I am excited to announce this morning the launch of Taking Flight, a US rugby camp scholarship contest that myself, Rob Schnabel of Bakline, and the great folks at H2H Media (John and Ken) have been working hard on for the past few months. I have no doubt that part of the success of rugby in the states lies in youth rugby. I hope that this contest will help create more exposure for all the youngsters, their teams, and their schools that play, but also all the great organizations which promote youth rugby.
Its a important element of the sport and one I'm passionate about. Check out the press release below and please spread the word!
Presented by
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TAKING FLIGHT AMERICAN RUGBY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST LAUNCHES IN THE US
H2H Video Competition To Find America’s Future Rugby Stars
NEW YORK, New York - June 7th 2012 - Bakline, A Rugby Life and H2H Media proudly announced the launch of Taking Flight, a rugby scholarship contest to give the next generation of America’s men and women Eagles an opportunity unlike any before to attend elite training camps in the USA.
Two winners (one male, one female) will get the chance to attend one of the top US Rugby Camps hosted by Serevi Rugby.
The two athletes will attend the Serevi Rugbytown Training Camp, a two-day camp taking place at Infinity Park in Glendale, CA on August 9th and 10th. On August 11th, they get to show what they learned as they take part in the climax of the weekend’s festivities with a 7s tournament. The winners will have the cost of their flights, accommodation in Glendale, and camp covered.
To be the best, you need to train with the best. This goes beyond first rate coaches, but to be amongst student peers in an environment saturated in the experience and spirit of the game.
To be sure only the most committed and serious athletes apply for the chance to attend the camps, they must complete an application that requires a short, home-made video and questionnaire to showcase their personality and dedication. Applicants will be judged on their efforts, originality and commitment by a panel of celebrity rugby judges.
On our men’s panel, USA Eagle Todd Clever is joined by Serevi Rugby founder and Fijian 7s Legend, Waisale Serevi, and rounded out with former Ireland International and All-American Assistant Coach Gavin Hickie. Todd Clever said, "I am excited to be a part of the scholarship contest and see our future rugby stars showcase their talent." Gavin Hickie echoed Todd’s sentiment: "I am thrilled to to be part of the scholarship contest. With record numbers of people playing rugby here in the US, the game is set to continue its phenomenal growth. I look forward to watching our young players demonstrate their rugby abilities in this exciting contest."
For the women’s panel, rugby media all-star and founder of Your Scrumhalf Connection, Wendy Young, and is joined by USA Eagles legend and star of MTV’s “Made”, Phaidra Knight. A third female judge will be named this month.
The final 16 men and women will be placed into a H2H video competition where rugby fans will have the final say in who attends the Serevi camp. The H2H tournament will feature the 16 best videos as judged by the panel in a social media based tournament where the rugby community will be engaged to pick their favorite through four rounds of voting to determine which player is most likely to “Take Flight”.
Initial entries for the competition are now being accepted and full details can found on our website at takingflightrugby.com
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If you would like more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact
Rob Schnabel at rob.schnabel@baklinerugby.com / 917-282-9547 or John Broker at johnbroker@head2head.tv / 203-804-1546
If you would like press materials or to schedule an interview with the organisers, please contact Hedley Lagrand at hedley@arugbylife.com / 201-748-9086
