Ulster Rugby vs Ospreys

STRUCTURES IN PLACE FOR DEVELOPING YOUTH RUGBY PROGRAMME Michael Black has been working in the Hughes Insurance Ulster Academy for three years, first as Age Grade Performance Manager, and more recently as Provincial Talent Coach.

A big focus for Black over the past two seasons has been on developing the youth game, having witnessed a small number of players coming through the club pathway in comparison to the school system. There have been some successes, with the likes of Johnny Murphy, Chris Farrell and Adam McBurney making an impact in recent times, but it had been identified as a real growth area. “There is no doubting the raw material and physical potential of players in the club game, it’s about developing it and providing opportunities,” said Black. “This is being done by investing more time in these players and the support network around them.”

One of the challenges in the past has been talent identification, but that has steadily improved and has been buoyed further by the introduction of Jonny Gillespie as Talent Development Officer last year. Along with a big network of club and school coaches, he collates a large amount of information on players on a weekly basis. “For club players, their first step on the development pathway is at U16 Regional Development Squad (RDS) level. This programme from U16/U17 level through to U18s has seen significant changes in recent season,” explains Black. continued overleaf...

YOUTH RUBGY

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