Scottish Rugby 2016 - 2020
Performance Development Programme for
female players 16 – 20 year’s old
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Proposed Changes to WU20 National Team Programme
Introduction
1. This proposal outlines a realignment of the WU20 programme and the current
resource invested in the programme to introduce a Performance Development
Programme, (PDP), for young players aged 16 – 20 years old.
Through the work delivered within the PDP, we will begin a cultural change within
the women’s game, ensuring the pathway of talent coming through the game
demonstrate high performance behaviours and are the catalyst for change for the
women’s game in the future.
The proposal will also realign the Women’s & Girls 7s programmes to use as a tool to
support the education and development of the players within the new PDP.
The changes contained in this proposal will mean that it will be unlikely for the next
4 years that the Scotland Women’s 7s team will participate in the Rugby Europe
Grand Prix it will more than likely be the Women’s Trophy Competition that we will
participate in if we are using the 7s as a platform to provide the players with a
development opportunity. It also means that the Women’s 7s team will be the next
capture team after the Women’s XV’s.
The focus for year one will be to embed the programme, subsequent years the
programme will be layered and consolidated to ensure enhancement and continued
development and growth of the players.
The changes outline in this proposal will also support us to achieve our strategic
target of qualifying for the Commonwealth Games 2022.
Background
2. Currently Scotland are one of a very small numbers of Unions who have a WU20
programme, England and France are the only other countries with a WU20 team.
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This has been a challenge when we have been trying to access International
opposition for the WU20 team to play against as England and France are playing at a
much higher level than Scotland, playing an International match would not have
served to support the development of their talented players. There would also have
been a potential issue with regard to player welfare as the players at U20 level in
England and France are stronger, fitter and faster than our players – there would be
a mismatch in ability.
Given the constraints in terms of opposition, the WU20 training and competition
programme has delivered very short term results for Scottish Rugby, clubs and
players themselves.
As the programme is small with games usually played against the RAF or Army and
very occasionally against International opposition, it does not provide the players
with a meaningful education and development opportunity.
The programme outlined in this proposal will support Scottish Rugby to build the
capacity and experience of our young players in the medium to long term to ensure
we can participate on the ‘big stage’ with other countries at youth and senior levels.
Proposal and Programme
3. The proposal is to create a PDP which will be split into East and West, each squad
will have a maximum of 25 players aged between 16 – 20 years old; players will
initially be nominated through schools, clubs and from the database of players we
have involved in our WU20 programme previously.
The PDP will provide an individual player development programme with a games
element provided through the Women & Girls 7s and East v West games programme
to provide a meaningful games programme where the coaches can control the
intensity of the games to ensure the development of our young players within a
games context.
The games programme will be based on player and team development not winning,
it will be coach led and player centred. It will provide the players with the tools to
support them to function on a high performance level, ensuring they develop and
understand the requirements of high performance whilst demonstrating those
behaviours within the programme and in their club environment.
The programme will focus on the following: 
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Education of players to become High Performance athletes
Develop future international players with high performance behaviours
Deliver a variety of different game formats to support player development
Inspire players to work harder
Widen and improve the talent base
Retain more talented players in the game for longer
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 Support the delivery of talented and educated players into more clubs
therefore impacting on the future quality of the Women’s Domestic game
Delivery of the PDP will be a multi disciplinary approach ensuring a holistic approach
to developing the player.
The programme will also support Scottish Rugby to talent identify players at a young
age for inclusion in the programme and will compliment and feed players into the
early talent identification stages at U14/U16 &U18 levels. Being launched in August
2016, as well as helping develop and identify players for support with the BT Sport
Scottish Rugby Academy Structure.
Introducing the PDP and the early talent identification stage of the BT Sport
Academy programme this year is supporting the organisation to begin to establish a
meaningful identification and performance pathways for young female players.
Proposed PDP Programme 2016 - 2020
2020 0nwards
Women’s
XV’s
Women’s 7s
(36 Players)
BT Sport Scottish
Rugby Academy
Stage 3
(1 Player)
Women’s U18
XV & 7s
Performance Development Programme
Women’s 7s
(20 Players)
Girls’ 7s
(20 players)
BT Sport Scottish
Rugby Academy
Stage 2
(16 Players)
East v West
Individual and Games Programme 50 players
BT Sport Scottish
Rugby Academy
Early talent
identification
U14/U16/U18
(Stage 1)
Clubs
(90 players)
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Programme & Philosophy
The philosophy of the programme is that it will be “A coach led, player centred performance
development programme to provide the players with the tools to maximise their growth &
potential”.
Our philosophy on how to develop a player to be the best she can be: -
Quality & commitment
from coaches,
performance staff and
clubs working together
Fun
Willingness/desire to
train
Quality &
Quantity
of training
Support with training
and education
(studies)
Games
Element
Quantity &
Quality of
matches &
Game
Analysis
Healthy Lifestyle &
Medical Support
Leadership/Growth
Mind-set support
Specialist sports
science, Physiology,
Nutrition, Sports
Psychology
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The programme will consist of 12 sessions, (9 coaching and 3 games), 1 per month from
August – November 2016 and February to June 2016, this programme will also consist of 3
East v West games. The preparation for the Women’s 7’s and Girls 7’s will commence in
April 2017.
The women’s 7s will consist of some players from the women’s XV team to provide some
experience to the team, decisions for involvement will be made on an individual player
basis.
The expectation is that support for the players will be ongoing, not just within the training
camps but also within their club environment to ensure a holistic approach to the player’s
development.
