Leeds Carnegie : Community : Aviva Premiership Rugby National Schools Programme

This 2010-11 season sees the launch of the exciting new Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme, an initiative that will introduce over 36,000 young people to the sport through tag rugby.

The scheme is run by Premiership Rugby and the 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs up and down the country and is expected to involve 600 primary schools with 1,200 teachers also receiving training. 600 sets of equipment and resources will be distributed and 300,000 spectators are expected to watch demonstration events.

The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils aged 9 and 10 years. Each Premiership Rugby club will work with two classes at 50 schools.

The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme involves a six week introduction to rugby:

Week 1-3:

Skill development and learning the rules
Week 3-5

Skill development and team skills
Week 6:

Festival

The tag rugby festival in week six will be the first taste of competitive rugby for many children and will allow schools that are new to rugby to participate in a fun tag rugby festival with schools of a similar standard.

Once school from each Premiership Rugby club region will qualify for the Finals at Twickenham on Aviva Premiership Rugby Final day where they will represent their Premiership Rugby club.

Wayne Morris, Head of Community at Premiership Rugby, said, "The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is a fantastic opportunity for children to get to know the sport of rugby, learn new skills and gain in confidence. I would like to thank Aviva for their commitment in helping us to provide this fabulous opportunity to help develop the grassroots of the game in new rugby playing schools."

England World Cup winner and new England coach Mike Catt OBE visited Leeds on Wednesday to speak to local school children, business leaders and rising stars from the Leeds Rhinos Academy.

Member of Parliament for Leeds North West, Greg Mulholland, and West Yorkshire Policeman Bob Bowman, have completed the gruelling Jane Tomlinson 10th Anniversary Challenge, conceived to mark Jane being the first terminally ill cancer patient to complete the London Marathon, completing the final leg, the London Marathon, on Sunday.

Leeds Carnegie have announced their programme of rugby camps for the June half term and summer holidays and have included for the first time a joint camp with Yorkshire Cricket Club which will give children the chance to take part in both rugby and cricket activites at the same camp.