6th March 2009
England Internationals Tackle Educational
Underachievement
England rugby internationals Joe Worsley, Nick
Easter and James Haskell took a break from RBS 6 Nations training
to take part in a tag rugby festival with youngsters from 12
Prince’s Trust xl clubs across London.
The 14-to-16-year-olds battled to win the
opportunity to form a guard of honour for their country when
England played Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday 21st March.
The annual event is part of the RBS 6 Nations with The Prince's
Trust scheme, offering pupils who are at risk of truanting or
under-achievement an introduction to the game of rugby through
multiple tag rugby sessions, access to players and educational
materials. The initiative also provides advice on associated future
careers in the game, behind-the-scenes stadium tours and
on-the-pitch involvement on match days.
“Every year thousands
of kids struggle at school, leaving some with little or no hope of
gaining any qualifications. Sports such as rugby are a great way to
try and re-engage them back into school,” says England’s James
Haskell.
“Sessions like today are great to be a part of. What young people
can learn through playing rugby can often be taken off the pitch as
well and applied to other areas of their life away from the game,
and this scheme really helps to highlight that.” Joe Worsley
added.
Jane McDonagh, Community Investment Manager at RBS said:
"This partnership provides young people who may be struggling at
school with an unique opportunity. The wide range of rugby-themed
activities gives them the skills and confidence to help them stay
in education, so they'll have a better chance of getting a job in
the future."
Since its launch in 2005, the programme has helped almost 1,000
young people. These sessions form part of the overall RBS
RugbyLink programme, working with schools, charities and
clubs to connect people with rugby and all its benefits – both on
and off the pitch.