Blue Bulls YTC targets 4000 participants by 2020

Jun 30 • General News • 1735 Views • Comments Off on Blue Bulls YTC targets 4000 participants by 2020

The Blue Bulls Women’s Youth Training Centre (YTC) – one of eight SA Rugby YTC’s in the country – has set its sights on increasing its reach to 4000 participants by 2020 in line with the programme’s objective to grow women’s rugby in the country.

The YTC programme, which is aimed at bolstering the women’s game and grooming players from 14 to 18-year-old girls for top class rugby through training sessions, conditioning and nutritional programmes, and regular matches, was first launched in 2015 and now has eight centres countrywide.

The centres are based at the Blue Bulls Limpopo, Blue Bulls, Border, Eastern Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Griquas, South Western Districts and Western Province rugby unions.

The Blue Bulls YTC, which operates in Pretoria, Pretoria West, Atteridgeville, Amandasig, Soshanguve, Hammanskraal, Silverton, East Lynne and Mamelodi, currently has 600 young girls participating in its coaching clinics and elite training sessions, while weekly skills sessions are hosted at 25 schools in the region.

Outside of the elite sessions, a total number of 1362 players have been recruited since 2015 through active recruitment programmes, with the YTC offering players opportunities to participate in various forms of the sport, including 15-a-side rugby, Sevens, Tens, Touch Rugby and TAG.

Given the steady growth of the YTC since its establishment in 2015, the centre has set a target of reaching 4000 participants by the end of 2020 within and outside its elite training programme.

As part of the elite programme, players have access to six training sessions a week from Monday to Saturday respectively, which includes three gym sessions, two field training sessions and either match or open skills session on a Saturday.

Off the field the YTC offers community members opportunities to gain experience in the various aspects of running the centre, while it also offers individuals the chance to be trained as coaches, referees, administrators and in First Aid.

“The YTC’s form an integral part of our rugby development structures in SA, and we are pleased to see the progress made since the inception of the programme in 2015,” said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux. “Women’s Rugby is growing steadily worldwide, and with the re-introduction of our women’s 15-a-side programme this year, the YTC’s have, and will continue to play a crucial role in allowing us to develop skilled players who could contribute to competitive national team.”

Females between the ages of 14 and 18 wishing take up rugby and individuals in and around the Pretoria region who would like to get involved in the Blue Bulls YTC can contact the centre’s administrator, Faith Nyenyani, on 012 420 0707 or faithn@sarugby.co.za

Issued by SA Rugby Communications