IN Mlungisi Stadium, Lubunjo Rugby Academy, with the help of local businesses, held rugby coaching clinics which were administered to over 50 children from Komani and surrounding areas, as part of a project aimed at nurturing the potential of grass-root players.
The Lubunjo Rugby Academy is aiming at making strides with endeavours to promote the development of the sport of Rugby in the township.
Director Landi Yaso, who is also one of the coaches at Lubunjo Rugby Academy, said the clinics aim at nurturing the skills and developing rugby especially for boys between the age of 5 and 15.
“The emphasis is on skills and drills and to have fun and enjoy while playing rugby,” Yaso said.
“Lubunjo Rugby Academy is a programme that aims at assisting the community develop and upskilling the formerly disadvantaged communities, giving them skills to be able to play in clubs and helping those in school to move up the ranks to the first-team, provincial rugby and beyond.
“We offer coaching to individual boys and will move to different communities and coach groups. It is not about clubs, but everyone. In partnership with clubs, communities and federations we want to make rugby accessible to everyone. We also want to uplift the standard of refereeing and coaching,” said Yaso
The academy consists of three coaches who take different roles during the coaching clinics.
Landi Yaso is always working with the younger players who are new in the game of rugby, focusing on basic skills, while experienced Rugby Coach, Nxele Dakuse, who also coached Breakers RFC, is working with older players.
Abongile Ndabambi is the strength and conditioning Coach who is responsible for establishing and maintaining a strength and conditioning programme of all the players, with the three major goals of improving performance, reducing injuries and instilling fitness.
