Dusty Noble to empower HHS rugby teams
The rugby teams at Hillcrest High School will receive first hand training from a former Sharks player, who has joined the staff at the school.
FORMER Sharks player, Dusty Noble, has joined Hillcrest High School as its rugby development coordinator.
Noble played for the Sharks from 2005 until 2007 and then joined the Lions where he stayed until 2011. He played for the Cheetahs for the Super Rugby series. Shortly after moving across to the Griqua team, Noble was forced to retire from the game due to a serious knee injury. Noble’s involvement at the school includes developing a long-term strategy for the advancement of rugby, as well as to promote the game among the players and pupils.
“I am very excited to be working alongside the coaching staff at Hillcrest High School,” he said. “I enjoy the school’s enthusiasm for the game and intend building on their rich rugby history.” Master in charge of rugby, Grant Brooks, commented that Noble’s appointment had already generated a renewed and tangible excitement around the sport.
Noble added that his passion is to work with pupils and give them the type of coaching he would have enjoyed as a young player. He feels strongly that it is important to develop the player firstly as an individual and then as a rugby player. The logical step in developing young players, he said, was to encourage them to join their local rugby club, adding that at least 10 of the school’s top players across all age groups had joined the Hillcrest Villagers junior club. One of Hillcrest High School’s matric pupils, Devon van Dyk, was also assisting with coaching of the junior players at the club.
The school recently entered the Rugby 7s arena, and played in the inaugural tournament at Crawford La Lucia where they came a respectable eighth out of the 16 teams involved. They will participate in the Glenwood Sevens’ Rugby Tournament at Glenwood High School.
