NATIONAL Two league Redruth Rugby Club has unveiled an exciting new venture with the launch of a rugby academy.

The RFU backed academy will give rugby players the chance to continue their post-16 education at Redruth School whilst also being able to take advantage of a 52 weeks per year, full- time personalised programme to develop their rugby skills.

The initiative sees the links between Redruth School and Redruth RFC further strengthened and will offer a pathway for the most talented players to gain a contract with Redruth RFC.

Following a welcome from David Penberthy (rugby manager, Redruth RFC) and an outline of the scheme from Matt Pound (head of sixth form, Redruth School), the academy manager, Craig Bonds (Redruth School and Ist XV captain, Redruth RFC) explained the rugby and educational benefits of the scheme.

These will include personalised fitness and skills programmes based to fit around academic studies, co-ordinated playing opportunities at the school and the club and coaching from Redruth RFC's professional players such as Mark Bright and PJ Gidlow who were also in attendance.

More details of how the programme will be compiled were given by Mike Hook (Redruth RFC) who will be the academy's head coach. He explained that academy players will have exclusive access to the brand new gym and weight training facilities at the school, will get regular game time and high-quality teaching and all the benefits of an expanding sixth form centre at Redruth School.

Nigel Hambly, Redruth RFC head coach, told those in attendance that this was a wonderful opportunity and one that he and players of his generation would have loved and he hoped that local rugby players would take advantage of it.

Further details of the Redruth Rugby Academy can be obtained by contacting Matt Pound at Redruth School on 01209 203700 or Roger Watson (hon. sec, Redruth RFC) on 01872 530687.