Aboyne Academy was given a coaching master class by Scotland throwing coach, Stevie Scott, and Scotland 7s and under-20 internationalist, Ashleah McCulloch (Aberdeen Grammar), today, as a reward for reaching the Gold Level of Scottish Rugby’s Rugby Champions programme.

Run in partnership with Scottish Widows Bank, the initiative aims to increase the number and amount of rugby played in state secondary schools while rewarding the dedicated school staff who give up their spare time to take extra-curricular rugby.

Rugby at Aboyne started with a girls team

The programme operates by rewarding the school’s registered rugby champion with personal coaching kit, and provides the school with specialist rugby equipment for coaching and training. Additional equipment is then provided as rugby develops at the school in accordance with bronze, silver and gold levels of participation.

Through the hard work of School Rugby Champion David Kirby – technical teacher at the school – and the support of other staff and parent volunteers, Aboyne Academy has become one of the few Gold Level schools in the Grampian area.

David started out with girls’ rugby just over two years ago and this season added competitive fixtures for the boy’s teams as well.

So far the boys have played in the Scottish and North Schools Cups and the girls have competed in the National Youth Cup at under-15 and under-18 – with the under-18s qualifying for the National SWRU Cup finals at Murrayfield this season.

Flight-footed outside-centre, Ashleah McCulloch – who will miss the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival on 30 & 31 May due to under-20 World Cup duty – said: “The support from Scottish Widows through Rugby Champions has helped raise the profile of rugby in Grampian schools and provided recognition for all the effort that has gone into growing the game locally. The additional kit has been of significant value to the school.

“The school has also developed strong links with the local Deeside rugby club, who have been an invaluable support through provision of facilities.”

Former Scotland international Stevie Scott added: “We worked on some contact and offload skills to allow every individual to get something out of the session before doing some lineout specific work at the end.

“The offload is really important. While you’ll always have rucks and mauls in a game, every time the ball’s on the ground you get slow ball. So working on their offloading skills should allow them to play a faster, better, and more enjoyable game.

“Continuous improvement is so important in youth rugby. Hopefully the master class will have given the players an insight into what work is needed to become better players and will, ultimately, allow them to become a better team.

Scotland throwing coach Stevie Scott looks on during the specialist training session

Over 200 state schools across Scotland – many of which had never played rugby before – have signed up to the initiative since the scheme went national at the start of the school year.

David Kirby added: "The scheme is very positive. It encourages a lot of staff who aren't necessarily PE teachers to get involved in rugby and to incentivise it with great rewards like kit and training sessions like today is just fantastic.

"Getting professional coaches – and even Ashleah, who isn't much older than the senior pupils – along has been met with such a positive response.

"Because of the success of our teams and the raised profile of rugby at the school through the Rugby Champions programme, more and more kids are signing up to rugby every year."

Community Rugby Partnership Manager, Nick Rennie, said: “Youth participation in rugby has increased by 24% in the last two years thanks to the hard work put in by jointly-funded club development officers, clubs and volunteers across the country and initiatives like the Rugby Champions, even in their infancy, are set to make a valuable contribution to growing the game – particularly in terms of the game’s accessibility.”

“This programme underlines Scottish Rugby’s objectives to ensure that rugby is open and available to all, while greatly contributing towards our strategic targets of a 38% increase in young people playing rugby, and a total playing population of 38,000 by 2012.”

In 2008 49% of state schools offer extra curricular rugby
Targets for Rugby Champions are to increase this to 67% year one, 73% year two, 80% year three
Rugby Champions will receive some branded Scottish Rugby Kit
Rugby Champions will progress their schools through an awards system – gold, silver and bronze which is linked to the amount of rugby on offer at their school
The successful central pilot was funded by sportscotland

A Gold Rugby School would have completed the following:

Coordinate / deliver school coaching sessions at:
S1/2, U15, senior boys
Girls U15 or U18
And should:
Have apprpriate fixtures a tS1/2, U15, senior boys
Have girls attending SWRU activity
Participate in a national under-15 and under-18 competition
Offer rugby as part of the curriculum
Show evidence of active links to local clubs e.g. exchange of coaches, use club facilities, increase in junior club membership.
Involve senior pupils in organising and coaching rugby

Other Grampian schools involved in Rugby Champions:
Ellon Academy, Peterhead Academy, Banchory Academy, Aboyne Academy, Alford Academy, Meldrum Academy, Westhill Academy, Mintlaw Academy, Mackie Academy, The Gordon Schools Huntly, Banff Academy, Oldmachar Academy, Elgin Academy, Portleithen Academy, Mearns Academy, Kemnay Academy, Hazlehead Academy, Bankhead Academy, Keith Grammar School

SCOTTISH RUGBY PARTICIPATION INCREASE OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS:
Youth increase since restructure
c4800 / 24%
Adult increase since restructure           
c1500 / 14%
Total increase since restructure
c6300 / 21%

Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival ticket prices
Adult advance purchase - £15 (£20 on the day)
Family advance purchase - £35 (two adults & two children)
Senior citizen - £10
Student and under-18 - £10 and £5
The Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival is the eighth and final leg of the IRB Sevens World Series. It will be held at Murrayfield on 30 and 31 May 2009.
Tickets for each day of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival - priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and senior citizens and £5 for under 18s – are available to by logging onto www.scottishrugbytickets.com by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0871 200 1511 (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or in person from the Murrayfield Ticket Centre, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).
Rugby Sevens will be one of the showpiece events of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.