Rugby participation is growing in Mid Ulster, thanks to a local council partnership...
In November 2016, Mid Ulster Council confirmed a programme of funding to assist three local rugby clubs in the council area to provide quality coaching to local schools.
Over the last 6 months, club participation officers have been working to deliver rugby programmes in local schools and to migrate those engaged into club membership.
Due to the hard work of Charlie Farrell (Dungannon), Benjy van der Byl (Rainey OB RFC) and Glenda Eagleson (Clogher Valley RFC), more than 2,000 school pupils across 40 local schools have been engaged in rugby activity.
Notable in the year that the Women’s Rugby World Cup is coming to Ireland, more than 700 of these participants have been young girls, many getting their hands on a rugby ball for the first time.
More important still, the programme has resulted in over 100 new participants who have taken out membership in one of the three clubs taking part.
Alongside this, Dungannon RFC and Rainey OB RFC also took part in a recent ‘Adult Age Grade’ initiative, ran by the IRFU Ulster Branch (in partnership with local rugby clubs), to more efficiently transfer participants from Age grade to Adult structures. More than 50 players have taken part in this programme and both clubs are working hard to retain those players going into next season.
The future of rugby looks bright in the Mid Ulster area, thanks to the partnership of Mid Ulster Council, IRFU Ulster Branch and local clubs.
In November 2016, Mid Ulster Council confirmed a programme of funding to assist three local rugby clubs in the council area to provide quality coaching to local schools.
Over the last 6 months, club participation officers have been working to deliver rugby programmes in local schools and to migrate those engaged into club membership.
Due to the hard work of Charlie Farrell (Dungannon), Benjy van der Byl (Rainey OB RFC) and Glenda Eagleson (Clogher Valley RFC), more than 2,000 school pupils across 40 local schools have been engaged in rugby activity.
Notable in the year that the Women’s Rugby World Cup is coming to Ireland, more than 700 of these participants have been young girls, many getting their hands on a rugby ball for the first time.
More important still, the programme has resulted in over 100 new participants who have taken out membership in one of the three clubs taking part.
Alongside this, Dungannon RFC and Rainey OB RFC also took part in a recent ‘Adult Age Grade’ initiative, ran by the IRFU Ulster Branch (in partnership with local rugby clubs), to more efficiently transfer participants from Age grade to Adult structures. More than 50 players have taken part in this programme and both clubs are working hard to retain those players going into next season.
The future of rugby looks bright in the Mid Ulster area, thanks to the partnership of Mid Ulster Council, IRFU Ulster Branch and local clubs.