World Rugby unveils new high performance strategy for the Pacific Islands
World Rugby have announced details of the new strategy for its high performance combine in the Pacific Islands, focusing on identifying, developing and investing in domestic Pacific Island talent to participate at World Cup 2023 and 2027.
Launched in 2018, 51 players have graduated from the high performance combines in the Pacific Islands of which 13 players were prepared for international rugby with Frank Lomani (Fiji) and James Faiva (Tonga) progressing to star at World Cup 2019 in Japan.
The World Rugby-funded programme gives emerging talent access to some of the world’s best coaches and strength and conditioning experts, preparing players for the modern elite rugby environment. The programme is delivered in cooperation with the Pacific Rugby Players who assist to deliver wellbeing and personal development workshops.
Players are assessed and evaluated at the conclusion of the combine by World Rugby’s high performance consultants with the programme’s elite being offered an opportunity to be placed within the world’s elite competitions.
World Rugby’s scholarship programme has seen players placed into teams with the Gallagher Premiership, Global Rapid Rugby, Mitre 10, Major League Rugby, PRO14, Superliga Americana de Rugby and Super Rugby.
The new four-year cycle begins with the Pacific combine in Suva on March 15-18, which is hosted immediately after the World Rugby Pacific challenge 2020 (March 6-14). The programme will run annually with the aim to nurture Test-level talents.
World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont said: “Greater depth of competition at World Cup is dependent on robust strategies to lift high performance and the Pacific challenge, combined with the Pacific combine, is a proven developer and enabler of Pacific Island talent, creating a pathway to international rugby.”
A twin project will offer a similar long-term vision on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Working closely with Rugby Canada and USA Rugby, the North America combine will aim to identify prospective talents and invite them to participate in both unions high-performance academies, the Pacific Pride (Canada) and the USA Rugby National Academy (USA).
Following the North America combine, which is scheduled for June 21-27 in Salt Lake City, selected players will be offered full-time scholarships in their unions’ high performance academy system.
World Rugby vice-chairman and Americas Rugby president Agustin Pichot said: “The development of a truly global game requires a global vision for the development and promotion of the best emerging talent from unions where a high performance programme is hard to access.
“The North America combine is an innovative and exciting programme that does not just identify talent. It nurtures and supports players on and off the field, providing a club and a community that supports a player in being the best they can be as a person and as a player.”
“If making money is the only yardstick, the only measurement these guys have got, then we might as well give up playing rugby as Pacific Islanders" @danleo82 talks frankly with @heagneyl ???? about the future of PI rugby.https://t.co/pk3CCiwLo9
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 8, 2020
World Rugby general high performance manager Peter Horne said: “The high performance combine programme is an amazing opportunity for Pacific Islands and North America to identify and develop the most promising talents in their region.
“The combine has proven its effectiveness with successful alumni making it to the highest level and we are delighted to renew our commitment with a long-term vision that will increase unions’ competitiveness.”
WATCH: The Rugby Pod discusses the latest action in the Guinness Six Nations, including the Joe Marler incident
Comments on RugbyPass
Wasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
3 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
3 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
30 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
3 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
30 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
30 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
30 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
30 Go to comments