THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT WELCOME The Ford Rugby Academy at aims to allow promising young rugby players the best possible opportunity to develop as a player and possibly even follow in Old Rishworthian, George Ford s footsteps into the world of professional rugby. We believe that alongside hard work and personal dedication, Rishworth s programme of technical, tactical and athletic development gives young players the best possible chance to truly become the best rugby player they can be. Individualised training programmes delivered by outstanding coaches, focus on personal skill development. The athletic development programme enhances essential rugby fitness components such as strength, power, speed and agility. The adopted style of play encourages participants to be forward thinking and requires them to perform not only position-specific skills but also those needed in the more expansive modern game. The team rugby programme allows players to implement appropriate skills in an environment which is challenging yet supportive. Current provision includes 15 a side rugby in the Autumn Term with both midweek and Saturday fixtures and involvement in the National Schools Cup. In the Spring Term, the emphasis is on Rugby Sevens including involvement in competitions such as the North of England, Fylde and Roslyn Park Sevens. 1 2
I got quality rugby coaching on the field and in the gym and a big emphasis was always placed on the core values of hard work and respect.
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT GEORGE FORD, LEICESTER AND ENGLAND RUFC played an unbelievable part in my development as a rugby player. As a promising player at the school I always felt supported. I was given the opportunity to train and work on my game on a daily basis. I was given excellent support from my academic teachers at a time when I had to balance the demands of training, travel and education. played an unbelievable part in my development as a rugby player. As a promising player at the school I always felt supported. I was given the opportunity to train and work on my game on a daily basis. I was given excellent support from my academic teachers at a time when I had to balance the demands of training, travel and education. The support I received from the PE department allowed me the best opportunity to achieve what I had dreamed of growing up. I got quality rugby coaching on the field and in the gym and a big emphasis was always placed on the core values of hard work and respect. We were all encouraged to become the best we could be, irrespective of ability. This is why I think the rugby programme at the school will be a success. During my time at Rishworth I enjoyed everything the school had to offer and I can only see the rugby at Rishworth going from strength to strength with the introduction recently of Chris Stone and Jacob Ford. others and respect for the traditions and spirit of the game. Once that is in place, rugby should be enjoyable for kids playing the game. They should play with a smile on their face and be given an opportunity to express themselves with the ball in their hands. I'm a big believer that this comes from having an attacking mind-set in rugby and having the ability to make the right decisions at the right time. You only become all these things if you are coached by good people who understand the game. George Ford I believe the key to being a good rugby player is to be, first and foremost, a good person - a person who has respect for rugby values, respect for 3 4
I cannot think of another school in the country where they will get such a personalised programme.
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT MIKE FORD, DIRECTOR OF RUGBY, RC TOULON AND PREVIOUSLY BATH RUGBY, SARACENS, IRELAND AND ENGLAND has played a big role in the Ford family life and continues to do so. All my boys have attended the school at some stage in their life and all thoroughly enjoyed their time at Rishworth - especially the rugby programme. The way the school encouraged the boys to get better every day certainly helped Joseph and George become professional players. instilled confidence and self-belief in my children which is a huge asset in life. Having seen the current rugby programme that has been put together by the coaching team, I'm hugely confident that it is going to be very successful. This is because the programme focuses on the individual development of the player, seeks to create a winning environment and encourages an attacking style of expansive rugby. I cannot think of another school in the country where they will get such a personalised programme. Continuous rugby is essential to a young player s development. This means lots of game time for the players so that they can learn and understand the game for themselves. Through their outstanding links with local clubs such as Old Rishworthians the programme will allow players a further opportunity to play competitive rugby fixtures if needed. For these reasons I believe Rishworth is the best place for young aspiring rugby players to come to if they want to develop and improve their game. Mike Ford The isolated programme of gym work is incredibly important. Younger players who are familiar with the movements of the lifts being taught and who have the correct technique will make an easier transition from the school environment to the elite environment. Players from will be in a unique position because they will have the necessary mobility, flexibility and strength as well as the individual skills and competitive game knowledge that professional rugby academies value so much. 5 6
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT PROGRAMMES SKILL DEVELOPMENT ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT Through team training sessions, small group sessions and position-specific sessions, players are given the opportunity to develop their level of technical competence in all rugby skills. Sessions take place on a daily basis including, before and after school sessions and at lunchtimes. Chris Stone is a forwards specialist whilst Jacob Ford and Tony Anderson are backs specialist. Old Boys such as Liam Parfitt (England U18 Flanker) George Ford (England) and Joseph Ford (Leicester Tigers) also come in to school from time to time to coach at school when their professional playing commitments allow. The Athletic Development Programme (ADP) has been running in the school for over 4 years and seeks to maximise the athletic potential of the school s most talented athletes by teaching them a variety of compound exercises that look to build strength, develop flexibility and enhance agility and speed. The Head of Human Performance for England Rugby League, Old Rishworthian Richard Hunwicks has helped devise an in-school programme that is age specific and progresses athletes appropriately as their bodies grow and helps players on our programme to move well and efficiently whilst minimising the risk of injury both in the short and long term. Sprint times, power output tests, strength tests and flexibility scores allow for fitness analysis and help us to track player progression and improvement. 7 8
