Is this Britain's most comprehensive university rugby programme?
Head of Recruitment at Ealing Trailfinders, Alex Shaw, breaks down what they believe is the UK’s most comprehensive university rugby programme.
English rugby, with its large and physically gifted player pool, has very little difficulty bringing through new waves of future stars.
Whether that is the unerring workrate and determination of a technical thoroughbred like Jonny Wilkinson, the raw physical potential of someone who has won the genetic lottery like Manu Tuilagi, or even the combination of the two in someone such as Maro Itoje, English rugby has little trouble identifying, nurturing and developing them.
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Where English rugby can frequently let itself down, however, is in the identification of players just below that level. With such an abundant player pool and the financial strength to recruit heavily from abroad, professional rugby in England is not a kind place to the late developers, the diamonds in the rough or those who have transitioned late to the sport.
Pound-for-pound, English rugby doesn’t even come close to being the most efficient or successful nation in world rugby at tapping into its own player pool.
There are lots of reasons around this, but ultimately the combination of having to make a call on whether or not a player is a professional at 18 years of age, a salary cap in the Gallagher Premiership and an ease with which senior players can be lured from southern hemisphere makes England an unforgiving rugby environment for players who aren’t polished technically and physically ready immediately or very quickly after they leave school.
That is something that Ealing Trailfinders are looking to address with their partnership with Brunel University, an academy programme which the Championship club believes is most comprehensive. First up, a declaration: I have been working this season as Ealing’s head of recruitment so the nurturing of young players is something close to my heart.
The idea of giving players an extra three or four years to develop while they get a degree is nothing new. It was the primary route into the game before the professional era and even now there are some excellent programmes operating at institutions such as Loughborough, Leeds Beckett and Durham to name but a few. But what sets Brunel apart from the crowd is that is entirely operated, funded and designed to work with a professional rugby club.
In addition to the university’s already impressive facilities, its partnership with Ealing Trailfinders has seen the club commit to building the university a new 4G rugby pitch, a gym which will be larger and more well-equipped than any boasted by a Premiership club and an indoor performance centre.
These new facilities, combined with the university’s already considerable assets such as the indoor athletics centre, spas, saunas and gyms which have produced many household names in athletics and rugby, Ealing believe scholars at Brunel will have access to the finest sporting facilities.
The programme is also staffed by Ealing with a number of the club’s senior coaches, such as Steve Neville, Andy Holloway and Paddy Gill, taking on key academy coaching roles and they will be joined by incoming academy head coach Glen Townson and academy transition coach James Brooks next season.
? Want to join our Academy @EalingTF_Brunel and study whilst pursuing a rugby career? Email academy@etprm.com to get all of the information! pic.twitter.com/a2ceaXtcNu
— Trailfinders Rugby Academy (@EalingTF_Brunel) March 26, 2019
Academy manager Ty Sterry and Brunel head of rugby Gareth Rise both oversee the programme and the club also provides full-time strength and conditioning coaches, physios and video analysts, making it arguably the most well-staffed programme in the country. Trailfinders director of rugby Ben Ward even takes some sessions with the academy.
Beyond that, the club also provides players with all their nutritional supplements, comprehensive medical insurance that allows for injuries to be treated immediately and with the highest care, and opportunities for impressive players to join the senior training sessions at Ealing Trailfinders.
Many of this year’s performance group have regularly trained with Ealing, in addition to going out on loan at clubs in National 1 and National 2 in order to further push themselves and develop within the senior game.
Calling all players that want to experience the comprehensive coaching @SD_Neville provides to our scholar forwards needs to check this out. #mostcomprehensive follow us for more info. #joinus #scholarships #weneverstop https://t.co/aw0dBDjhTh
— Trailfinders Rugby Academy (@EalingTF_Brunel) March 17, 2020
While the programme leans heavily on the model found in US college sports, of participants being scholar athletes and enjoying a professional-level rugby programme while they get their degree and ensure they have options for their post-rugby careers, scholars are expected to keep up with their academic commitments.
Efforts are made to fit their university schedule around their rugby duties, but attendance and satisfactory grades are important and this is something where the Brunel programme differs from some of the similar programmes in the US sports systems.
The programme is designed to provide scholars with an array of exit routes from Brunel, with the university boasting a highly laudable employment rate – at £28k per annum or above – or further study percentage of 95 per cent just six months after graduation.
? ACADEMY HIGHLIGHTS:
See the best of the action from the final league match of the campaign for @EalingTF_Brunel ?https://t.co/PjXrF0hmJu
— Ealing Trailfinders (@ealingtfrugby) March 23, 2020
These range from the purely academic route of scholars taking up professional roles in their chosen academic careers and playing rugby at the amateur level or semi-professional level, to players emerging with full-time professional rugby contracts.
Of course, the desired exit route from Ealing’s perspective is for players to have developed sufficiently over their three- or four-year degree to earn a professional contract at the club.
Our desire ultimately is for the bulk of our senior recruitment each summer to come from our own academy rather than other sources. We also recognise the opportunity for a number of players on the programme to take up professional contracts at high-level clubs around the world upon graduation.
Worth reaching out to Ruben if you’re interested in @EalingTF_Brunel next season. https://t.co/scUXfcWaAj
— Alex Shaw (@alexshawsport) March 20, 2020
At the senior level at Ealing, our ambition is to be a Premiership rugby club as soon as possible and in order to do that and not only establish ourselves at that level in a way which can be sustainable for the long-term, we need a productive academy. That is why we are investing so much in our programme at Brunel.
By giving players a professional environment in which there are tests and challenges asked of them, without the need for a short-term return on investment that you see with players professionally contracted at 18 years of age, we believe we can get more out of the individuals on the programme than they would be able to achieve in any other environment.
This is the first full year of the programme and the results have been clear to see with the Brunel 1st XV having won every game in their league and a number of the freshmen having impressed on loan at clubs such as Henley, Blackheath, London Irish Wild Geese, Sutton and Epsom, and Camerbley.
Those players have taken their first steps this season into the men’s game and potential professional future within it. If you’re interested in joining them next season, you can request more information at academy@etprm.com.
Alex Shaw is Head of Recruitment at Ealing Trailfinders
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Comments on RugbyPass
You doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
43 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
5 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
5 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
5 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
5 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
5 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to comments