iRB Development Officer due today

The International Rugby Board (iRB) Development Officer for NACRA, Trinidadian, Kwanieze John will be in Guyana today for four days to work along with local Youth Development Officers (YDOs) and Physical Education teachers on how to teach the game to students.

John, along with the YDOs and PE teachers will be coaching under-14 and under-16 players at the National Park from 10:00hrs. According to president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), a, the iRB has a worldwide programme called Get Into Rugby (GIR) targeting youths and Guyana has been identified as one of the territories that will benefit from the initiative. Said Green “As part of the ongoing drive to make rugby a household sport alongside cricket and football, the GRFU with the assistance of the International Rugby Board (iRB) have embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive targeting 70

Peter Green
Peter Green

schools in six regions which will be piloted under the GIR Programme.”

Green added that “the purpose of this programme is to get youths to learn to play and stay in rugby through indoor and outdoor activities relating to the sport. “With this in mind the assistant Regional Development Officer for the GIR Programme attached to NACRA will be in the country for four days to start up pilot programmes in two out of the six regions identified.

John will commence her programmes in Region four and 10. The other Regions identified were Regions six, seven, eight and nine. Green pointed out that “Due to the magnitude and distance of the regions we decided to give Georgetown and Linden the priority on her first trip.

She will be instructing volunteers and physical education teachers to implement the programme in and out the class room in the under-14 and under-16 levels.”