Armitage opens pathway to help diversify the game

Probyn: Prem acadamies only help ‘parasitic’ clubs

TRP

Ace: Delon Armitage playing at 2011 World Cup

DELON Armitage has launched his own rugby academy after finding coaching opportunities hard to come by after retirement.

Former England fullback Armitage, who won 26 caps and enjoyed Top 14 and Heineken Cup success with Toulon before finishing his career at Lyon earlier this year, aims to help boys and girls aged 11 to 18 from all backgrounds achieve their rugby ambitions.

Funded largely from his own pocket, the Delon Armitage Elite Academy will be based at Staines RFC. The ex-London Irish flyer told The Rugby Paper:

“It’s something I feel passionate about and it’s an opportunity for me to give back for the luck I had. “I was quite fortunate in going to Richmond Rugby Club, but a lot of kids don’t have the possibility of being at rugby playing schools or clubs where they can be seen, so I want to encourage kids from all backgrounds to come and make themselves better.

“After coming back to England, I was looking around at what people were doing for kids and while everybody seems to do a bit, it doesn’t feel that too much of it is being backed up so these kids are being looked after right the way through. “I felt there was a gap in the grassroots where if you don’t make it into a Premiership academy or their development pathway from 13 or 14, where do you go? “Is there a way back in? There doesn’t really seem to be unless you’re at a rugby school or your parents are paying a lot of money, so I spoke to Stephen Leach, the chairman of Staines RFC, and he was keen to have my academy based there.”

Armitage explained: “Staines do a lot of youth rugby and it’s the perfect location because it’s based within the Feltham area, which is pretty diverse. “I can work on skills and mentor those kids. I just want to give kids a rugby family away from their own families where they can do something for themselves and just enjoy it.

“Everyone knows how tough funding is at the moment so I’m pretty much doing this all myself. Staines have been brilliant and Ram Rugby have helped with some kit, so I’m just hoping people will buy into what I’m doing and there’s a possibility for me to help out grassroots rugby and, hopefully, develop good players as well.” Armitage, 36, had hoped to get into front line coaching alongside his academy project, but added: “Coaching was an aim for me when I stopped playing but I looked around and didn’t really get anywhere. No one was very interested.

“That was quite disappointing because I’ve been at the highest level and think I know what the game’s about, but hopefully an opportunity will appear at some stage. In the meantime I’ll do something myself and try to help some of these kids. “I’m not competing with academies, I just want to give kids a chance to make their way in the game.”