A new programme will offer a more holistic approach to young rugby players. Photo / File
Up and coming rugby players will now have the opportunity to learn on and off the field thanks to an enhanced high-performance pathway.
This was created by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology.
The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology High-Performance Rugby Pathway (HPRP) is the first venture of its kind set to change the way athletes learn and develop their skills.
The one-year programme is aimed at recent school leavers and designed to improve rugby athletes' self-development in nutrition, exercise physiology, performance testing, sports psychology, and sport technology.
This is while formally studying for the course Cert4Fitness.
Toi Ohomai sport academic leader Ruth Naidoo said the pathway offers aspiring rugby players a more holistic approach to developing themselves while having the opportunity to focus time and attention on developing their skills.
Naidoo said both organisations had a strong commitment to purposeful connections across community and industry.
At the heart it aims to grow capable and resilient communities through health, inclusivity, engagement, education and capability."
Naidoo said this partnership is significant as it demonstrated the commitment to the local community, through shared values and aspirations for local rangatahi.
"At the end of the programme they may be selected for a range of high-performance rugby teams," she said.
Once successfully completing the required assessments they will also be awarded a Level 4 Certificate, which is two nationally recognised qualifications.
One it the Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Exercise, and the other is the Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in Freestyle Group Exercise. These align with Register of Exercise Professionals.
Naidoo said this double qualification means graduates will be able to work in a gym or exercise facility as a personal trainer or exercise consultant.
"They will have developed skills to be leaders at their home rugby clubs. They will have the knowledge to guide and inspire whānau on healthy eating and physical activity."
The partnership allowed the programme to be tailored to include the required training, skill development and education components.
This includes structuring the week to facilitate all these needs so students don't need to choose between their sport and their study.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union pathways and experience general manager Ati Aaifou-Olive said the initiative "very exciting" and will see the partners become world leaders in rugby education.
"We are very excited to be the first provincial union in New Zealand to offer a full-time high-performance rugby course to players."
Aaifou-Olive said some high school leavers are not ready for a high-performance rugby environment and this pathway will help them develop the skills and resilience needed.
Players will be given an understanding of the expectations of being in a high-performance rugby programme, moving away from the traditional structure of the academy, he said.
"If our young players do not progress onto becoming a professional rugby player we know we have set them up into a work career pathway."
Currently, Bay Rugby has between 30 and 40 male and female players in its BOP Rugby Academy programme yearly.
The new pathway will allow for 100 placements in the programme in Tauranga, Rotorua and Whakatane.