Over the past 2 weeks, Bay of Plenty Rugby have been hard at work growing our coaches, referees and physio's in time for the upcoming 2024 senior club competitions. 

21 community based coaches and 16 grassroots referees were hard at work upskilling themselves in the World Rugby Developing Rugby Coaches (Level 2) course and the newly created New Zealand Rugby Level 1 Referee Coach Reviewer course.  At the same time, a number of locally based physiotherapists attended a rugby specific upskill session run by Bay of Plenty Rugby's Head of Physiotherapy, Craig Newland from Foundation Clinic.  All of these workshops and courses were held at the University of Waikato Adams Centre for High Performance at Mount Maunganui.

General Manager Community Rugby Pat Rae comments, "We are extremely lucky to be able to draw on such a high standard of quality deliverers that a high performance facility such as this one attracts to our region.  The attendees hang on every word that these people are teaching and it's so rewarding to see the high level of engagement that we see."

Current Steamers coaches Richard Watt, Pingi Tala-apitaga and James Porter, as well as former international test referee Bryce Lawrence were among the presenters over the past couple of weekends at the coach and referee course.

Referee Manager Jackson Reuben comments, "Hats off to NZR for creating a new framework for coaching match officials and for the new courses for referee coaches and reviewers.  Its been a breath of fresh air  for our club."

Rae continues, "The place has been a little chaotic over the last couple of weeks, with all the meeting rooms booked out including the gym and the fields outside.   But its so good to see our people  on the grass and in the classroom soaking it in like sponges, recording everything on their phones and frantically scribbling notes."

Article added: Tuesday 05 March 2024