The Rugby Football Union has chosen Lincoln as its base to start a new programme to help train coaches to teach rugby to a higher standard.
The RFU has been working closely with coaches from all branches of the sport across the country to help create a system that will both protect the players, and revolutionise how the game is played.
The RFU has chosen Lincoln’s youth rugby squad as a test to see if the scheme will be a success, with the under-18’s mens and Women’s team both feeling the benefits of a new system.
Recent horror stories of Northampton Saints player George North’s third concussion scare in five months has prompted the organisation to rethink how they teach the players.
Feedback and surveys from previous coaches suggest that they would prefer a more in-depth system of learning that allows them to focus on the smaller aspects of the game and understand how to teach players to avoid injuries.
Many of us will remember the fated 2003 Rugby World Cup where Johnny Wilkinson’s late drop goal helped nudge England past Australia to lift the trophy.
The England rugby team is slowly rebuilding the same formidable reputation as the 2003 squad, but are regularly plagued by injuries to the big players.
Nick Scott, the National coaching development manager for the RFU, thinks that this new scheme, which looks at the way the game is played, will help reduce the amount of injuries that occur in the sport.
“Fundamentally, its a very safe game, but what we are doing is making sure every coach has no excuse from not having the knowledge to keep players safe”
Looking to make a big impact in the World Cup of 2015 on English soil is the teams main priority, so the new scheme is welcomed by both the team, and the fans.
By Owen Gough