4. Programme Components
Individual Training
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Player awareness of their own abilities/qualities is important
Content planned – players own development plan
Plan should contain qualities to strengthen as well as improve
Content planned by coach/coaches with input from the player herself
Physical Training
 Injury prevention through specific strength training
 Improving sporting performance through a programme of content to include – skill
acquisition, motor control and biomechanics
 Performance enhancing (speed, power, strength) through strength training with a
gradual progression
Sports Science/Medicine Support
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Testing
Nutrition –online cooking and recipes
Player Profiling
Strength & Conditioning
Sports Psychology
Physiotherapy
Match Analysis
 Improve technique, tactics and movement
 Enhance performance and decision making
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Theoretical knowledge
 Requirements to become an elite rugby player
 Amount of training, intensity, level, awareness & responsibility for their own
development
Rugby Knowledge
 Basic principles of rugby terminology, attack, defending, set plays and match analysis
Sports/Rugby Science
 Different types of training, training periodization, intensity levels
 Homework for players
Development of Growth Mind-set
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Embrace challenges
Persist in the face of set back
Understand effort is the pathway to mastery
Learn from constructive feedback
Learn from and be inspired by the success of others
Leadership
 Self Leadership – developing strong character, self-discipline, personal values,
responsibility, initiative, self esteem, time management
 Teamwork – create a team culture, developing strong relationships with team mates,
conflict resolution
Education Support
 Support to ensure a harmony between rugby activity and education
 Support will be in an individual and group basis – in and out of camp
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5. Programme Delivery
Head of Women & Girls Rugby
Performance Development
Programme Manager
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Lead the preparation, planning, implementation and monitor and
evaluation of the training and games element of the programme for
talented young athletes ensuring coordination of services from the
wider High Performance Department
Lead and manage the multi disciplinary team maintaining effective
working relationships to ensure a high level of delivery and
competency ensuring the achievement of the overall player and
programme goals
Report regularly to the Head of Women & Girls’ Rugby on the
development and outcomes of the programme, tracking
development against agreed measures
Develop and maintain a robust system for capturing and reporting
data in relation to talent profiling, athletic development and
trajectory
Work with appropriate colleagues to design and implement
position specific benchmarking practices allowing for athletes
within the PDP programme to be monitored and measured
Lead and manage staff to establish, co-ordinate, contribute and
record Individual Player Development Plans for athletes ensuring
athlete input, support to identify strengths, areas for improvement
and athlete aspiration
Oversee the planning and coordination of the East v West games
element of the programme
Co-ordinate coaching staff to attend club training and games to
provide ongoing out of programme support and mentoring for
players and club coaches
Establish links between the PDP and the Women’s 7s and Girls 7s
International programmes to ensure support of player identification
from the PDP programme to the national 7s programmes –
supporting player development on the International stage
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Head of Women & Girls Rugby
Performance Development Programme Manager
East Region
Staffing
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
S&C Coach
Physiotherapist
Team Manager
(Coach Mentee)
Venues
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
LochInch, Glasgow
Games
Programme
Women’s 7s
Girls 7s
East v West
Services
Analysis
Nutrition
Strength & Conditioning
Sports Psychology*
Lifestyle Management*
Leadership*
Education support
Women’s XV Coach
West Region
Staffing
Head Coach
Assistant Coach
S&C Coach
Physiotherapist
Team Manager
(Coach Mentee)
*Services provided by
external agencies
6. Staff Working in the Programme
All staff working in the programme must lead by example, everything they do must
be of a high level – they will role model the behaviours and culture we want to
establish within this programme.
The Performance Development Manager will have a knowledge and understanding
of performance sport and creating performance environments. They will have a high
level of leadership skills, experience of managing people, programme planning and
goal setting. This role will drive the programme ensuring the highest levels around
the training and competition programme.
The staff appointed to the programme should have growth mind-set and understand
and drive performance. The staff should have an understanding of creating a
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performance environment and be a minimum of UKCC Level 2/3. They should be
dynamic deliver the following in and out of programme:
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Communicate player expectation
Create a positive, learning environment
Achieve player, team and organisational goals
Promote and maintain an improvement agenda
Support monitor and evaluation of the programme
Work with parents (of younger players) to share information on the
programme and outline how they can support their daughter
7. Monitor and Evaluation of the Programme
We will monitor and evaluate the all aspects of the programme to ensure the
benefits to the players.
Monitoring in the programme will monitor development and not performance.
8. Links to Clubs
This programme will be used to bridge the gap between our National Team
programmes and the club game.
All sessions with the players will be open to club coaches to attend, as part of the
programme we will also deliver coach workshops for the club coaches. Through
greater involvement of club coaches we will create a greater synergy between the
different stakeholders in the game.
The PDP as previously stated will impact on the domestic game over the coming
years.
9.
Coach Mentoring
To increase the number of women coaches working in the game we will identify a
maximum of 6 female coaches, some of whom will be former national team players
to deliver a mentor programme.
Working in this programme will deliver part of the mentor programme and their
individual development plan for these coaches. We will work with the Coach
Development Manager and his team to support the delivery of this programme.
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10. Parental Inclusion
Many of the parents will be first generation to have a daughter playing rugby, as part
of the programme we will hold meetings/workshops with parents to:  Outline the aims and objectives of the programme
 Provide information on how they can support the ongoing development of
their daughter
 Basic nutrition information to support their daughter, when, what, how
much/how often
 Positive Coaching messages about the types of questions and discussion to
have with their daughter around performance
 Provide them with an information forum as they require
 Q&A forum
11. Conclusion
This programme will be reviewed and developed on an annual basis. It will deliver
benefits to players, Scottish Rugby Performance Programmes and clubs in the
medium to long terms.
It is envisaged that the PDP programme will be retained post 2020 to support
position specific development of players and that by 2020 our Women’s 7s
programme will be open to all players and that we would look to regain promotion
to Rugby Europe Grand Prix competition. We will also look to establish a Women’s
U18 programme at both XV and 7s to provide high intensity games for our most
talented players.
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