The South African Rugby Union (Saru) and private broadcast channel Supersport on Tuesday launched a high-performance academy for rugby that will be based in Alicedale, near Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.
The institute will be based at the Bushman Sands Resort and will be an elite, one-year programme that will house 30 players from across the country between the ages of 17 and 20 years.
The first group of players will start the programme at the end of 2007, with the chosen players them moving back to their respective provinces at the end of the programme.
Aside from training future Springboks, the institute will also be utilised as a training facility for national teams, match officials, coaches and administrators.
”The Rugby Institute is aligned with our main objectives and SA Rugby is confident that this institution will play a major role in the development of future Springboks,” said Saru president Oregan Hoskins.
Supersport CEO Imtiaz Patel also echoed the importance of the institute toward the nurturing of future Springboks and ensuring the development of the large pool of talent within South African rugby.
”The aim of the rugby fraternity should be to cultivate a common national approach to the development of young talent and this is a step in that direction,” Patel said at the launch, which was held at Supersport’s studios in Johannesburg. — Sapa