Rugby Management - New Zealand

Product Details

This is a "rugby management work experience project" as well as a "coach and play" project.

This is a unique opportunity to do a rugby management work experience at a Rugby Club in New Zealand. You'll assist in the management and running of the club, coaching the children and possibly playing for the senior sides at the club.

This is a unique project in that it combines coaching sports - and playing them too!

This work experience placement combines coaching rugby with gaining experience in managing and administering a rugby club.

The club has a large number of junior and senior sides and is looking with your help to establish a high performance rugby unit to develop rugby in the area.

The experience you gain on this unusual work experience project will be an excellent entry to your CV, going a long way to making you stand out in the crowds of job seekers.

As a volunteer on this project, you'll be able to involve yourself in a number of different roles:

• Sports administration & management
• Coaching
• Organising sports events
• Sports development

About the Rugby Club

The rugby club you will work with is one of the oldest in Auckland and was formed in 1897 as part of a military unit.

The club have a large number of junior and senior teams who play at the club. Around 400 juniors play for the club with over 30 junior sides representing the club. The club have a large number of senior sides with 8 men's senior sides and 1 woman's side.

The club has some of the best facilities in Auckland which include: 2 rugby pitches, 1 sponge based outdoor Astroturf training area, 1 indoor sponge based astro turf training area, gym, saunas, large club house with bar and outdoor barbecue area.

The club also have a number of other sports associated with them including netball, lacrosse and badminton and are known as a friendly and social family club who have strong ties with the local community and are very much a community club.

About your work and coaching:

You'll be involved in a number of different activities during the day. A typical day will consist of undertaking the administration and management of the club, which includes, for example:

• Establishing/running the clubs high performance rugby unit
• Going to local schools with the junior manager to provide coaching clinics and to also do talent identification
• Assisting with all aspects of junior management and co-ordination of teams
• Running the junior touch module over the summer
• Organising tournaments
• Marketing
• The day to day running of the club

As well as working on the administration side of the club, generally from 5.00 to 6.00 p.m. you'll also be involved in coaching rugby to a team or a variety of teams.

High Performance Rugby Unit

The rugby club are looking to establish a high performance rugby unit which will concentrate on developing the under 12s to under 19 age group categories in the local area. In the high performance unit players who are selected will have accesses to top facilities and be giving training programs based on their positions and strengths and weaknesses etc. It is hoped that the players within the unit will go on to represent Auckland at a higher level and also contribute towards the club.

The club employs a number of people to work full time, handling the administration and management side of the project. You will be working alongside the management team at the club in a number of areas as well as the other volunteer rugby coaches at the club who coach the juniors.

Playing Rugby

On this project you also have the opportunity to play rugby for the club as well.

There is a good mixture of standards at the clubs so there is something for everyone. Rugby in Auckland is also divided by weight so if you are under 85kg you can play in the restricted weight category which tends to be a very fast paced and exciting game to play. Here are the senior teams that you can train with and play for:

• 2 Men's open weight category teams
• 4 Men's under 85kg category teams
• 2 Colt men's teams (under 19s & under 21s)
• 2 Men's social sides
• 1 Woman's team
• A large number of touch rugby teams in the off season

Project Dates and Rugby Season:

This project runs all year round apart from the beginning of November to the end of January.

The Rugby Union season runs from:

Seniors Late March - Mid august
Juniors: Mid April - Mid August
Touch Rugby season runs from:

Late Oct - Dec & late Jan - end of Feb

Coaching and training times are as follows:

Juniors: 5:00 – 6:00 Tuesday to Thursday
Seniors & Colts: 6:00 - 8:00 Monday to Thursday

Games take place on the weekends during the season. The juniors play their game in the morning where you will have the opportunity to coach a team putting everything you have taught them into practice on the field. In the afternoon as a senior player it will be your opportunity to play.

Accommodation and Location

Our accommodation is located in the city centre of Auckland. Therefore you are very central, close to the main train station and shopping district.

You'll be accommodated in a centrally located lodge that is friendly and relaxing, making it ideal for long-term stays. You may have your own room or you may share a room with other volunteers. There is an excellent kitchen and storage area for cooking meals and plenty of space to relax.

Entertainment at your accommodation includes cheap internet access and cable TV (Sky) as well as an outside balcony. You are literally a stroll from the Sky Tower, harbor and waterfront. Trains and buses are also only a few minutes away to take you to parts of Auckland and New Zealand or to the many other ‘things to do’!

The city centre boasts great shopping, restaurants and pubs or head over to the viaduct for more pubs, nightclubs and multicultural cuisine. You'll get to work via bus, which is close to your accommodation.

Maori settlement in Auckland was at least 800 years ago where by different tribes built fortifications on the various volcanoes in Auckland. When the British arrived in 1840 they claimed Auckland as the capital city of New Zealand until Wellington became the capital 25 years later.The city is modern and vibrant - a fun and friendly city with beautiful surrounding islands and harbour.

Some of its more famous attractions include the Sky Tower, Rangitoto Island, the Harbour, the Hukani Gulf Islands and the many extinct volcanoes that are in Auckland which provide great views of the city.

Auckland has restaurants to suit all tastes - the most popular cuisine is New Zealand lamb which can be ordered at many restaurants around the city and is well worth it.

For meals in local restaurants, a trip to Auckland's inner city centre is well worth the effort - it bustles with activity and offers a range of choices of restaurants.