Leopards combine with rural coaches to become BokSmart
Photo of Boksmart launch at Newlands
Members of the Platinum Leopards’ Absa Currie Cup team took time away from their training schedules and attended a BokSmart Rugby Safety Workshop that was presented by the Leopards Rugby Union.
Coaches from Ngaka Modiri Molema, Bojanala and Dr. Kenneth Kaunda Districts attended the workshop and in support of rugby safety the rugby players joined the course to promote the BokSmart objectives of providing coaches, referees, players and administrators with the knowledge, skills and leadership abilities to ensure that safety and best practice principles are incorporated into all aspects of contact rugby.
This is a fantastic initiative by the Leopards Rugby Union, especially the bringing together of the professional and amateur rural arms of the game to discuss rugby safety issues,” said BokSmart Project Manager Dr Wayne Viljoen.
“This provides a broader understanding of the unique challenges faced at these two contrasting levels of play. More importantly, this also helps grow the game in these communities, and the professional players who are the local heroes, at the same time can understand that they are ambassadors of the game and should set the standard on this front.”
BokSmart, which is sponsored by Absa, has conducted more than 580 rugby safety workshops across the 14 South African rugby unions with a total of 12936 referees and coaches having been certified since its launch in July 2009 to date.
The achievement leaves the BokSmart programme on track to realise its target of certifying a minimum of 20,000 coaches and referees by the end of the year, before major new rugby safety regulations come into force at all levels of the game in 2011.
Key rugby safety regulations that will come into effect next year include that provinces, clubs, rugby bodies and schools will not be allowed to host any matches without ensuring that all match officials and participating coaches are BokSmart certified.
Provinces, clubs, rugby bodies and schools must comply with the BokSmart regulations and ensure that they inform all their members of the regulations and their obligation.
Rugby organisers would also have to ensure that all affiliated match officials and coaches are BokSmart certified and their details recorded.
For information on BokSmart, kindly visit www.BokSmart.com or for further details with regards to BokSmart and Absa’s 20 000 incentive competition follow the link at http://www.sarugby.co.za/boksmart/pressRelease.aspx?id=366861 .
Issued by SARU Communications
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