Neil Powell says the Sharks plan to recruit more from within their youth systems over the next few years, above relying on signing big-name stars.
The Sharks have come under fire this season for an over-reliance on World Cup-winning Springboks, who have missed a chunk of the season due to SA Rugby’s resting protocol and injuries.
Director of rugby Neil Powell said that progress has already been made in reversing that trend by revitalising the Sharks’ youth teams under junior head of rugby JP Pietersen.
“Last season the U19 team finished second in their competition, the U20s won their competition undefeated and the U21s lost by one point in the semi-finals,” Powell was quoted by Rapport.
“This shows that our rugby strategy revolves around a sustainable and successful system, not just one team. We believe success in the foundation phases will trickle down to the top.
“We are also looking at rebuilding our academy,” Powell added. “Coenraad de Villiers was the head of the Western Province Academy and we want him to create a high performance environment here as well which will also create a feed into our system.
“We have two groups U19 players – those who are contracted and those who come through the commercial academy, with the latter not being a big feeder for the last number of years. We want to reverse that, and that’s why we brought in Coenraad.
“We want to change how the academy is perceived: We want a quality rugby program, but the teaching must also be holistic. We want to make sure that ambitious children get into the academy. The expectation is that they will develop into good rugby players and hopefully grow from there.”
Powell said that an ideal recruitment approach will see the Sharks bring in top talent to play alongside players that have come through their own youth teams.
“In terms of recruitment, we follow a hybrid approach: We identify world-class talent, but we also want to build through our junior structures. In a few years we hope to recruit more from our own systems than from outside.
“The plan is to bring players from U21 through to the Currie Cup, grow them there, and if they pass that test, they can move on to the United Rugby Championship.”
Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie/ProSports/Shutterstock/BackpagePix
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Src: sarugbymag.co.za
