SPOTLIGHT: Rydal Penrhos/RGC Academy
Rugby Academy stars at Rydal Penrhos have been praised for their efforts during the summer months.
No fewer than five pupils are part of the RGC Rugby Academy, which is run in partnership with the school and the Welsh Rugby Union.
Dan Owen and Henry Davies are all part of the Junior Academy, while Nick Dundee and Euan Humphreys are members of the Junior Development Academy.
The offseason proved to be a busy one for the young hopefuls, with a rigorous training programme put in place to aid their progression.
WRU Regional Strength and Conditioning Coach Gareth Whittaker, said: “The summer period allows the boys to train as if they were full time athletes, as with no school we are able to put all our efforts into training.
“From 9am to early afternoon and the boys actually train more than the senior team, as they don’t have work commitments.
“We took 23 players with the aim to then select an elite 11 athletes. It is our chance to enhance them from a physical and skills point of view, but also improve their learning. The boys attended five nutritional courses, so they understood what is needed to be a professional athlete.”
Training like a professional took a huge amount of commitment from the academy members, but their efforts are already reaping huge rewards with a number of recent honours.
Owen and Sabri were selected for the RGC squad for the Foster 7s in Cardiff, while 17-year-old Owen has made headline by featuring twice for the Gogs in their unbeaten start to life in the Principality Premiership.
“It is a massive commitment from the players, with some players having to commute two hours to get to Parc Eirias,” added Whittaker.
“I must also give huge praise to the parents who are the taxi service, and the support network cannot be underestimated in the whole programme.
“The 11 players now will have transition into Coleg Llandillo or Rydal Penrhos. They will be training at Eirias four times a week at 6.30am, and sometimes on Saturday.
“The next benchmark is in six weeks when RGC U18s compete in the Super Series against the other Regions in Cardiff. It will be a huge opportunity for our players to put their hand up for National Selection.
“As an academy we are committed to delivering a high performance rugby program integrated into educational and vocational choices.
“This allows players to plan for a career alongside rugby or a career to develop after a professional rugby contract. This is only possible with the support of our academic partners.”