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Meridian Energy Canterbury Rugby Academy Players Doing their Bit for Local Rugby

The Meridian Canterbury Rugby Academy is about far more than just an elite group of sportspeople trying to be the best they can be on the sports field.

The Academy members are part of the greater rugby community in Canterbury and as such are regularly doing things for the good of others.

An example of this commitment to the game in the province is that each Saturday they are out in North Hagley Park cooking and handing out sausages, coffee and tea to the young players and their parents.

“The players take turns to go out each weekend and it is a good way to contribute to Canterbury Rugby,” Academy director Matt Sexton says.

The Academy as a whole is also very focused on working with individuals within local schools to ensure that they have as much information as possible.

“While the union’s Rugby Development Officers work with coaches, we try and make sure that the individuals themselves have information on a range of things, such as weight-training programmes, so that they have the best information possible,” Matt says.

It is also about ensuring that the players that eventually make the step-up to Air New Zealand Cup or Super 14 level have developed the right techniques.

“We are sure that some of this young talent will eventually reach us and when they do that we hope that they have the necessary techniques in place,”

Matt says that the Academy is indebted to Meridian for their support of the system that helps develop the next generation of top rugby players in Canterbury.