Volunteers from Pill Harriers RFC have used their initiative and creativity to put on a successful week long summer camp for all minis and juniors to increase both their playing and volunteering numbers.
This year has seen the start of the mini and junior sections at Pill Harriers RFC. It was one of the Under7/8s coaches who saw an opportunity not only help develop the mini section but to bring rugby to the local community and to those who would not usually have the opportunity – and so the Pill Harriers RFC Summer Camp was born! Helen Bourne the under7/8s coach organised the camp and also planned games and sessions to really pass on her passion for rugby and get more children involved in the sport. The camp was a huge success and all children involved had a fantastic time with all showing real promise and some joining the under 7/8s team at the club.
“We are very appreciative of all the hard work that Helen has put into getting the summer camp off the ground which has helped introduce a lot of local children to the game of rugby and all the enjoyment it brings with it. As we know from past experience, clubs like ours can’t survive without breeding your own talent from within the local community, which is what our club was built for” Brian Cromwell, Chairman
The week included a mixture of skill based drills and rugby related games that aimed to be fun as well as introducing and enhancing rugby skills. All children who attended the camp gave great feedback and all said they had a fantastic time.
“I designed the camp to be enjoyable and introduce the fundamentals of rugby as well as give a much sort after event to get the children of the local community involved in sport. I really feel that the camp was a huge success with the players all showing great promise and dedication as well as recruiting new players for the club. Although I organised and ran the week; the players really made the camp, without them it would not have happened so a big well done goes to all those players who worked very hard through 5 hours of rugby each day! Pill Harriers RFC Summer Camp will be back next year and it stands to be even better than this year!” Helen Bourne, Coach
The camp received so much support, not only from the club but from the WRU Join the Beat Team and the donations of fruit and water from the local Tesco store. “Without the donations and help from the WRU Join The Beat scheme the camp would have been very difficult to operate, a huge thank you goes to those who helped, to the volunteers who gave what time they could and once more to the players who were involved” Helen Bourne, Coach
The WRU would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers involved with this camp and hope that others across Wales follow their example.
Pill Harriers RFC Summer Camp will be back next year so keep your eyes peeled for information!
