 Scrum education: Edinburgh wing Simon Webster instructs the front-row |
After one week of pre-season training the Edinburgh Rugby squad made sure they’re all ‘Rugby Ready’ by completing Scottish Rugby’s prerequisite coaching course today.
Every rugby coach, teacher and referee in Scotland will undergo the practical course at the start of the season as part of an extensive initiative to make the game safer and more enjoyable for all.
Last season Edinburgh players completed over 800 visits to clubs and schools across Scotland from Earlston to Elgin so the players took the course to inform their coaching skills on the programme delivered to over 4000 candidates every year.
Scotland and Edinburgh wing, Simon Webster, was among the players and got the chance to move out of his comfort zone and referee a scrum featuring Edinburgh’s own front-row.
He said: “I’ve had practically no contact with the scrum in my playing career, let along had to coach or referee one, so it was really useful to have the opportunity to learn about it and then put that learning into practice.
“It just goes to show that, no matter how experienced a player or coach you might be, there are still some pretty technical aspects of the game that merit this kind of education from a player welfare point of view and also in terms of improving the standards of coaching in Scotland.”
The practical assessment is a continuation of Scottish Rugby’s “Are you ready to play rugby?” initiative which was launched in 2009/10 to ensure that everyone involved in the sport is prepared appropriately to safely play, coach, teach and referee, the game.
The course follows a consistent, safe and enjoyable approach, on and off the field, and combines classroom-based and practical tuition to identify key aspects of match preparation like correct technique and injury prevention, while also helping to develop coaches and coaching at all levels of the game.
Scottish Rugby coach education manager, Jock Peggie, commended the completion of the programme by the Edinburgh players.
He said: “Everybody involved in organising and playing rugby has a duty of care for the welfare of players and the ‘Are you ready to play rugby?’ campaign is an important initiative in promoting best practice in Scotland.
“Edinburgh players support a host of training sessions at clubs and schools across Scotland, so it’s important that they complete the course, not only to satisfy the eligibility criteria to coach in Scotland, but to inform their practice when encouraging, motivating and teaching young people to play the sport.
“Player safety is of the utmost importance and Scottish Rugby has worked extensively with the rugby community, medical professionals and academics to ensure that our sport continues to evolve with player safety as the number one consideration.
“With the amount of people playing the game at both adult and youth level growing each year these updates will continue to make the game as safe and enjoyable for everyone as it can be.”
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