Rishworth School

Rishworth School

• Individualised training programmes delivered by outstanding coaches, focus on personal skill development.

• The athletic development programme enhancesessential rugby fitness components such as strength, power, speed and agility.

• The adopted style of play encourages participants to be forward thinking and requires them to perform not only position-specific skills but also those needed in the more expansive modern game.

• The team rugby programme allows players to implement appropriate skills in an environment which is challenging yet supportive. Current provision includes 15 a side rugby in the Autumn Term with both midweek and Saturday fixtures and involvement in the National SchoolsCup. In the Spring Term, the emphasis is on Rugby Sevens including involvement in competitions such as the North of England, Fylde and Roslyn Park Sevens.

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

WELCOME

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The Ford Rugby Academy at Rishworth School aims to allow promisingyoung rugby players the best possible opportunity to develop as a player and possibly even follow in Old Rishworthian, George Ford’s footsteps intothe world of professional rugby.

We believe that alongside hard work and personal dedication, Rishworth’s programme of technical, tactical and athletic development gives young playersthe best possible chance to truly become the best rugby player they can be.

Rishworth School

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I got qualityrugby coachingon the field andin the gym and a big emphasiswas alwaysplaced on thecore values of hard work and respect.

others and respect for the traditions and spirit ofthe game. Once that is in place, rugby should be enjoyable for kids playing the game. They shouldplay with a smile on their face and be given an opportunity to express themselves with the ball intheir hands. I'm a big believer that this comes fromhaving an attacking mind-set in rugby and havingthe ability to make the right decisions at the righttime. You only become all these things if you arecoached by good people who understand the game.

George Ford

Rishworth School played an unbelievable part in mydevelopment as a rugby player. As a promisingplayer at the school I always felt supported. I wasgiven the opportunity to train and work on my gameon a daily basis. I was given excellent support frommy academic teachers at a time when I had to balance the demands of training, travel and education. The support I received from the PE department allowed me the best opportunity toachieve what I had dreamed of growing up. I gotquality rugby coaching on the field and in the gymand a big emphasis was always placed on the corevalues of hard work and respect. We were all encouraged to become the best we could be, irrespective of ability. This is why I think the rugbyprogramme at the school will be a success. Duringmy time at Rishworth I enjoyed everything theschool had to offer and I can only see the rugby atRishworth going from strength to strength with theintroduction recently of Chris Stone and Jacob Ford.

I believe the key to being a good rugby player is tobe, first and foremost, a good person - a personwho has respect for rugby values, respect for

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

GEORGE FORD, BATH AND ENGLAND RUFC

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Rishworth School played an unbelievable part in mydevelopment as a rugby player. As a promising playerat the school I always felt supported. I was given theopportunity to train and work on my game on a dailybasis. I was given excellent support from my academicteachers at a time when I had to balance the demandsof training, travel and education.

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I cannot think of another school in thecountry wherethey will get such a personalised programme.

I cannot think of another school in the country wherethey will get such a personalised programme.

Continuous rugby is essential to a young player’s development. This means lots of game time for theplayers so that they can learn and understand thegame for themselves. Through their outstandinglinks with local clubs such as Old Rishworthians theprogramme will allow players a further opportunityto play competitive rugby fixtures if needed.

For these reasons I believe Rishworth is the bestplace for young aspiring rugby players to come to ifthey want to develop and improve their game.

Mike Ford

Rishworth School instilled confidence and self-belief in my children which is a huge asset inlife. Having seen the current rugby programme thathas been put together by the coaching team, I'mhugely confident that it is going to be very successful. This is because the programme focuseson the individual development of the player, seeksto create a winning environment and encourages anattacking style of expansive rugby.

The isolated programme of gym work is incrediblyimportant. Younger players who are familiar withthe movements of the lifts being taught and whohave the correct technique will make an easiertransition from the school environment to the eliteenvironment.

Players from Rishworth School will be in a uniqueposition because they will have the necessary mobility, flexibility and strength as well as the individual skills and competitive game knowledgethat professional rugby academies value so much.

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

MIKE FORD, DIRECTOR OF RUGBY, RC TOULON AND PREVIOUSLY BATH RUGBY, SARACENS, IRELAND AND ENGLAND

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Rishworth School has played a big role in the Ford family life and continues to do so. All my boys have attended the school at some stage in their life and allthoroughly enjoyed their time at Rishworth - especiallythe rugby programme. The way the school encouragedthe boys to get better every day certainly helpedJoseph and George become professional players.

Through team training sessions, small group sessions and position-specific sessions, playersare given the opportunity to develop their level of technical competence in all rugby skills. Sessions take place on a daily basis including, before and after school sessions and atlunchtimes. Chris Stone is a forwards specialistwhilst Jacob Ford and Tony Anderson are backs specialist. Old Boys such as Liam Parfitt (EnglandU18 Flanker) George Ford (England) and JosephFord (Yorkshire Carnegie) also come in to schoolfrom time to time to coach at school when their professional playing commitments allow.

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

PROGRAMMES

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SKILL DEVELOPMENT

The Athletic Development Programme (ADP) has been running in the school for over 4 yearsand seeks to maximise the athletic potential of theschool’s most talented athletes by teaching them a variety of compound exercises that look to buildstrength, develop flexibility and enhance agility and speed. The Head of Human Performance forEngland Rugby League, Old Rishworthian RichardHunwicks has helped devise an in-school programme that is age specific and progressesathletes appropriately as their bodies grow andhelps players on our programme to move well andefficiently whilst minimising the risk of injury bothin the short and long term.

