Junior rugby clinics run by Qld coaches end

THE Niugini Energy Ltd Total Rugby Concept, a rugby union development programme aimed at juniors, comes to an end today in at Lae’s SCRUM Oval.
Supporters Club Rugby Union Morobe coordinator Robin Tarere yesterday praised the Australian Rugby Union, through the Queensland Rugby Union, for the initiative and its role in the country’s junior rugby education.
The clinics were conducted by QRU coaches Dan Roabottom and Will Urquhart, who were in Port Moresby in September last year, and then in January with Papua New Guinean-bred Wallaby halfback Will Genia.
Both coaches are part of the state-wide high performance programme.
“The week has been very good for our juniors in development from the basic skills required to play rugby to more complex skills with the help of very high level coaches,” Tarere said.
“This does a lot for the preparation of the Under 17 team that will go to the Queensland State Championships.
“The involvement of teachers and coaches from the schools under the schoolboys programme, and Morobe rugby clubs has been a good learning experience.”
Roabottom admitted that although the skill level was quite good in general, a lot of work had to done on game understanding.
He said the week had been spent on developing skills from the very basic individual areas of play, to the contact area, ruck, tackle, defence techniques and attacking skills and options. This trip is their last under the Niugini Energy banner but Roaboattom is driven to extend the programme with the help of other companies or organisations.
“Through Niugini Energy, SCRUM and the rest of the people behind the game at this level, we can build our national team from here,” Roabottom said.
“We’re looking at a two-year programme hopefully with potential sponsorship after the end of Niugini Energy’s commitment this week, so we are able to visit and assist regularly. Even better, a sustainable programme where we can bring about 10 companies together for funding, and allow at least three visits a year.”
Participants at the week-long clinics are selected members of the Morobe schoolboys’ programme, who were picked from a SCRUM elite talent identification process the previous week. These were conducted by Tarere.
The programme ends today, with games for both the Under 16s and U18s to top the week off.