●Japan New Zealand Centre submitted the” New Zealand Rugby Camp" programme to the All Japan High School Athletic Federation (JHSAF) Rugby Division and received their consent to this programme to implement it this summer for the first time in Hutt City.

It was an original programme for Japanese Rugby coaches and student players to experience the world famous All Blacks' New Zealand's advanced Rugby-infrastructure and aiming at technical improvement.

The JHSA Federation is consisted with 9 regions throughout Japan, and the selected coaches from each regions (i.e. from top north, Furano High School, Hokkaido and from the south, Nagasaki Goto High School, Nagasaki) and also the student players participated with it.

They experienced the various Rugby training facilities like Westpac Stadium Wellington, Rugby Academy PalmerstonNorth, Petone RFC, Hutt Recreation Centre in Hutt city.

Hutt Mayor's reception

This "New Zealand Rugby Camp" programme was featured in the articles published by The Hutt News as shown here.
Please have a look of the photos of the Japanese coaches and the students enjoyed their stay thoroughly in New Zealand.

We would like to promote this programme continuously with the cooperation of JHSA Federation and to expand this sports exchange between Japan and New Zealand from now on.

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The Programme was storongly supported by the Hutt City Council coordinated all logistic arrangements and Mr David Pollock, Wellington Rugby Union member was in charge of the coaching for this programme.

A highlight for the group was a visit to the All Black headquarter office, and they were granted to hold the famous "Bledisloe" cup with the kind consideration of the concierge, which became unforgettable event for them.

And another highlight was a former All Black, Mr Christian Cullen's sudden visit to their training venue at Wellington Stadium arranged by Mr Pollock.

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The training menu for the Japanese Rugby coaches and the players was planned by Mr David Pollock, Coaching Coordinator, Wellington RFU, who training the coaches in New Zealand started by the self-introduction of the participants, and followed by the coaching theory and the drills.

Regarding the drills, Mr Pollock has firstly started the basic pass skills that the Japanese players and coaches may have overlooked. At the Rugby Academy where All Blacks team used to train themselves, they used a latest scrum machine which height turns into freely and the participants observed various latest facilities.

The training at the Petone RFC was a really good opportunity for the group to experience the atmosphere of the New Zealand's Rugby Football Club which is well supported by the volunteer of the local community peoples. They also watched the match by the local Rugby Clubs.

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We received the strong demands by the participants that they would like to go in a match of the Rugby with the New Zealand students in next camp.

Japan New Zealand Centre would like to promote this Rugby Camp programme as the good opportunity for the Japanese Rugby coaches and the players to experience the New Zealand's splendid Rugby facilities for their technical improvement and nature-rich environment in New Zealand, which could expand the "people-to-people exchange" between Japan and New Zealand.

At the Rugby Academy

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●Participants'comments●
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