Oaklands Wolves Men's Rugby Academy - 2023/24 Guide

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Giving young rugby players the opportunity

to develop and achieve their potential, whether it’s club standard players wishing to improve, or advanced ability players with ambitions of playing professional rugby

MEET THE STAFF

Our Rugby Academy staff members are fully trained, licensed coaches with vast playing and coaching experience, which is enhanced by its relationship with Premiership Rugby club, Saracens.

CHRIS WARING

Head of Rugby

Chris has been the Head Coach at the Oaklands Wolves Rugby Academy since 2015 and was formerly a Saracens Academy and London Welsh RFC and Southend RFC player.

DAN GEORGE Lead Rugby Coach

Dan has been the Lead Coach in the academy since 2019 and is currently Head Coach at Old Albanians RFC in National League 2 - Dan has extensive experience as a professional player, having played for Worcester, Gloucester, London Welsh and others.

BOBBY GRAHAM Development Rugby Coach

Bobby is currently Head Coach of Barnet Elizabethans RFC and has also coached within Saracens DPP and Hertfordshire county age groups. Bobby’s role is to promote player engagement and drive individual development of the playing squad.

SAM TOWNSEND Development Rugby

Coach

Sam has played and coached rugby in a variety of clubs and schools across the world, and is currently the Head Coach at Camelot RFC and Director of Rugby for Hertfordshire Men’s Rugby. Sam’s role is to support players transitioning from the Development Squad to the Performance Squad.

ELLIOT MCPHUN Performance Backs Coach

Elliot graduated from Oaklands in 2019, during which time he was selected for England Counties U18 at scrum half, a position he only started playing in his first year at Oaklands. Elliot is a young and ambitious coach, currently gaining valuable experience working with the Saracens Academy.

FRANKIE TRIPPANERA

Performance Medical Lead

Frankie graduated from University of Hertfordshire in 2021 with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Therapy. Frankie supports the Saracens Medical Department at all levels from Academy to Men’s Senior Level, aswell as working with the women’s squad.

CLAIRE CHIDLEY

Development & Women’s Medical Lead

Claire graduated from University of Bedfordshire in 2021 with a First Class Honours Degree in Sports Therapy. Claire spent a year on placement at Oaklands and now works with the academy programme full-time.

RUGBY Academy

Since 2006, in partnership with Saracens Rugby Club, Oaklands College have provided students with an excellent education pathway alongside an opportunity for them to develop as rugby players.

Oaklands College is a large further education college based in Hertfordshire. We offer a wide range of courses, from vocational courses with strong links to employers through to the arts and a selection of Combined BTEC A Level programmes.

The Rugby Academy is one of a number of sports academy programmes available at the College, with between 80 and 100 students enrolled on the rugby programme at any one time, with a dedicated men and women’s academy.

Participation in our sports academies is open to all students enrolled on a course at the College.

Connection with Saracens Saracens setup the rugby programme at Oaklands College in 2006. Initially it provided their academy players with an academic pathway while working towards their rugby career.

A rugby programme was built around these players with other local non-academy players, and so the Oaklands Rugby Academy Programme was born. Since then the programme has quadrupled in size.

It is important to make it clear that being offered a place on the Oaklands Rugby Academy does not make you a member of Saracens Academy, although a close link does exist.

Some of our students arrive at the College as members of the Saracens Academy and we work in conjunction with the staff at Saracens to ensure they have a suitable schedule of competition and bespoke programme of development.

Others find opportunities to progress into the Saracens set up through good performances at the College. The relationship between club and Oaklands allows us to ensure all players are being stretched and challenged on a daily basis. Saracens Academy Coaches support the training at the College and so opportunities to be seen and gain advice from Academy staff are abundant.

A number of students have progressed to professional contracts at Saracens over the years, and many of our graduates continue to play in the Premiership, championship and national leagues today.

STUDYING at Oaklands

The academic side of the course is integral to the rugby programme, and academic study will always take priority over rugby.

Students are expected to engage fully in their studies and there is regular communication with tutors to ensure our students are on track academically. If falling short of expectations, students can be withdrawn from playing and/or training.

