UK Sport

Pitch2Podium target Rugby talent for Olympic success

Athletes at a testing day in Newbury
EIS

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EIS 15 April 2010

Targeting athletes with an academy background from professional rugby clubs, the Pitch2Podium talent initiative is aiming to unearth athletes with the right raw capabilities to succeed in a different Olympic sport at the Rio 2016 Games and beyond.

Athletes are being invited to apply for the assessment days in May to be put through their paces and if their professional rugby career doesn’t work out, potentially climb the podium for Great Britain.

“Being able to perform at the highest level and represent your country in any sport is an incredible honour” says Mathew Tait, Pitch2Podium Ambassador and England Rugby International.

“Pitch2Podium is offering a unique chance to find out whether you have the raw talent to shine in another Olympic sport. It’s an exciting prospect to thing that those coming along to the test days from a rugby background could become Olympic heroes within a few years” he adds.

Last year former Saints and England U18 International Rob Milligan was discovered at a test day after having to retire from Rugby due to injury.

“Pitch2Podium has given me an opportunity to further my athletic career after it was unfortunately cut short in professional rugby” says Milligan. “I had never tried rowing but my size, strength and endurance developed from my training in rugby has proved helpful. I have a lot to do, but I am hungry to take up the challenge and see if I have what it takes to get to the Olympic Games – and more importantly, win a medal” he adds.

Programme Ambassador Darren Campbell said; “I was released by a football club myself before taking up athletics, so I know that the academy athletes’ existing talent and dedication could give them the edge in other sports.

“This is the third year that I have been involved in the Pitch2Podium programme and it’s exciting to still see talented athletes at the test days who have the potential to do something really exciting on the world stage in Olympic sport.”

Pitch2Podium is one of a number of talent initiatives from the UK Talent team, a partnership between UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport (EIS).

Are you a current or former rugby academy player aged 18-23 years?

Can you run 30 metres in 4 seconds? Jump over 50 centimetres? Squat 120 kilograms? Endure 15 levels on the bleep test? If you can do one or more of the above Pitch2Podium wants to hear from you.

This year’s assessment days are: