Rugby Camps at Westonbirt help lead the way in encouraging new young players

With excitement mounting ahead of the Men’s Rugby World Cup next month, Westonbirt School’s sports fields will have hosted two top-quality rugby training camps this summer. It has been inspiring to watch the next generation of players honing their skills, with more to come. Last week we hosted Bath Rugby’s residential World Class Development Camp for players aged 11-16.  Next week, from the 21-23 August, young athletes aged 8-14 will be back for our own Discover Rugby Camp, in Partnership with Bath Rugby. Day one is an amazing day at Bath Rugby’s training grounds at Farleigh House. The next two days are based at Westonbirt School’s extensive sports grounds for focused, pre-season training. There are a few places remaining for this, and if you have a keen young rugby player in the family, you can book on the link below.

Lewis Palmer, who delivered grass-roots training at Bath Rugby before joining us to run Discover Sports Camps at Westonbirt School, is very clear that high-quality pre-season training camps like this make an impact on a player’s performance. And the upcoming Discover Rugby Camp has something extra special.   He says:

‘As well as the physical training, on Day 1, we are giving young athletes the chance to visualise what a career path for a rugby player might look like. Getting behind the closed doors of Bath Rugby is an amazing opportunity. They will experience a career talk from a member of the rugby staffing body, enjoy a tour of the Farleigh House training ground, and be given a training session where all the professional players train. We expect this to give our athletes a real drive for Days 2 and 3 back at Westonbirt, where we’ll be tailoring the sessions to develop the players holistically. Sessions will cover technical skills, strength and conditioning, the principles of play and team building.’ 

Having a block of training makes all the difference. It gives coaches time to address all the aspects of what makes a successful rugby player. Consolidating what they are learning day to day helps new skills stick, and the confidence grow, which can only help give players an advantage in the new season, whether they are playing in their school team or for a local club.

Find out more and book your child’s space here:  Discover Rugby Camp – Wishford Education

We’ve already heard back from some of the athletes who attended last week’s camp, describing how coaches helped them to improve their skills, encouraged them with their fitness training, and emphasised the importance of embracing the rugby community.

‘I got a lot of fun and enjoyment out of the camp as well as learning new skills and consolidating old ones, this includes learning how to play as a part of a team. Overall, I would say the camp was amazing and has really improved me as a rugby player.’ 

An under-14 player explained how they kickstarted the week with practical sessions and seminars, designed to support their understanding of the game and key principles around the Bath way. They received 5-6 hours of varied practical rugby sessions per day, supported by team discussion on subjects such as the importance of recovery.

‘The camp gave me the opportunity to meet new people and make friends with some of the guys I play against for both club and school. I particularly enjoyed the rugby skills sessions. I also learnt a lot from the nutrition and fitness workshops. I enjoyed the camp, have developed my game understanding and definitely learnt what is required to become a professional rugby player!’ 

With everything in place, Lewis is looking forward to another high-quality camp, helping children improve their performance. With the day at Bath Rugby, they will get an opportunity to discover how the life of a professional rugby player could look.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we know that Discover Rugby Camp will make a difference to next season’s rugby for these young athletes.’