Designed to broaden interest and participation in the game, the programme sees Tigers give a six-week introduction to tag rugby to schoolchildren aged nine and 10.
Tigers also work with their teachers to continue with tag once the club’s coaches have moved on to other schools.
Tigers coaches are currently taking tag rugby into schools around Lutterworth RFC after successful spells around the Melton Mowbray and Leicester Forest rugby clubs earlier in the season.
Scott Clarke, Tigers community manager, said: ““The programme is a great idea and will help nurture young talent of the future as well as giving young people more confidence and inspiration to enjoy sport and keep fit.”
The Melton leg of the programme concluded with a tag festival at Melton RFC, which allowed the young players to put their new skills into practice. They players are being invited to Melton RFC for a tag fun day on May 8.
Leicester Forest RFC, meanwhile, will host a festival on Wednesday, April 13 to conclude the Leicester Forest leg of the programme.
“By linking the schools with their local club we aim to ensure there is a legacy of the programme,” Clarke says. “All host clubs will run tag rugby, which will enable the children to carry on playing tag rather than going straight into contact.”
The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme represents a significant investment by Aviva into the grass roots level of the game, that will go towards supporting over 15,000 man hours of coaching and reaching more than 36,000 pupils aged 9–11 years old from 600 primary schools in England over each of the next four seasons.
Heather Smith, head of sponsorship at Aviva UK, said: “Through the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme we are proud to be helping develop and inspire the next generation of rugby players to take up rugby and hopefully unearth young England stars of the future along the way.
"Moreover, we feel that this programme encapsulates the importance of delivering real benefit to communities through rugby and helps towards the creation of a sustainable legacy for the sport.”
Wayne Morris, head of community at Premiership Rugby, added: “The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is a fantastic opportunity for children to get to know the sport of rugby, learn new skills and gain in confidence. We have a great partnership with Aviva and they share our commitment in helping develop the grassroots of the game in new rugby playing schools.”
