On Tuesday 13th November Twickenham Academy welcomed the London Scottish senior squad as part of their 2012-13 season Community Road Show Initiative.

On Tuesday 13th November Twickenham Academy welcomed the London Scottish senior squad as part of their 2012-13 season Community Road Show Initiative.

The day started with a training session by the Championship team on Academy playing fields. Held during the pupils lunch hour, it provided students with a unique opportunity to see and feel the intensity of a professional rugby session that is normally played in private and away from prying eyes. Following this, over 40 students from year 7-9 were invited to take part in a rugby training session with the London Scottish players and community coaches. The pupils where coached in the basic fundamentals of the game by working in specific coaching clinics.

Paul Willcocks of Twickenham Academy said: “The students really enjoyed the day, allowing them to share jokes and discussion during the training session. It was great that the pupils where provided with the opportunity to build relationships with the professional players throughout the day & this was even more demonstrated during the question and answer session laid on by the team as well as an autograph session.”

“All students were then presented with a season ticket card that allows free entry to all home fixtures to watch London Scottish play in the Championship at the Athletic Ground.”

“It was also very pleasing to see three young ladies from Twickenham attend the training session. London Scottish have just began their campaign to develop women’s rugby at all ages (6-19) and our three girls were given a personal invitation to join the next training session on the 25th of November.”

Maggie Morrell, Partner Manager and School Games Organiser of Richmond School Sports Partnership, went on to say “Another successful afternoon of rugby coaching so professionally delivered by the London Scottish community team along with their first team players to the Twickenham Academy students and pupils from Bishop Perrin and St James’s primary schools. We are very lucky to have this kind of opportunity for our young people in Richmond and it was great to see so many of our students enjoying playing rugby.”