The College offers a broad spectrum of courses, however in order to be assured you can access the rugby programme in its entirety you have the following options:

• BTEC Sport L2 & L3

• BTEC Sport & Ex Science L3

• BTEC Level 2 & L3 Public Services

• BTEC Level 2 & L3 Business Studies

• Carpentry, Plumbing or Electrical

• Value Added A Levels

Should you have a particular desire to study a subject that does not appear above, please feel free to apply for your chosen course as sometimes courses do allow some level of participation, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Full list of courses can be found on online at oaklands.ac.uk/courses

English & Maths

It is an expectation that all students without GCSEs in English and maths graded at 4 or above will retake English and/or maths alongside their main programme, as either a GCSE or Functional Skills qualification. This may impact on some training involvement during the week.

Supporting Your Learning

The College has an excellent student advice team who can support you with any pastoral needs. There are trained support tutors available in the Learning Resource Centre to support you with assignment work outside of lessons.

Additional learning support is available for students with particular learning needs

We are also able to provide additional learning support for students with particular learning needs, either on a one to one basis or through in class support, as well as support with special exam arrangements and so forth.

DiSE Programme

Students can also study an additional programme, dedicated towards improving rugby players and students as people.

The course sits alongside a full-time programme of study, such as a BTEC or Value Added A Levels.

The DiSE programme carries an additional 64 UCAS points and is a recognised qualification to prospective universities and recruiters and helps students stand out from other UCAS applicants.

PROGRAMME information

Members of the Rugby Academy Programme will divide their time at College between rugby and the classroom.

Training

Training three days a week, with a game on Wednesdays, students on the Rugby Programme have a fantastic opportunity to access expert coaching and to be taught using contemporary coaching methods and playing strategies.

All this takes place in excellent facilities, scheduled into the working day and training alongside like-minded individuals with similar goals and aspirations.

Players are divided into training groups according to ability and will be selected for matches in a similar fashion.

The groups are reviewed on a regular basis and players are moved between the groups accordingly, based on:

• performance

• recognised potential

• demonstration of a good attitude to improving.

TRAINING

Training three days a week, with a game on Wednesdays, students on the Rugby Programme have a fantastic opportunity to access expert coaching and to be taught using contemporary coaching methods and playing strategies.

All this takes place in excellent facilities, scheduled into the working day and training alongside like-minded individuals with similar goals and aspirations.

Training groups

Players are divided into training groups according to ability and will be selected for matches in a similar fashion.

The groups are reviewed on a regular basis and players are moved between the groups accordingly, based on:

• performance

• recognised potential

• demonstration of a good attitude to improving.

Training starts in early July, with a full preseason training schedule, and continues through to end of May. The competitive season generally runs from September through to April.

Players will have access to 1-3 gym session per week, and a video analysis session. Selected students will have extra skills sessions and opportunities for individual training sessions and reviews.

Competition

Although the emphasis of the programme is very much on individual player development, we do run a full competitive schedule of games from September through to April.

Nearly all games are played on Wednesday afternoons, and due to travel requirements for fixtures Wednesdays are, in the most part, given over entirely to rugby.

Selection

Players are selected for one of three teams based on performance and playing ability. Every effort is made to ensure all players are receiving sufficient game time within one of the teams and players will often rotate to ensure regular playing opportunities.

Whilst it is our expectation that players are available to represent the College on Wednesdays, players are still able to continue with their club commitments.

We may sometimes advise that players may benefit from resting at the weekends, but ultimately the players’ best interests are central to this advice and we do not seek to remove players from the club system.

RUGBY development

Our hope is that the education our students acquire in their time at the College will help them thrive and progress throughout their rugby careers, be that as a professional, semiprofessional, amateur or university rugby player.

Our ambition for our graduates is that they will leave as knowledgeable, robust, well-prepared rugby players with the ability to balance study, work, rugby, family and other relationships.

Coaching

The coaches on the programme are all experienced players and coaches ranging from RFU Level 2 to Level 4. Coaching is player centred and player led, with priority on long-term player development.

Coaches continually plan and review

their methods of coaching and commit to a schedule of professional development to ensure coaching practices are current, innovative, creative and engaging.

Coaches from Saracens Academy also support sessions at the College on a regular basis, as well as other guest coaches on occasion.

Rugby Education

Students on the rugby programme will undergo regular rugby education through coaching sessions, video analysis and classroom-based rugby lessons.

Students will constantly be stretched and educated to become tactically astute rugby players, capable of making good decisions under pressure and adapting to opposition, conditions and

Luke Bouchier

BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport

“I chose to join Oaklands after attending a really inspiring Rugby Open Day, I knew from the moment I met the coaching and physiotherapy staff that Oaklands was my choice. I loved the appeal of the new opportunity of playing a high level of rugby up to four times a week, alongside my studies.”

