The RugbyWA development team recently made a regional trip to Geraldton and the Greater Mid-West in the aim of growing the game throughout our regions as well as make essential relationships with stakeholders such as schools and community members.
A one-week trip, the team went to a number of schools in the area such as Champion Bay College (teaching over 120 students), Mullewa Festival, Geraldton Christian College (teaching over 150 students), Geraldton Grammar School (teaching over 200 students) and Nagle College (teaching over 90 students).
A week filled with plenty of country hospitality RugbyWA development officers attended schools to help grow game awareness, develop ball skills and build relationships with schools and teachers. The trip was a huge succession in growing the game as the team assisted in the creation of the areas own school rugby committee under the SSWA banner. This is the first time that this has happened and will allow the schools within the Geraldton and Greater Mid-West to create their own interschool competition within their region and grow the footprint of rugby within their own schools.
The competition will interlink with all other competitions happening within the metro area and will continue to grow towards the future. Damian Wainohu, RugbyWA Participation Manager was thrilled with how the week went and anticipates to transition several students from other sports as well as opening the door for Indigenous communities in the area. Speaking to stakeholders and potential sponsors, the participation driver Wainohu can’t wait to be back next year to support the community further.
“It was a great opportunity to grow the game and create opportunities for boys and girls that will introduce them to rugby union in Geraldton and the greater mid-west, said Damian Wainohu, RugbyWA Participation Manager. “We had a great time whilst visiting the regions, being welcomed by country hospitality it was a pleasure to see so many smiling faces throughout the schools and indigenous communities”.
“The work that we’ve done thus far will be the catalyst to laying the foundations and expanding rugby union in the great country regions, in establishing interschool competitions which will create opportunities for representative pathways for those outside of the metro area.”
The development team will be heading back to the Geraldton and the Greater Mid-West next year with plans for multiple visits to schools. With the hopes of getting an interschool competition up and running for the 2022 season, a barbarian team that will travel and play against Perth metro schools as well as expand the indigenous program in Mullewa.
