wellington regions would make the grade and play for the Hurricanes and Vodafone Wellington Lions. The Academy’s major goal is to provide a select group of young players with the skills, discipline, knowledge and attitude needed to succeed at Air New Zealand Cup and Super 14 level.

The Academy provides a three-year programme, designed to develop our best young rugby players by providing them with the skills and information they need enhance their rugby skills.

Academy members are given guidance on key areas including positional skills, sports psychology, fitness and nutrition. At the same time, they’ll get assistance to maximise their personal, educational and career development opportunities.

There is no fee to attend the Academy, and Academy members are eligible for scholarships to attend Victoria University and the Wellington Institute of Technology.

How to get involved

The Wellington Rugby Academy is looking for people who have the potential to become professional rugby players.

Applicants need to have or demonstrate at least one of the following:

  • The potential to play for the Vodafone Wellington Lions, Hurricanes or higher.
  • The motivation and commitment to succeed on the field and in your academic or career aspirations.
  • Previous playing experience at regional or national representative level or college 1st XV.

The programme

The Wellington Rugby Academy will provide members with the knowledge, support and guidance to be the best you can be, both in a rugby environment and in life outside of rugby.

As a member of the Academy you'll take part in:

  • An intensive training programme of supervised gym and speed work with performance testing by a Vodafone Wellington Lions or Hurricanes fitness trainer.
  • Coaching clinics run by Wellington Rugby coaching staff and players from the Vodafone Wellington Lions (including Wellington-based Hurricanes players) to provide feedback on how to improve your playing skills and progress to a higher level in your specialist position.
  • Sport psychology sessions run by a specialist sport psychologist covering goal setting, confidence, activation, control and concentration.
  • Seminars incorporating a range of rugby and life skill topics including: sport physiology, principles of training, nutrition, sports medicine, communication, time management, leadership, positional coaching and NZRU coaching courses.
  • Ongoing interviews with the Academy Manager to review and measure personal development in all areas of the Academy programme, as well as educational and career advancement.

Download Application form here