Rugby » WRU RGC Academy at Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos School has a justifiably proud reputation for rugby as a breeding ground for outstanding club with international players including our most famous alumni, the incomparable Bleddyn Williams, the Prince of Welsh Centres studying at the School.
In a continued effort to develop the rugby stars of tomorrow, Rydal Penrhos School has become an academic partner with Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and North Wales Rugby to offer the WRU RGC Academy.
Rugby players selected for the Academy will follow an integrated timetable allowing study of a wide range of academic and vocational courses while accessing between 14 and 16 hours of rugby development every week. Players will develop their skills on the pitch, analysis and their physique and fitness through the integrated programme, along with training with the RGC 1404 squad. Example academic and rugby timetables can be found opposite.
The School offers Academy players access to outstanding facilities, a strong school rugby fixture programme and two highly qualified senior coaches Mike Leach and Phil Mather along with strong academic principles.
The WRU Rugby Academy is managed by Marc Roberts who said, “It is exciting to be involved with a new generation of potential future professional rugby players from north Wales”, he continues “Rydal Penrhos is an important element of the project, enabling high quality rugby skills, coaching and conditioning to be an integral part of the players’ daily, academic or vocational timetable. The rugby programme will focus on a holistic, player-centred approach to development and will cover five key areas: technical, tactical, physical, mental, lifestyle and player welfare. We are aligned with the other four WRU academies via the national academy processes and testing procedures and we will work with RGC 1404 to identify and develop players for the future of the Region and for Welsh rugby.”
Rydal Penrhos has already been closely linked to RGC 1404 with the senior team utilising the School’s facilities before the dedicated rugby centre of excellent was opened at nearby Eirias Park.
