Sporting Academy athlete earns England call up
Medway Sporting Academy athlete Rebecca Wadhams has
been selected for the Rugby Football Union's England
Talented Development Group.
Rebecca, who began her career at Medway Rugby Club, is among a group
of 30 girls at under 15 level selected to attend the development
group. The group's aim is to improve the girls' playing skills
with a view to them making it in to the under 18 squad.
The development group includes profiling meetings with senior
internationals, used to discuss how each girl's career is
progressing. Rebecca's meeting is with Maggie Alphonsi, a key
member of the England women's rugby team that finished
runner-up in the 2010 World Cup.
Rebecca now plays for Aylesford RFC, after moving from Medway
RFC at the end of the 2009/10 season. Since moving to
Aylesford Rebecca has also been selected for Kent, London and
South East squads.
Rebecca has been a member of Medway Sporting Academy since its
inception in 2009.
The Sporting Academy selects a crop of Year 5
and 6 pupils each year for expert coaching. The boys and girls are
chosen based on core skills and characteristics including speed,
balance, co-ordination and reactions.
Once in the Sporting Academy coaches work to
improve athletes' abilities in these key, transferrable areas,
while they pursue sports in one of Medway's many clubs.
"I feel very excited and special to have been given this
opportunity," said Rebecca of her England selection.
"I play number 10, fly half, which is my favourite
position. It involves making decisions as to who gets the ball
and where the ball is going. It means I'm really involved in how
the game unfolds."
Now in phase three of the Sporting Academy, Rebecca has
progressed from physical coaching to working with the University of
Kent's Centre for Sports Studies staff who provide all phase
three athletes with expert advice in support
areas including nutrition, injury treatment and
psychology.
Rebecca follows in the footsteps of Medway Elite Athlete and
Kent Community Rugby Coach Rachael Burford, who also began her
career at Medway Rugby Club before going on to play in
two world cup finals.
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