Rugby lessons are kick-starting a health and fitness drive in English primary schools under the wing of Guinness Premiership rugby union side London Irish.
Children as young as five are tackling how to keep their hearts and lungs in shape and come up with pre-match eating plans for London Irish rugby aces under the Eteach Healthy Schools Programme which combines rugby and science.
Under the scheme youngsters take part in a fun and interactive classroom session delivered by Eteach sponsored community coaches before playing an outdoor tag rugby contest - a non-contact version of the game for the under-9s.
As well as passing on a strong healthy eating message to young children, the programme boosts teachers’ ability and confidence to coach tag rugby at the school grassroots where gym and netball are more likely to be on the timetable.
Zoe Bishop, Community Marketing Manager for London Irish, said: “The scheme is a fantastic way of getting kids’ active and helping them to learn more about a healthy life.
“Thanks to Eteach’s sponsorship of the scheme by the end of 2009-10 academic year we would have worked with approximately 900 children who would have benefited and learnt from the initiative.”
Eteach – the UK’s leading online education recruitment service for schools - are official associate partners of London Irish.
The Surrey based company recently renewed its sponsorship deal with the rugby side and the Eteach logo is displayed on the team’s new kit, as well as on the match day ball.
Injury-struck winger and full back Delon Armitage is a big fan of the Eteach Healthy Schools Programme after attending a session whilst recovering from a shoulder injury.
Trinidad-born Delon and his flanker brother Steffon are the first siblings to be capped for England since Rory and Tony Underwood.
More used to eating mango and yams than apples and potatoes as children, the players are keen to spread the word that eating the right food is essential for playing the physically demanding game of rugby.
Delon said: “I am very impressed with the quality of the scheme. Growing up, I was always very active and played lots of sport so I know how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle. I was lucky enough to attend one of the sessions with community coach Ben Lee and I was really impressed with the enthusiasm and knowledge of the kids - anything that gets children being healthy and playing rugby gets my vote.”
Paul Howells, Chief Executive of Eteach and a former PE teacher, said: “The amount of healthy calories young people consume is essential for their general development, as well as for playing sport. Many teenagers – especially boys – don’t actually eat enough for their physical activity levels.
“I’m glad the Healthy Schools Programme sponsored by Eteach has received positive reviews from schools and is helping to send out the message to young children that eating enough of the right foods and taking part in exercise as part of a balanced lifestyle could make them reach the top of their chosen game - be it as a rugby star or in a future career.”
Just one in eight children in the UK completes a recommended 60 minutes’ exercise every day and 9% of girls and 15% of boys in England don’t even participate in 30 minutes, according to research by the British Heart Foundation.
All schools in England should provide at least two hours’ PE on the national curriculum every week. But studies indicate teachers often can’t find the time and lack the skills to teach technically demanding sports such as rugby.
Claire Wroot, PE teacher at Gorse Ride Junior School in Wokingham, Berkshire, said her pupils had benefited from taking part in the programme - including the girls.
“It was really good for the children to get to learn more about their local rugby side.
“They particularly enjoyed coming up with eating plans for the players and it was also great to see the girls getting muddy and stuck in playing a game of tag rugby.”
Eteach also sponsor an online rugby class featuring one drill every week endorsed by London Irish coach Toby Booth.