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North Wales Academy

(11 posts)

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    Posted 2 years ago

  2. winger14
    Moderator

    I've been following the story on the Rugby Canada website, and also on BC Rugby News. Interesting (and predictable) takes from both sides of the issue.

    While the opportunities are interesting for our atheletes, I'd have to agree that it doesn't really serve the growth of the sport here to take away our young stars.

    I've also said the same about BC, as our province harvests from the rest of the country. In that light the BC Rugby News editorial view is somewhat ironic, perhaps hypocritical...

    What do we think out here? Is sending our best young players overseas to provide talent to an overseas academy a good idea? What will that do to our domestic leagues? Is this the best way to build the base for the NSMT?

    Winger14

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  4. Toothlesstiger
    Moderator

    Not that different from my many attempts to have R.C., U.S.A. and the iRB to partner a full member team located on the Isle of Man that under it's own Parliament could accommodate off- shore players in order to enter the Magners League while also competing for spots in the ERC & Shield competitions.

    See my other post on the subject of U20 JWC & JWT. The size of the problem, funding is completely out of sight for the Canadian rugby community. In addition has the playing of Russians, Swedes or Finns wiped out the kids appetite in these countries when so many are drafted into our beloved NHL.

    The domestic game will continue to grow and the better our exported players become the better our National Test matches will be competitively and generate gate un heard of gate revenues.

    The issue that kills our growth of the domestic game is the ridiculous persistence of our bigger clubs poaching marquee players at all age groups from the smaller growing nursery clubs.

    The next generation of 18+ kids is where and when the player has the choice to continue to play for his home (geographically)community club or try testing the waters with a bigger club.

    In a sense Winger the fact that B.C. harvests as many players from both across Canada and abroad is part of the culture of the game. It is a remarkable feature, that you can go almost any where in the World and get to play a game. These that opt for it because the are old enough and it is what they want to do.

    Keep the u6s through to the u18s working together in their club as in hockey or soccer and the game will continue to grow in many different positive facets.

    If the the 18+ kid gets an invitation to participate in the North Wales Academy then they should go for it.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  6. winger14
    Moderator

    Agree with your point.

    It's somewhat amusing to read the BCRN editor's pontifications when BC has been guilty of exactly the same thing over the years.

    The more I think it over, the more I think a North Wales Academy might not be a bad thing. It's as much to do with getting kids engaged in the sport at an earlier age so that we'll have the numbers anyways. The cream should after all rise to the top.

    Winger14

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  8. Harry Craig
    Member

    The upside is that our kids get out of their comfort zone and get good competition on a regular basis. One thing that no one has pointed out tis that these kids, if they stay there for 3 years are now eligible for Wales on residence. Could Wales use this to steal some of our best young players, just another case of looking the gift horse in the mouth. I agree with winger (feels strange saying that) that Mark Bryant is a bit of a hypocrat saying it is okay for BC to pick up talent from across the country, but it is bad for North Wales to take our players away. I wish Pacific pride was still going but it isn't and if we don't have the funds to set up our own academy maybe this is the next best thing.

    Its also a bit of a compliment to us that North Wales considers us a source of good young rugby talent.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  10. St Dunstan
    Member

    From the BBC - Rugby Union site ...

    North Wales rugby plan revealed

    Fledgling region Gogledd Cymru have revealed radical proposals to bolster playing standards in north Wales by recruiting Canadian internationals.

    Gogledd Cymru and the Welsh Rugby Union want to import 14 Canucks for January-April 2010, annually reducing that number over the five year initiative.

    Rugby Canada and the International Rugby Board must also agree the plan.

    So, how much will it cost Canada for these 14 players in 2010 and how much of a benefit is this as the program grows and the number of Canadians is reduced year by year to nothing? This Jan - Apr time frame is either active rest time for most players in Canada or the league season in BC.

    I will reserve my vote until the costs come out - but I think that we would be better off buying into a Championship or National 1 side in England as the South Africans are doing with Saracens in the Premiership. Instead of 14 or less Academy players, we could have 20-25 ARC or U20 grads training and playing against top competition each and every week for 8 months rather than 3.

