Rugby coaching is Quinessential
4:58pm Monday 23rd August 2004 in Local Sports By Kevin Impey
POT-TY TRAINING: Westcombe Park's under-10 players John Stainsby and Alex Tagg, who attended the workshop, with the Parker Pen Trophy won by Harlequins last season
Westcombe Park Rugby Club added credence to its growing reputation recently by holding its first joint summer coaching school at Goddington Dene, held in conjunction with the Zurich Premiership's NEC Harlequins.
Park and Harlequins, the current European Parker Pen Trophy holders, provided a raft of experienced coaching staff, including NEC Harlequins head of community development officer Nick Hyde as well as coaches James Skeens, Tony Paul and Tom Williams.
The NEC Harlequins team brought along the European Parker Pen Cup to show the children and parents.
Hyde said: "The purpose of these workshops is improve the ability of the children and to bring the Premiership closer to the community.
"The strong partnership NEC Harlequins has developed with Westcombe Park has enabled us to promote rugby within the area very well.
"Westcombe Park have an outstanding infrastructure and the workshops have proved to be very successful with more than 200 children attending the easier and summer schools. We will continue to run similar schemes with Westcombe Park in the future".
Head of Junior Rugby at Westcombe Park, Huw Howell, was quick to see the enormous benefits of the workshops.
He said: "The children get an enormous amount of value from these workshops. Their skills improve dramatically and rugby ultimately receives the benefits as the children progress through the age groups.
"You never know, hopefully we may help to produce the next Will Greenwood or Jason Leonard."
Westcombe Park are fast becoming one of the premier Kent clubs at junior rugby level with at least two teams at every age from under-six age group to under 12, and their strategic alliance with NEC Harlequins has only served to underline the ambition of the club.
For Westcombe Park juniors, the season starts on September 5. For more information, call Huw Howell 01689 860266 or email him at: huwhowell@westcombepark rugby.co.uk
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