Scottish Rugby honoured 13 of its community coach apprentices at a graduation ceremony led by Scotland back-row forward Ross Rennie at Cochrane Hall, Alva, today. This year’s graduates, which include Scotland under-20 prop Lewis Niven and 2006/2007 Scotland Womens’ player of the season Tanya Griffith, started their vocational programme in August 2006, have all achieved a minimum of a Level 2 SVQ in Coaching Rugby Union and a Level 3 SVQ in Management, in addition to a number of industry specific awards within coaching, refereeing, first aid and assessing.Scottish Rugby honoured 13 of its community coach apprentices at a graduation ceremony led by Scotland back-row forward Ross Rennie at Cochrane Hall, Alva, today. This year’s graduates, which include Scotland under-20 prop Lewis Niven and 2006/2007 Scotland Womens’ player of the season Tanya Griffith, started their vocational programme in August 2006, have all achieved a minimum of a Level 2 SVQ in Coaching Rugby Union and a Level 3 SVQ in Management, in addition to a number of industry specific awards within coaching, refereeing, first aid and assessing. Their input and enthusiasm towards rugby development within their own communities has involved pro-active and extended rugby delivery to approximately 350 primary schools and 80 secondary schools throughout the length and breadth of the country. Edinburgh back-row forward, Ross Rennie, presented the graduation scrolls at the ceremony. He said: It’s really encouraging that community coaches are introducing rugby to thousands of youngsters throughout Scotland. You only need to speak to Glasgow Warriors’ Stevie Swindall [a graduate of the programme] to see how much he benefited from being on the programme. The more people we can encourage to play rugby in Scotland the better and, at the same time, as this initiative prospers, it can also have a positive effect for the overall health of the nation. The apprentices, sponsored by rugby clubs and working in tandem with the Scottish Rugby’s community rugby department, have graduated with a Scottish Modern Apprenticeship and equally importantly have delivered the opportunity to thousands of Scottish schoolchildren on a weekly basis to experience rugby and become physically active, regardless of where they live. The Community Coach programme was launched in partnership with Scottish Rugby and Dawes Training Consultancy Ltd has, for the past seven years, continued to develop and flourish and has promoted exceptionally high standards of achievement which have been adopted and exemplified by the graduates who are being honoured today. Colin Thomson, the SRU’s Head of Community Rugby, said: Each of the candidates has been supported throughout their vocation by their hometown clubs and, in many cases, their local council authorities. These groups must also be applauded for their foresight in forwarding suitable candidates into the programme, so ensuring that rugby at grassroots level within their own communities is offered to all children as an acceptable and positive sporting option. It is seven years since Scottish Rugby first formed a partnership with Scottish Enterprise and rugby sponsors from across Scotland to launch the community coaching initiative that, at any given time, has in the region of 50 young people involved in the programme. The scheme has been a nationally-acclaimed success and it is important it continues to thrive. The programme exemplifies the way forward if we are to bring new recruits to rugby, irrespective of their background and, at the same time, encourage greater physical activity for the youth of our country with the consequential positive effects this has for the health of our nation and the wellbeing of our communities. Congratulations to the graduates and everyone involved in giving these young people the chance to flourish.