SARU LAUNCH COCA-COLA SCHOOLS EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME

 

Schoolboy rugby players in previously disadvantaged areas will now be able to have access to scientific training methods and gym facilities thanks to the Coca-Cola Schools Excellence programme launched by SARU on Saturday at the Wesbank Sports Ground in Malmesbury in the Boland province.

 

The programme will initially be rolled out to 20 schools in Western Province, Boland, Southwestern Districts and Eastern Province and there are plans to eventually expand the initiative so that rugby playing schools in previously disadvantaged areas across the countries will benefit from it.

 

On Saturday SARU and Coca-Cola hosted the national launch event of the programme at the Wesbank Sports Ground at Malmesbury in one of the traditional heartland areas of South African rugby. The event coincided with a festival rugby day and the top fixture of the 8-match schools programme featured the first teams of Schoonspruit and Weston High.

 

The two schools forms part of the initial intake of schools, which includes 6 schools from Boland, 4 each from Western Province and Eastern Province and 3 each from Border and Southwestern Districts.

 

Mervin Green, the SARU GM for Development, said the Coca-Cola Schools Excellence Programme will be an instrumental tool in the effort to closing the gap between traditional rugby playing schools and those located in previously disadvantaged communities.

 

According to Green,a recent study at the Coca-Cola Craven Weeks highlighted the gap in size and weight of white players compared to black players, which were attributed to a lack of strength training. The study ascribed two of the main reasons for non-participation in strength training in thesecommunities to a lack of access to weight training facilities and the absence of training programmes. 

 

“With these factors in mind, SARU - with the assistance of Coca-Cola and the Sports Science Institute of SA- has now designed a holistic intervention programme that will run for at least the next four years. The programme includes the provision of a fully equipped mobile gym, specific rugby training equipment and playing kit, training and education programmes as well as the provision of sufficient playing opportunities,” explains Green.

 

SARU requested the Sports Science Institute to assist with the design of a scientific solution to these problems and the Institute then developed the Mobile School Training System (MSTS).  Apart from the provision of the mobile gym, the Institute will also provide a training manual, training aids and an instruction DVD, which will tutor teachers on the correct exercise execution and age appropriate exercise.

 

Up to 22 schools players will be able to use the mobile gym facility at the same time.

 

“This programme provides an additional platform for players to develop correctly and get a better chance to represent his province in our Coca-Cola Craven Week ,” said Craig Van Niekerk, Marketing Asset Manager, Coca-Cola South Africa. “For 27 years Coca-Cola has been developing international rugby players and this statistic can only be enhanced through this programme.” 

 

“SARU believes that one of the key ways of improving the standard of rugby at these schools is to improve the standard of competition and this year those schools enrolled in the programme will be requested to play festival games against other participating in their province. The idea is to eventually expand the programme from 2014 countrywide,” said Green.

 

NOMINATED SCHOOLS 2012
No	School	Provincial Union
1	New Orleans Secondary	Boland
2	Weston High	Boland
3	Klein Nederburg High	Boland
4	Berg River Secondary	Boland
5	Weltevrede Secondary	Boland
6	Schoonspruit Secondary	Boland
7	Nkwaca Public High	Border
8	Buchule Tech High	Border
9	Chief Henry Bokleni High	Border
10	Solomon Mhlangu High	Eastern Province
11	Ndzondelelo High	Eastern Province
12	David Livingston Secondary	Eastern Province
13	Ithembelihle Comprehensive	Eastern Province
14	Kairo Secondary	Southwestern Districts
15	George Secondary	Southwestern Districts
16	Bridgeton High	Southwestern Districts
17	Scottsdene High	Western Province
18	Kasselsvlei High	Western Province
19	Excelssior High	Western Province
20	Bellville Secondary	Western Province