Luke has since been called up to the England U18s squad, which he cites as his biggest achievement so far.

“It was relieving to know that my hard work during my time at college had paid off and was a fitting end to the season.

We recognise that students on our programme are with us for a relatively short period of time and it is unrealistic to claim that any student will emerge from our programme as a ‘complete player.’

Athletic Development

We have specialist strength and conditioning coaches who oversee all athletic development and supports players through a safe and progressive programme of physical development.

The emphasis at the start of the programme is on movement, flexibility and injury prevention, before

Lotte Clapp

progressing to speed, strength, power and size.

Players will receive between one and three gym sessions per week, depending on their level of provision, and will develop an understanding of how to manage their bodies with respect to training, preparation, recovery and injury management.

BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport & Exercise Science

Double winning Tyrells Premier 15s Saracens captain Lotte Clapp attended Oaklands College in 2012/13, where she studied a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport & Exercise Sciences.

Her path to Test caps featured two appearances in 2015 for England U20 against France and two matches for the England Women National Academy against Canada Women Maple Leafs. She made her World Women’s Sevens Series debut in Las Vegas in March 2017.

PROGRESSION

A significant goal of our programme is to produce professional rugby players. However, there are a number of routes our students can once they leave our programme.

Professional & Semi-professional Rugby Many of our graduates have progressed into professional or semi-professional rugby, a number of which have been awarded contracts with Saracens or other Premiership clubs.

Jack Singleton, Nick Auterac and Joel Kpoku are among our alumni, along with others who now play in the higher tiers of the English national leagues.

University

A large number of students will progress to university on completion of the course, with Durham, Exeter, Loughborough, Hertfordshire and Nottingham Trent being examples. Students progressing from the BTEC Sport programme tend to progress to a sport-related course at university such as Sports Coaching,

Sports Management or Sport and Exercise Science.

However, studying a BTEC in Sport does not necessarily restrict students to studying sport at university.

In the past students have gone on to study subjects as diverse as Construction Management, Primary School Education and even Music Technology.

University rugby has had a resurgence in recent years, and 2016/17 saw the introduction of the BUCS National Premier League Competition.

A number of players are beginning to emerge from university rugby and progress to teams playing in the Premiership and Championship.

We also have contacts with scholarship agents who work specifically with rugby players wishing to attend a university in the US on a rugby scholarship.

Conor Wharton

A Levels in Psychology, Sociology and Economics

“Oaklands has provided a professional work and training environment me and has been flexible enough to allow me to progress not only in my studies and aspirations to go to university, but to play and represent both Sweden and Ireland at International level in the space of only 2 years. On leaving Oaklands I spent the summer training with Pro12 Champions Connaught and will be starting university in Leeds in September”

Employment & Further Education

Students will be supported to find employment through tutorials, covering topics such as job applications, writing a CV and interview techniques.

The programme as a whole will greatly develop employability skills such as discipline, organization, and social skills, significantly enhancing a student’s chances of progressing their careers.

A number of students do enter employment direct from college, or will progress to further training; personal training and construction trade qualifications/apprenticeships being the most popular routes.

Gap Year/Travel

A popular option for students is to take a gap year before deciding upon a career path or whether to head to university. Some students head to Australia or New Zealand to combine traveling with the experience of playing rugby in a different country.

CASE STUDIES

Jack Sutton

Jack happened upon refereeing having been injured whilst playing at Oaklands, and began refereeing junior level games to maintain his fitness. He has been fast-tracked by the Herts Refereeing Society and now officiates at national league level, with aspirations of progressing to the top.

Tom Geere

On completing his BTEC Sport and Exercise Science course Tom went on to study Rugby Coaching and Performance at the University of South Wales. Tom now works full-time for ‘Dallaglio Rugby Works’, which is an intensive development programme based on rugby which aims to get teenagers outside of mainstream education into sustained education, employment or training.

Alex Twyman

On completing his BTEC Sport course Alex went on to study Sports Coaching at Nottingham Trent University. Having pursued a variety of roles within sport after graduating university, Alex has spent the last couple of years working as a rugby player agent.

Sean Vine

On completing his BTEC in Sport Performance, Sean went to Middlesex University to study a Masters in Strength & Conditioning and now works as a Strength & Conditioning Coach for Saracens Senior squad.

