As the RugbyWA development team return from their latest regional trip to the Mid-West region, the indication was clear that rugby is getting even stronger with participation rates growing heavily year after year.
During the week-long visit development officers visited a total eight schools, putting a rugby ball in the hands of around 888 participants.
Development officers delivered two separate programs including Try RugbyRoos and the Deadly 7s program.One highlight of the trip was the Deadly 7s carnival held in Mullewa where 72 regional students participated in a skills clinic focussed around the 7s format of the game.
Students travelled over three and a half hours from the Pia Wadjarri remote community school to be involved in the event, highlighting the growth of the sport within indigenous communities in the area.
Development and Recruitment Programs coordinator Sandy Mettam was pleased with his team’s progress over the regional trip, outlining the constant evolution of the sport since the inception of the “Since the start of the Try RugbyRoos program in 2018 the sport in the area has grown exponentially,” Mettam explained.
“Students are starting to remember our development officers who attend each year and we are now able to build on an already existing skill set rather than teach the game from scratch.”
One major progression seen is that the Geraldton and mid-west area is the self-sufficiently seen in the administration of the game.
This stems from the establishment of a new high school competition aligned with the Geraldton Tiger Sharks Rugby Club who have been working tirelessly to keep participants in the game
“Volunteers from the rugby club have been exceptional in keeping participants playing while we are down in Perth,” Mettam said.
“We must extend our gratitude to Tom Gorman and his team for continuing to grow the game all year around, without these efforts we would not have the numbers up here we are currently seeing.”
Now that the high school tournament is up and running in Geraldton RugbyWA has extended an invitation to the schools to participate in the upcoming ‘Festival of Rugby’ tournament in 2021.
The development tour was successfully completed with a wide range of activations and events catered for during the tour.
As participation rates still grow in the region RugbyWA will be keeping a close eye for any young talent that may emerge continuing the tour on a yearly basis.
