After a few tough years, Pretoria Rugby Club was able to start raising its head again three seasons ago, thanks to the zeal and hard work of a few dedicated men.

Three years ago, in its first season back on the field, Pretoria made their mark in the B-division of the Carlton Cup league. In the 2019 season the club did so well that they could already realistically start dreaming of barking with the big dogs in the Carlton Cup league again soon.

Then came 2020 and the club’s management, like all other sports clubs, had to deal with the setback of the Covid-19 crisis. But since the pandemic struck, they have not stopped making plans for the future.

One of the major breakthroughs for the future, which will not only benefit the Pretoria Rugby Club as such, but also club rugby in general, was recently announced by the top management of Pretoria and their neighbours across Totius Street, Harlequins.

The two sports clubs will work together to set up a unique new rugby academy. This academy will mainly target school leavers and will be stationed on the grounds of Pretoria Rugby Club.

The concept of this academy will be unique in several aspects. Firstly, it will be the first time that two different clubs will work together to establish an academy that will benefit both clubs’ junior (u.20) teams.

“It is important to mention that our senior clubs will still operate independently of each other, but that we have entered into this co-operation agreement for the sake of the development of club rugby, especially at junior (u.20) level,” Pretoria Rugby Club’s chairman, Jaco Basson, told Rekord.

With the permission of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, the members of the academy will be registered with both clubs, which means that players will be able to play for both clubs in the Bulls’ competitive u.20 club league. For this reason, it is intended to start the academy with at least 40 students by February 2021, so that enough players will be available for at least two teams.

The management and coaches of Harlequins will play a role in general, but the academy will mainly be managed under the guidance of two experienced and competent men from Pretoria Rugby Club. They are the chairman and Rugby Director of the club, Jaco Basson, and Jan Smit, a man who has already made deep inroads as a rugby coach and sports administrator.

Although the detail of the proposed curriculum is still being finalized, it will be done in collaboration with the proven programs of the CTU private tertiary education model and the UXI rugby academy program, according to Basson. This program, also used by several provincial unions’ rugby academies, is aimed at the development of the individual player with the emphasis on personal attention and aspects such as conditioning, nutrition and the use of professional coaches and mentors to ensure that the player develops his skills to perform at his best in his position.

Pretoria Rugby Club has already come a long way in their preparation for the academy. A unique rugby-oriented gym, which includes a CrossFit section, is already located in the clubhouse, while a complete Sports Scientist and Performance Enhancement Centre is being set up with the help of well-known sports scientists.

Accommodation for students on the club’s grounds is next on the planning list.

Smit stressed that the planned academy’s uniqueness will be based on their quest to develop students at more than one level.

“It does not help that we make him a great rugby player, but he is not equipped for life away from the game. We also want to develop and enrich the students as human beings, while equipping him with life skills that will prepare him for the professional world. The student must realize the reality that, although we strive to offer him an opportunity to break through as a professional rugby player, he will also be ready for the professional world on other levels if his rugby dream does not come true,” Smit emphasized.

For more information and further inquiries, contact Jaco Basson at 084-605-3731 or Jan Smit at 084-430-6766.

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