Pitch2Podium unearths promising Olympic talent from rugby
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Milligan played for the England U20s Rugby Union team
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Jessica Whitehorn 03 June 2009
Just over a month after the Pitch2Podium talent assessment team packed up their testing kit at the last Phase One event of 2009 in Glasgow, one of the applicants, a former rugby union player, has already been accepted onto a training programme with a new Olympic sport.
Rob Milligan, a former Northampton Saints and England U20s forward, was so impressive at the Pitch2Podium talent assessment day at Reading’s Madjeski Stadium that the testers immediately invited him to attend a Phase Two assessment with GB Rowing. He has since been selected for GB Rowing’s World Class Start programme.
Milligan said: “Pitch2Podium has given me an opportunity to further my athletic career after it was unfortunately cut short in professional rugby. I have never tried rowing but presume my size, strength and endurance developed from my training in rugby is going to be helpful. I understand I have got a lot to do, but I am hungry to take up this new challenge and definitely keen to see if I have what it takes to get to the Olympic Games – and more importantly, win a medal.”
Steve Gunn, GB Rowing’s World Class Start manager, said: "We have already proven through GB Rowing's World Class Start programme (sponsored by Siemens) that, by reaching out to non-traditional sources of rowers through schools, and testing in large numbers that we can have an impact on the World and Olympic stage.
“Pitch2Podium gave us yet another opportunity to access a sporting population not usually open to us, and one where the athletes have the potential to transfer into rowing. There were indeed some impressive looking athletes at the assessment events and I am really looking forward to exploring how far they can go."
Attendance at this year’s Pitch2Podium talent assessment events was considerably higher than in the first year of the programme, with a number of football clubs sending their whole youth team to participate in the testing. The athleticism and commitment demonstrated by those that took part was impressive and some of the performances have provided the UK World Class Talent Team with some very exciting prospects.
In total, 187 athletes took part in one of the three assessment events (compared to 28 in 2008), with 115 eligible for further selection this year as they had been released by their football or rugby club. Participants included 160 footballers, 19 rugby players, and a small number of athletes from different sports, invited to take part via other talent transfer schemes.
EIS Talent ID Scientist, Ian Yates, said: “I am pleased to say that the Pitch2Podium programme has uncovered some fantastic potential yet again. I look forward to working with these athletes over the coming months, to discover whether any of them could be destined for the Olympic podium.
“I would like to thank all of our partners in football and rugby union for giving us the opportunity to work with this fantastic group of athletes in our search for future Olympic Champions.”
Over the coming months, further Phase Two assessments will take place with other targeted Olympic sports. A highly select number of applicants will advance to sports specific testing in one or potentially several Olympic sports and we will continue to update you their progress.
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