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT COACHING STAFF Jacob Ford is an Old Rishworth and Harrow School student and one of the most promising young coaches in the country. At Harrow he was part of a highly successful winning rugby culture and from there was selected to be part of the London Wasps Academy. After three years Jacob transferred to the Bath Rugby Academy for a further two years. His experience and understanding of youth development is therefore first hand and he has also been fortunate enough to learn from his father Mike Ford at Bath Rugby, England, Saracens and Ireland. Jacob is now working with Yorkshire Carnegie as an Academy Coach. Chris Stone is an Old student and RFU development coach. His experience and knowledge of developing young talent is exceptional. He has playing experience with Preston Grasshoppers and is the current player coach at the Old Rishworthians. He has created a strong link with the club and school with pupils playing club rugby in connection with the school. Chris is a forward specialist and a leading practitioner for scrummaging. Chris also heads up the BTEC in Sport for students in Years 12 and 13. Tony Anderson is an ex-professional Rugby League Player and Coach with over 25 years of experience in the game. He won the League Championship and Challenge Cup whilst playing for Halifax RLFC in the 1980 s as well as a Grand Final win with the Canterbury Bulldogs in Australia. After playing, TA had coaching stints with Huddersfield, Halifax, Gateshead Thunder and Hull FC. Since leaving Rugby League in 2004, Tony has coached at, George Ford, Gareth Widdop, Joe Ford and William Milner amongst others. 9 10
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT OPPORTUNITIES TOURING ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Senior students in the school take part in a major overseas tour every three years. This gives our senior sports players the chance to test their sporting ability in a different environment whilst sampling new cultural experiences. Tours are also a great vehicle for developing independence in our young players and learning how to live with others in an intense sporting environment. Recent tours have visited North America and Canada, Sri Lanka, South America and Australia with a tour to South Africa being planned for July 2018. Sport Scholarships are available to students on entry to Year 7 and to the Sixth Form. Scholarships are awarded on merit and represent a real accolade to successful candidates who must not only demonstrate a high level of ability but also future potential. Scholarships are awarded on the understanding that a pupil will fully involve themselves in the sporting life of the school. For further information please contact Mr Andrew Thomas, Director of Sport. 11 12
THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT EDUCATION The Ford Rugby Academy at seeks first and foremost to nurture, enhance and accelerate a student s development in a manner ideally suited to meeting the demands of higher education, the work place and modern life sport as an academic discipline or possible career pathway. To this end we really look to develop the vocational qualities of our BTEC students by starting them on key coaching and officiating pathways and by giving them access to excellent opportunities in professional sport and leisure settings. Through an excellent personal development programme, individual pastoral care and advanced responsibility opportunities, Rishworth turns boys into young, successful, purposeful men. The independent and mature progress new students often make following their entry into the School can be quite remarkable and is a consistent and positive observation made by parents. The School offers a broad range of GCSE subjects and pupils achieve outstanding results - value added scores at GCSE particularly highlight the school s commitment to each individual achieving their full potential. Sixth Form classes are small allowing students to access an enviable level of individual care and support alongside high quality teaching. The recent introduction of a BTEC in Sport to complement the existing A Level in Sport and PE provides further opportunities for students on the rugby programme who have an obvious interest in 13 14
CLOSER THAN YOU THINK A6033 Hebden Bridge A629 A6177 BRADFORD Bradford M606 travel time Approximate travel times by car. 10 minutes 15 minutes A671 A671 A681 A646 Todmorden A6033 A646 Luddendenfoot A646 Sowerby B6138 Bridge Rishworth B6113 School & Heathfield HALIFAX Halifax A629 Elland A58 Brighouse A644 Dewsbury 25 minutes ROCHDALE BURY A58 Littleborough Hollingworth A58 Jct 22 A672 A672 A640 Rishworth A62 M62 Marsden Slaithwaite A629 HUDDERSFIELD Huddersfield A642 A629 MANCHESTER Oldham OLDHAM A6052 Delph Diggle Saddleworth Holmfirth 0 M60 Mossley 30 minutes from Manchester Airport. Direct flights worldwide. Around 2hrs to London via train. d CONTACT M If you would like to find out more about our rugby programme or would like to arrange a visit where you can see the school and meet the coaching team, please contact the school s admissions officer Julie Sutherland by email at admissions@rishworth-school.co.uk or on 01422 822217. Rishworth, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom HX6 4QA. Tel: +44 (0)1422 822 217 Fax: +44 (0)1422 820 911 E-mail: admissions@rishworth-school.co.uk Website: www.rishworth-school.co.uk : a company limited by guarantee Registered in England: Company Number 05855479 Registered Office: Oldham Road, Rishworth, West Yorks HX6 4QA Registered Charity Number: 1115562 Outstanding Designed and printed by 0161 303 9482