Why Play Rugby?
King's College is forward-thinking and a powerhouse of sport in the West Country. Our rugby programme forms a huge part of our sports offering and is well supported by our whole school community. Our aim is to focus on player development and culture by using our strong reputation on the regional rugby scene.
Competition successes are one measure, and we can demonstrate this by our achievements in national cup events and the well-known Rosslyn Sevens. However, another measure is the experience we provide to pupils at King's. Our coaches are excellent, experienced and dedicated, all going the extra mile to ensure pupils not only develop their game but also enjoy it.
We encourage players to follow pathways and opportunities in order to further develop their skills, and we complement this with an excellent strength and conditioning programme.
A limited number of scholarships are offered to players who wish to join our exciting rugby set up, but fundamental to our success is a unique and joined up rugby programme, from our prep school, King's Hall, up through to our players in their final years at King's College.
There are three training sessions available a week and these focus on individual skill development, game play, decision making and team preparation.
The coaching syllabus is reflective of the developmental needs of young players and focuses on the principles of Long Term Athlete Development as well as the requirements of challenge and exploration, encouraging young players to aspire to reach their potential;
Key Principles
Training sessions reflect certain key principles:
- Fast – lots of activity
- Games – lots of decision making opportunities
- Ball skills – repetition of catch and pass, lots of movement
- Challenging – players to problem solve
- Fun – always adding enjoyment
The principles of training encourage individual skill development as well as teamwork and a sense of identity through:
- Attack Skills / Principles
- Defence Skills / Principles
- Attacking Contact
- Defensive Contact
Training
We provide three team rugby sessions per week delivered by fully qualified and experienced coaches. Our coaching sessions aim to develop individual skill development and decision-making through small-sided games as well as team preparation.
Additional specific Strength & Conditioning (S&C) training sessions are provided for all players, guided by our Head of Strength & Conditioning and Head of Rugby. During the season, video analysis is carried weekly to review team and individual performance.
Girls' Rugby
Girls' rugby was launched at King’s College in Lent Term 2018, with the aim of promoting enjoyment and participation and to develop into full contact 7s rugby. It has grown in popularity to include fixtures at both U15s and U18s level.
They play friendly 7s matches against local schools and Sixth Form colleges and the longer term aim is to enter regional and national 7s tournaments, including entry in the Rosslyn Park 7s.
Jacob W
1st XV Captain 2022-23Jacob is an influential and skilful player able play across the backline. He is not only a versatile sportsman, but also a Senior Prefect studying A-level maths, physics and PE. Jacob said: “Being Captain is an honour as you gain respect as well as the trust. The selection process included me writing to explain why I felt the right person to lead the team into matches. Becoming Captain hasn’t had a major impact on my studies or life because I didn’t change when I was appointed and it doesn’t feel like a chore, I really enjoy it. “I also enjoy the social side of being in the rugby team and getting to know people who aren’t in my classes or house. There are lots of great times at King’s that I associate with playing rugby field and training.” Director of Rugby, Ed Lewsey reflects: “Jacob could be considered relatively quiet for the captain of a rugby team, but he is an effective leader through his considerate approach and his exemplary standards on and off the pitch, which govern the respect of his peers. He has helped create a culture where the players feel united and subsequently have enjoyed success on the field, and I believe the two are inseparable.”