The Dragons academy started in 2004 and over the past two years has made significant progress in developing players for the international age group sides and also The Dragons senior side. Seven members of the academy were part of the Wales U19 Grand Slam winning side while Alex Walker and Gareth Maule both made their senior debuts for The Dragons last weekend in the Magners League opener against Glasgow joining Ashley Smith who played for the Men of Gwent last season against Worcester. As the academy moves into its third season it faces the challenge of continuing to produce players who can cope with the demands on and off field of professional rugby.
Alex Walker was awarded a senior playing contract at the end of last season while members Ashley Smith, James Harris, Gareth Maule, Lewis Evans, Richard Wilkes, Marcus Johnstone and Jamie Corsi have all trained with The Dragons over the summer and impressed Head Coach Paul Turner.
The objective of the academy is to continue to develop players capable of playing for The Dragons senior side and then progress onto senior international rugby as well as combining this with their studies. The academy manager is John Williams who oversees the development of the youngsters and he is assisted by fitness and conditioning coach Byron Haywood.
"The past year has been a very steep learning curve for everyone involved with The Dragons Academy," commented Academy Manager John Williams. "Our challenge is to prepare these players for every aspect of "professional" rugby. Professionalism involves a number of elements and the challenge for the staff here is to ensure the players understand their responsibilities and take ownership of their own destiny. Developing these players into responsible, focused, well rounded individuals is quite a challenge and one that we are all relishing. Having talent alone will not be suffice in the world of professional sport, they need attitude, the ability to be empowered and take responsibility will be a vital component, media skills and understanding are also important in a sport that has huge media coverage, communication and image are a pre requisite in a sport that relies heavily on marketing and sponsorship, where players have a duty to portray a professional image and become the role models of the next generation.
"Whilst preparing players from a rugby perspective is still our major objective, we have a moral duty to ensure we look after the person's interest and future in terms of their aspirations outside of sport, as well as all of the elements mentioned above. If we are going to carry on raising the standard of professional rugby in Gwent, as well as the underpinning structure, we have to constantly invest, develop and review our policies, practices and methods to ensure we stay at the forefront of Welsh Rugby and hopefully world rugby. So as you can see the process of getting our men into the professional game is quite demanding, although I would like to say that the regional coaches now recognise and fully support the academy concept, taking an interest in every players progress and looking at where the gaps are over the next four or five years, projecting potential problem areas, or positions long before they become an issue, succession planning and developing our own talent is the only way forward for Gwent Rugby.
"The four Premier Clubs in Gwent have been superb in terms of recognising and supporting these young stars of tomorrow, ensuring that the young aspiring players are given opportunities within their respective teams, working with myself and the skills and conditioning coaches ensuring open dialogue on a weekly basis, striving to provide the best pathway possible for our young talent in Gwent.
"This season has been quite unique, the players within The Dragons academy were given academy status at a very young age, and it is only during the past six months that these young men have been ready and eligible for inclusion into the Premier clubs and senior Dragons squad. I am delighted at the progress these players are making, and to have had so many players training and playing for The Dragons during the pre season is testament to the validity of the academy system. In the Premier League we have 16 Academy players spread throughout our four premier teams, some as young as 17, again a great example of working together for the benefit of rugby throughout the region. Let's hope we can continue to raise the standard of rugby in Gwent, by developing these young men and working together for the sustainability and longevity of top flight rugby in Gwent."
What has seen marked improvements in the youngsters is their fitness levels and overall conditioning. New Zealander Paul Bunce was involved with the academy last year before moving up to the senior squad this season and he was instrumental in the improvements in the players which has seen them record personal bests in sprint training, adding bulk and power to their frames without gaining body fat and an overall improvement in speed, power and fitness, key ingredients for today's modern game.
"Being an academy player is a great privilege as the academy environment allows for significant physical and skill development that would not occur outside of this system," commented Paul Bunce. "From a conditioning perspective, developing strength, speed, and size are essential pre-requisites for the modern regional and international game, and consequently there is a strong emphasis placed on developing a solid foundation to work from. The current players who have participated this summer with the senior Dragons have improved significantly in their conditioning over the last year. Gains in maximum strength, speed and lean muscle mass have allowed them to cope well with the demands of top end training and playing, and allowing them to take the necessary steps towards regional rugby."
The academy members will play a key part in The Dragons future team but need time to develop and mature on the field, however, there is no reason why if they continue developing at the rate they are, they will not reach the very top of the game.
