Youth rugby has been given a boost in the northern Wanganui region by the establishment of an academy at Ruapehu College this season.
Set up by the union's community development officer Jordan Farrington, the academy is a way of moving young talent in the rural areas up a notch.
The union has
faced flak that it ignores the outlying areas but the academy has gone some way to answering that criticism.
"It's a brilliant idea and the boys are really enjoying it," said Maxine Hakaraia, Ruapehu's rugby administrator and a teacher at the college.
The after-school sessions each Monday have attracted players aged 16 to 18 from Taihape area school as well as the college.
"The boys haven't been exposed to much conditioning in the past," said Farrington.
"So we have introduced some specialised conditioning, speed work and skills work - and we are also looking at nutrition and goal-setting.
"The mental, the physical and the tactical are the areas we are working in."
Thirteen boys from the northern academy headed down to Wanganui earlier this month to join with some of the top teens from the city for a special coaching session.
Taking them through their paces were NZ rugby union coaching manager Jared Tuoro and Wanganui High School old boy Michael Fitzgerald, who has just signed for the Chiefs Super 15 franchise and is playing lock for the Manawatu Turbos in the national provincial championship's ITM Cup.
"The boys came home from that feeling very positive," said Hakaraia.
