Rugby camp teaching life skills

A NEW training camp will aim to challenge and empower young rugby union players on the field and at home.

The under-18 development camp is the brainchild of Casuarina coach Aaron Shepherd and focuses on leadership, ownership and teamwork.

It will be held tomorrow at the Casuarina rugby field, with Shepherd hoping to extend it to a three-day camp next season.

“I’m from New Zealand and I’ve run these sorts of camps before where the focus is on life skills,” he said.

“It’s rugby-centric, but the themes are usually much broader.

“We’re looking at things like having the younger guys be able to cook themselves dinner at home one or two nights a week.

“It’s all aimed around making these guys better men while enjoying a sport they love.

“We’re competing hard with rugby league each year, so anything like this in the pre-season is beneficial.”

Casuarina has only been in the Far North Coast rugby union senior competition since 2017.

The club already had a solid junior base and has continued to build on that with several players now in first grade.

Fullback Kai George was a standout last season, with the team reaching the grand final for a second time in the eight-year period.

“The boys will be keen to go one further after such a good season last year,” Shepherd said.

“I know some of the guys are retiring, but we’re lucky that we have some of the younger guys coming through.

“It’s just a case of getting everyone on the same page so they can compete with those top teams.”

The club is seeking more female players for its women’s team, with the competition to start in April.