South Yorkshire

Service Area

Season 2007 - 2008

Information from the Service Area

Contact details:

South Yorkshire Rugby League Service Area

Shaw Lane Sports Centre

Shaw Lane

Barnsley

S70 6HZ

Tel: 01226 203509

Mob: 07939818425

Email: Daz.higgins@tiscali.co.uk

PRESS RELEASE

GRASS ROOTS RUGBY LEAGUE - 15th December 2007

If 2007 has been a good year for grass roots Rugby league in South Yorkshire then 2008 promises to be great.

2007 has seen a number of exciting developments for grass Roots Rugby League in the South Yorkshire. Coordinated by the South Yorkshire Rugby League Service Area working in partnership with the areas two professional clubs (Sheffield Eagles and Doncaster RLFC), South Yorkshire Sport, Local Authorities and School Sport Partnerships it is  community amateur clubs and as a result coaches, volunteers and most importantly young people wanting to play Rugby League who have benefited from a wide ranging number of initiatives all of which are helping to improve both the quality and quantity of Clubs, Coaches, Volunteers and Rugby League Players in the area.

These initiatives include such  as Doncaster Toll Bar Under 12’s and Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks Under 16’s successfully touring France and Serbia respectively,  a coach education programme that has allowed coaches to access a number of workshops & seminars delivered by the RFL’S coach education department free of charge, a junior Coach Development programme that has helped attract new coaches to local clubs, a South Yorkshire wide schools competition framework that has again seen a significant increase in the number of secondary schools playing Rugby League, new junior sections created at Moorends – Thorne Marauders and Grimethorpe Warriors Amateur Rugby League Clubs. All of which is underpinned by the excellent schools coaching being carried out by Doncaster RLFC and Sheffield Eagles which is helping to introduce new people to the game who are then encouraged to join local amateur clubs such as Doncaster Toll Bar, Moorends Thorne Marauders, Grimethorpe Warriors, Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks (who recently gained Sport England’s highly acclaimed Clubmark status), Sheffield Forgers and Hoyland Vikings. This is reflected by increased junior participation at all clubs. Further to this a clear and progressive pathway now exists in the area for young talented players to progress from schools and club rugby onto the prestigious Service Area sides. With the areas two professional clubs now running scholarship schemes for talented young players never has there been a better time for young players in the South Yorkshire Area.

2008

With a twinning / partnership arrangement currently being negotiated with the Serbian Rugby League Federation that could possibly see Serbian Under 12’s and 14’s sides touring in Spring 2008, a new coach development officer set to be appointed and start working with the remit of developing the skills and knowledge  of local community club coaches, a Director of Rugby / Coaching Mentor appointed to work with Service Area Coaches, Doncaster Toll Bar ARLFC set to reopen their clubhouse and new pitches after this summers devastating floods, a new College and Sixth Form School Merit League set to be launched in September,  and  new opportunities for girls to starting playing the game 2008 promises to be another exciting year for the Development of Rugby League in the South Yorkshire Area.

For further information on Playing, Coaching, Volunteering opportunities and local clubs in the South Yorkshire Area contact South Yorkshire Rugby League Development Officer Darren Higgins on 01226 734037 or email Daz.higgins@tiscali.co.uk

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South Yorkshire Junior Rugby League Coaches Scheme

The Junior Rugby League Coaches scheme is aimed at young people aged 16—20 in the South Yorkshire area who have a interest in Rugby League and Sports Coaching.

Included in the scheme are a number of Rugby League specific workshops / master classes that will give candidates a insight to both the technical and tactical aspects of the game of Rugby League from a coaching perspective. Candidates will be given the opportunity to coach and be coached by other candidates on the scheme in addition to undertaking voluntary coaching work at local amateur clubs under the guidance of experienced coaches. Further to this  coaches will be given the opportunity to progress up a coaching pathway and go onto work as an assistant coach with the South Yorkshire Rugby league Service  Area sides at under 12’s—15’s age groups working under a experienced coach and a highly experienced Director of Rugby / Coaching Mentor.

In addition to the Rugby League specific aspects of the scheme candidates will also get the opportunity to access other coaching and leadership activities that are being run on a local level across South Yorkshire such as Step into Sport benefit from more generic workshops such as emergency first aid and child protection.

It is anticipated that the young coaches assessing the scheme will not be the only people to benefit. Local amateur clubs who have agreed to host junior coaches will also benefit from the voluntary work the young coaches will undertake. All Clubs that agree to host coaches will be supported by the South Yorkshire Rugby League Service Area in areas such as volunteer management and recruitment and coach education.

For more information please contact South Yorkshire Rugby League Development Officer Darren Higgins on 01226 730437 or email Daz.higgins@tiscali.co.uk

Rugby League Level 2 Coaching Award at Balby Carr Sports College.

The dates for the course are -

Sunday 13th and 20th January 2008

Saturday 16th February and 15th March 2008

All times are 9am - 5pm.

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Cory Aston in action for the Service Area 2007

Fred Butcher (left (in red)) and Ben Hawksworth in action for the Service Area 2007