Community Rugby team tackle Ayr Raiders

Programme encourages healthy lifestyle

Community Rugby

It was a day of tough tackling as youngsters from the Airdrie and Coatbridge community youth rugby programme challenged visitors from WellingtonSchool, Ayr to a rugby tournament at DunbethPark.

Youngsters from Airdrie Academy, Caldervale, Chryston, Coatbridge High, St Ambrose, St Andrew's and St Margaret's have been playing in composite school groups since a rugby partnership was signed by their head teachers at the start of the year.

The schools link up provides a structure for the social and cultural aspects of rugby development via youth tours and hosting visiting teams. The structure of the community programme also helps address social issues including bigotry, discrimination and poor behaviour related to drugs, smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases as well as promoting an active and healthy lifestyle.

Charles Fawcett of the Healthy Lifestyle Project, said: "The facilities at Dunbeth have allowed us to create a Rugby Hub, where boys and girls from any of the local Secondary Schools can come along and play competitive rugby at their own level. With the emphasis on access and participation, new players, regardless of their present rugby ability, are most welcome."

Rugby Youth has helped the schools form part of their Curriculum for Excellence and focuses on encouraging friendships between pupils from the various schools, promotes responsible citizenship and supports a partnership rugby programme being hosted in the African country of Malawi.

The entire programme is supported by North Lanarkshire Council and NL Leisure, Sense Over Sectarianism, and Waysides/Drumpellier RFC.

Councillor Jim Logue, Convener of Learning and Leisure with North Lanarkshire Council, added: "This initiative has proven to be a great success at a time where North Lanarkshire is actively promoting a broader variety of sporting opportunities for our youngsters.

"It is rooted in the community and I give it my full support and encouragement. The head teachers of the local Secondary Schools involved have shown tremendous vision in creating and signing up to a formal partnership agreement which will ensure involvement from all areas within the community."

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