Rugby undoubtedly develops character and resilience as children at a Manchester school found out after being chosen to pilot an innovative national programme.
Pupils at St. John’s R.C. Primary School in Chorlton were some of the first to experience Premiership Rugby’s On the Front Foot programme before it is fully rolled out in September.
The scheme uses rugby, and its core values, to instil character and resilience in children through classroom and outdoor activity.
Former England flanker Hendre Fourie, who retired from professional rugby due to a shoulder injury in January 2013, was at St. John’s to help deliver the programme this week.
The 35-year-old now works for Sale Sharks’ community department and he claims the traits the programme encourages still help him to this day.
“You can make a huge difference in a kid’s life if you start them off on the right path,” explained Fourie.
“From my personal experience through playing rugby and having the core values, it works for me now even in retirement.
“Whenever I had an injury and had to get back from that – all that heart makes you stronger and helps you bounce back from the setbacks.
“It’s still there, it helps and I think if you incorporate that with young kids and get them on the right path from the start with the respect, the discipline and the enjoyment all thrown into one, then it can only get better and better for them.”
The 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs, in addition to London Welsh and Bristol Rugby, will help deliver the On the Front Foot programme nationwide come September.
It will reach more than 17,000 pupils in schools across the country, as well as providing an intensive 33-week training course for almost 500 young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).
COMPLETELY ENGAGED: St. John’s R.C. Primary School children in Chorlton worked with ex-England flanker Hendre Fourie as a taster for a nationwide programme called On the Front Foot
The project, which will receive more than £500,000 is one of 14 that will receive funding through the Department for Education’s £3.5 million character grants scheme. The grants are designed to expand initiatives that successfully improve the character of young people.
And after seeing how popular the programme was first-hand, Hannah Vecchione, Director of PE and Sport at St John’s, is adamant it will go down a storm.
“It was great. The children absolutely loved it and had a really good time – it was very exciting to meet everyone and talk to them about the programme,” said Vecchione.
“The kids were completely engaged and they understood that the focus was on the values – using rugby to develop that focus.
“Rugby is a really good sport to be able to teach that character education through because it’s built on the teamwork and respect values.”