Sprint times, power output tests, strength testsand flexibility scores allow for fitness analysis and help us to track player progression and improvement.

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

COACHING STAFF

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Jacob Ford is an Old Rishworth and Harrow School student and one of the most promising young coaches in thecountry. At Harrow he was part of a highly successful winning rugbyculture and from there was selected to be part of the LondonWasps Academy.

After three years Jacob transferred to the Bath RugbyAcademy for a further two years.His experience and understandingof youth development is thereforefirst hand and he has also been fortunate enough to learn from his father Mike Ford at Bath Rugby,England, Saracens and Ireland.Jacob is now working with Yorkshire Carnegie as an Academy Coach.

Chris Stone is an Old Rishworth School student and RFU development coach.

His experience and knowledge of developing young talent is exceptional. He has playing experience with Preston Grasshoppers and is the current player coach at the Old Rishworthians.

He has created a strong link withthe club and school with pupilsplaying club rugby in connectionwith the school. Chris is a forwardspecialist and a leading practitionerfor scrummaging. Chris also heads up the BTEC in Sport for students in Years 12 and 13.

Tony Anderson is an ex-professional Rugby LeaguePlayer and Coach with over 25years of experience in the game.

He won the League Championshipand Challenge Cup whilst playingfor Halifax RLFC in the 1980’s aswell as a Grand Final win with theCanterbury Bulldogs in Australia.

After playing, TA had coachingstints with Huddersfield, Halifax,Gateshead Thunder and Hull FC.

Since leaving Rugby League in2004, Tony has coached at Rishworth School, George Ford,Gareth Widdop, Joe Ford andWilliam Milner amongst others.

Senior students in the school take part in a majoroverseas tour every three years. This gives oursenior sports players the chance to test theirsporting ability in a different environment whilstsampling new cultural experiences.

Tours are also a great vehicle for developing independence in our young players and learninghow to live with others in an intense sporting environment. Recent tours have visited NorthAmerica and Canada, Sri Lanka, South Americaand Australia with a tour to South Africa beingplanned for July 2018.

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

OPPORTUNITIES

TOURING ABROAD

Sport Scholarships are available to students onentry to Year 7 and to the Sixth Form. Scholarshipsare awarded on merit and represent a realaccolade to successful candidates who must notonly demonstrate a high level of ability but also future potential. Scholarships are awarded on theunderstanding that a pupil will fully involve themselves in the sporting life of the school.

For further information please contact Mr AndrewThomas, Director of Sport.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

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sport as an academic discipline or possible careerpathway. To this end we really look to develop thevocational qualities of our BTEC students by starting them on key coaching and officiating pathways and by giving them access to excellent opportunities in professional sport and leisure settings.

Through an excellent personal development programme, individual pastoral care and advancedresponsibility opportunities, Rishworth turns boysinto young, successful, purposeful men. The independent and mature progress new students often make following their entry into the School can be quite remarkable and is a consistent and positive observation made by parents.

The School offers a broad range of GCSE subjectsand pupils achieve outstanding results - valueadded scores at GCSE particularly highlight theschool’s commitment to each individual achievingtheir full potential.

Sixth Form classes are small allowing students to access an enviable level of individual care andsupport alongside high quality teaching.

The recent introduction of a BTEC in Sport to complement the existing A Level in Sport and PEprovides further opportunities for students on therugby programme who have an obvious interest in

THE FORD RUGBY ACADEMY AT Rishworth School

EDUCATION

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The Ford Rugby Academy at Rishworth School seeksfirst and foremost to nurture, enhance and accelerate a student’s development in a manner ideally suited tomeeting the demands of higher education, the workplace and modern life

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SowerbyBridge

Littleborough

HebdenBridge

Bradford

Huddersfield

Diggle

Oldham

Hollingworth

Marsden

Todmorden

Luddendenfoot

Elland

Brighouse

Rishworth

Saddleworth

Mossley

Slaithwaite

Halifax

Holmfirth

Dewsbury

DelphMANCHESTER

BURY

ROCHDALE

OLDHAM

HUDDERSFIELD

HALIFAX

BRADFORD

RishworthSchool &Heathfield

travel timeApproximate travel times by car.

10 minutes

25 minutes15 minutes

CLOSER THANYOU THINK

Rishworth School: a company limited by guarantee Registered in England: Company Number 05855479Registered Office: Oldham Road, Rishworth, West Yorks HX6 4QARegistered Charity Number: 1115562

Rishworth SchoolRishworth, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom HX6 4QA. Tel: +44 (0)1422 822 217 Fax: +44 (0)1422 820 911 E-mail: admissions@rishworth-school.co.ukWebsite: www.rishworth-school.co.uk

Designed and printed by 0161 303 9482

30 minutes from Manchester Airport.Direct flights worldwide.

Around 2hrs to London via train.d

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‘Outstanding ’

If you would like to find out more about ourrugby programme or would like to arrange avisit where you can see the school and meetthe coaching team, please contact the school’sadmissions officer Julie Sutherland by email at admissions@rishworth-school.co.uk or on 01422 822217.

CONTACT