    And before anyone says that there are passport hurdles; they can be jumped over if it doesn't take away opportunities for English born players to play professional rugby.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  12. Toothlesstiger
    Moderator

    Then St Dunstan following your premise likewise Canada & USA could form a joint venture and approach either the Irish, Welsh,Scottish or the English in either of the existing Celtic League countries or in the case of the Ilse of Man, the RFU for the right to establish semi - pro team with playing rights in the Magners League with qualifying rights to participate in the ER Championships.

    The big problem with buying into a National 1 side in England is that project could not be feasibly charged out to the iRB funding of 2nd & 3rd Tier nations preparations for RWCs.

    On the other hand the conflict would be minimised if the funding was by the iRB were freed up with the view to development of the European rugby as in the case of allowing Italy to become a member nation entering teams into the ER Championships in 2011/12. In such circumstances the Isle of Mann is an nation within the UK and as such is recognised in the European Parliament.

    With out a constant funding source such as we enjoy now through the iRB our development of our potential either ourselves or as a joint venture will remain a fiscal impossibility.

    By the way the Isle of Mann has a very large Tourist industry that goes to sleep during the rugby season and the investment in a local p Semi - Pro team in the Magners Cup, the Anglo Welsh Cup and potentially ER Championships may well be enough for the "Locals" to develop and diversify their tourist industry into a 12 month industry riding on the back of professional rugby through massive sponsorship for such a team.

    How many of us Cannucks and Yankees would be tempted to travel to this little principality of rugby during the Fall international and Six Nations Championship series and take in both home and away matches of OUR Rugby Celts? I know I would be one.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 2 years ago

  14. Toothlesstiger
    Moderator

    Then St Dunstan following your premise likewise Canada & USA could form a joint venture and approach either the Irish, Welsh,Scottish or the English in either of the existing Celtic League countries or in the case of the Ilse of Man, the RFU for the right to establish semi - pro team with playing rights in the Magners League with qualifying rights to participate in the ER Championships.

    The big problem with buying into a National 1 side in England is that project could not be feasibly charged out to the iRB funding of 2nd & 3rd Tier nations preparations for RWCs.

    On the other hand the conflict would be minimised if the funding by the iRB were freed up with the view to the development of European rugby as in the case of allowing Italy to become a member nation entering teams into the ER Championships in 2011/12. In such circumstances the Isle of Man is an nation within the UK and as such is recognised in the European Parliament.

    With out a constant funding source such as we enjoy now through the iRB our development of our potential either ourselves or as a joint venture will remain a fiscal impossibility.

    By the way the Isle of Man has a very large Tourist industry that goes to sleep during the rugby season and the investment in a local p Semi - Pro team in the Magners Cup, the Anglo Welsh Cup and potentially ER Championships may well be enough for the "Locals" to develop and diversify their tourist industry into a 12 month industry riding on the back of professional rugby through massive sponsorship for such a team.

    How many of us Cannucks and Yankees would be tempted to travel to this little principality of rugby during the Fall international and Six Nations Championship series and take in both home and away matches of OUR Rugby Celts? I know I would be one.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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  16. Harry Craig
    Member

    If we are helping them why would we pay anything for this academy. Let them bear the cost and we will pay to transport athletes back and forth. A lot of people seem to think this would be NSMT athletes but my understanding is that it is a youth academy, what age are we talking about here, does anyone have a definitve answer on that. Would we be allowed to have coaching input, send a coach or two along and what about use of players during the season. If we are playing in the tier two of the youth championships we have to make sure our athletes are available for camps and competitons. We could hold the camps there if enough of our players are already there. At the moment there are many questions and not many cold hard facts out there. It is not the best idea for developing our talent, but with our limited resources it may be the best one available at a cost we can afford. To say no without finding out more would be stupid.

    Gord as far as investing in the Isle Of Man, or why not the Channel Islands it is an interesting concept but I don't see it happening unless you or I hit the big jackpot in the lottery. Keep buying those tickets.

    Posted 2 years ago #

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    Posted 1 year ago

  18. Adrien
    Member

    This domestic game will continue to grow and the better our exported players become the better our National Test matches will be competitively and generate gate un heard of gate revenues.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  19. Ad Bot

    Posted 1 year ago

  20. rusty_lock
    Member

    How do we generate "un heard of" (sic) gate revenues when there is not one single test match scheduled to be played on Canadian soil this year.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  21. Adrien
    Member

    Hello to all this is the bestCleveland HiBore XLi Irons for the al players just try it

    Posted 1 year ago #

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