Our students find various ways to pursue their interests in rugby, whether as coaches, players or finding other roles in the sports industry.

ROLL of honour

Since 2006, more than twenty graduates of the Oaklands Rugby Academy have gone on to gain professional contracts.

Michael Stanley 2006-08 Saracens, Samoa

Micky Wilson 2006-08 Saracens, Italy ‘A, Viadana

Jackson Wray 2007-09 Saracens, England Saxons

Jake Sharp 2007-09 Saracens, Bedford Blues, London Scottish

Sam Stanley 2008-10 Saracens, England 7s

Tom Jubb 2009-11 Saracens, Plymouth Albion, Coventry

Nick Auterac 2009-11 Saracens, Bath Rugby, Harlequins

Max Crumpton 2010-12 Saracens, Bristol Rugby, Harlequins

Elliott Clements-Hill 2010-12 Plymouth Albion, Bedford Blues

Nathan Earle 2011-13 Saracens, England, Harlequins

Nick Tompkins 2011-13 Saracens, Wales Rugby

Hayden Stringer 2011-13 Saracens, England U20

Lotte Clapp 2011-13 Saracens, England Women

Jack Singleton 2012-14 Worcester Warriors, England, Saracens

George Perkins 2012-14 Saracens, Bristol Rugby, England U20

Zak Farrance 2012-14 Oyonnax Rugby, Jersey Reds

Billy Walker 2013-15 Saracens, England U20

Karl Garside 2013-15 Northampton Saints

Jeanine Stephenson 2014-16 Bristol Ladies, England U20 Women

Joel Kpoku 2015-17 Saracens, England U20

Jonathon Kpoku 2015-18 Saracens, England U20

Jevaughn Warren 2018-20 Saracens

Zack Hill 2019-21 Saracens

Francis Moore 2019-21 Saracens

JOINING the Academy

The application process is outlined below. The academic interview and rugby trial can take place in any order, and applications can be adjusted at any time.

Am I eligible?

All members of the rugby academy programme must be enrolled as a student at Oaklands College. Students must be 16 or 17 years old on 1st September of the year of entry.

The College welcomes applications from applicants from all over the world, although non-EU and Commonwealth students will be eligible for full tuition fees.

Places may be offered on the programme subject to successful application for residential accommodation, which cannot be guaranteed at the time of offer.

Students who wish to join the Academy need to be registered on a course with Oaklands College. Applicants choose to join the Academy at the time of application.

The academic interview and rugby trial can take place in any order and applications can be adjusted at any time.

Am I suitable?

Students applying for the rugby programme are expected to have a particular dedication towards improving as rugby players, students and as people.

A deep-rooted passion for the game is the starting point for any successful rugby player, accompanied by a willingness to work hard on all aspects of their game. Believe it or not even rugby can become

tiresome and monotonous when you do so much of it, so perseverance and selfdiscipline are vital attributes.

What is the student expectation?

Students on the programme are expected to be self-motivated, and will be guided to become independent and self-organised in all aspects of their life.

The rugby programme constitutes a significant time commitment on top of your academic studies, and learning to balance all aspects of the programme and day to day life are key to success day-to-day.

New residential accommodation which opened in 2020.

Residential

The college has a limited number of residential accommodation spaces available for students who live further afield.

Should you wish to apply for residential accommodation at the College, this should be included in the online application when prompted.

Detailed residential application packs will then be distributed for completion and places will be allocated in June.

Scholarships & Bursaries

We have a scholarship fund which helps support gifted players with living, travel or kit costs.

Scholarship allocations are assessed and offered on an individual basis, and fulfilling the eligibility criteria does not necessarily guarantee an offer of a scholarship.

Additionally for students from low-income families, financial support may be available to support with these costs. For more information, contact us via email at info@oaklands.ac.uk or call 01727 737000.

Joel Kpoku

BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport

“I really enjoyed the course as it required a lot of hard work and dedication which suited me. It stretched me as a player and developed me as a person.

Coaches are always available if I wanted to do extras or go through video or lineout calls for example, coaches were always on hand to help with my studies. I found that the rugby programme at Oaklands College allowed me to express myself better and as a result, I am far more confident both on and off the pitch.”

Since finishing his course at Oaklands, Joel has gone on to sign a professional contract with Premiership Rugby champions; Saracens, whilst also featuring for England Under 20s and being selected for senior England training.