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With the objective of improving the conditioning of Colombian rugby representative teams in international competition the Federación Colombiana de Rugby (Colombian Rugby Federation – FRC) is investing in academies with the goal of improved performances.
The governing body has identified the following as being of vital importance to Colombian rugby:
- 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Women’s events on the 2015 international circuit.
- South American Repechage against Brazil to qualify for Sudamérica ‘A’
- Qualify for the Junior Repechage in March 2016
- 2017-2019 Olympic Cycle (South American, Boliviarian, Central American and Caribbean and Pan American Games
- Qualify for the Pan American Games and Olympics
The FRC’s path to realizing such objectives involves the establishment of rugby academies in the country’s most developed cities. These academies are to identify the best players in their respective cities to increase their training stimulus. The FRC is seeking players who can train no less than four times a week on the field and three times in the gym.
The high workload is a necessary part of Colombia closing the gap in both men’s and women’s rugby in addition to both Rugby Sevens and XV’s. The union says it has suffered due to representative players lacking the required skill set. National training sessions lack the time to improve the individual as they are focused, instead, on the team.
The academies, or schools, will be charged with developing players to enable them to be better prepared for the purposes of representative duties. Players are to be constantly monitored to follow their physical conditioning while the national game is top benefit from improved competition.
