A team made up of pupils aged under 13 from schools in inner city Leicester were handed the opportunity of a lifetime when former England international and HSBC ambassador Jason Robinson gave them an exclusive coaching clinic at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens.

The Loughborough Boost project is aimed at giving children in Leicester the opportunity to benefit from the values of rugby to help them improve in their everyday lives. Integrity, respect and teamwork are core values in rugby and the 11 players selected to represent the Boost project at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens were all picked based on positive development and personal change witnessed in the last five months.

This is the sixth year a Boost team, managed by Alex Laybourne from Loughborough University, have competed at Rosslyn Park and the first time they have won a match at the prestigious tournament. The team is selected based on feedback from teachers and coaches in the local area and is not based on playing ability only. For some in the team it was their first time away from home as well.

Boost project club and coach development officer, Alex Laybourne commented: “Back in October last year we started going into the local schools and coaching the kids, immediately we saw improvements in the children both on and off the pitch. They enjoyed the challenge on the pitch and transferred the values they had learned off the pitch as well. We formed a squad of players based on feedback from teachers and the coaches and had a half-term camp at Loughborough University where the kids made use of the top-class facilities.

“Those children that demonstrated the most development personally and those with the most potential to benefit from the programme were selected to compete at the tournament here this week. It’s an honour for them to play at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens and to get a coaching clinic from Jason Robinson really topped it all off for them. We hope they continue to benefit from the game.”

Owen Mills, captain of the Boost Project team, said: “He’s such a nice bloke, it was so good of him to come and coach us today. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to play with and meet one of the greatest players ever. He showed us how to outsmart opponents with good footwork and he played a game of touch with us as well!”

Jason Robinson, added: “This is my second time here at the tournament and it always amazes me, the size and scale of the event. To have so many kids all competing in one tournament takes huge organisation on the part of the organisors. I really enjoyed the opportunity to coach the kids from the Boost Project, hopefully they can get the same value out of the game that I did during my career.”

Photo by capturetheevent.com