The inaugural Under-16 Elite Player Development (EPD) camp for girls, which ran concurrently with the traditional U16 boys’ camp in Paarl last week, marked a significant milestone in SA Rugby’s national pathway for young talent.
While the boys’ squad delivered their customary top-class camp activities, it was the new girls’ contingent that proved particularly impressive, demonstrating high levels of commitment and skill throughout the week-long programme, during the school holiday from 5 to 11 October.
The camps, designed as a powerful intervention at a critical stage of development in the careers of young players, placed a strong focus on technical assessment.
The technical leadership for the boys’ squad was provided by SA Schools coaches Lwazi Zangqa (backs) and Cobus van Dyk (forwards), while former SA Schools coaches Katleho Lynch (backs) and Sean Erasmus (forwards) looked after all on and off-field technical aspects during the groundbreaking girls’ camp.
“A core function of the U16 EPD camp is comprehensive assessment and at the conclusion of the programme, every single participant received a detailed camp report or player profile,” said Herman Masimla, SA Rugby’s Senior Manager for Development.
“These profiles highlight scores achieved across various metrics and clearly define the areas where each player needs to improve. The reports will be shared with the relevant school and provincial coaches, allowing for immediate and targeted intervention discussions to take place, ensuring the pathway process is data-driven and actionable.
“While player development remains the main outcome, with special attention given to mental conditioning and preparation to the young athletes, the EPD camps are also a vital platform where invited coaches, S&C coaches, and team officials have the opportunity to show their abilities at a national level, strengthening the entire rugby ecosystem.”
The productive week also included essential knowledge sharing, with top professional referees, Aimee Barrett-Theron and Cwengile Jadezweni, visiting the two EPD camps to lead discussions on the laws of the game.
The success of the U16 EPD camps paves the way for most of these young athletes to continue their journey and be included in next year's U17 EPD intake, further demonstrating the national pathway’s commitment to growing the next generation of South African rugby heroes.