Magpies rugby coaching for young players in Dannevirke

Tararua's budding young rugby players experienced some high-level coaching on Friday at Dannevirke Rugby Park as part of the Magpies holiday programme.

The holiday programme is for children aged 7 to 12 and gives them the chance to develop their skills as rugby players, and be coached by current and up and coming Magpie players.

Hawke's Bay Rugby staff member Becs Warren, who is formerly from Pongaroa, said the programme runs in the first school term holidays. Coaching sessions are held in Napier, Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa. The Dannevirke session is the final one of the programme.

Children from Pongaroa, Weber, Ruahine, Norsewood and Dannevirke schools took up the opportunity. The number of children taking part this year was 24, which Warren said was down on previous years.

They practise general rugby skills and drills such as tackling, kicking and passing.
This year's coaches were Black Fern Krysten Cottrell, Magpies winger Mason Emerson, prop Pouri Rakete-Stones and Saracens player Tiamua Poto.

Cottrell, Emerson and Rakete Stones are all rugby development officers for Hawke's Bay Rugby. They run coaching programmes and workshops all year round throughout the region.