Ulster Rugby and local convenience brand Centra have launched a new series of Summer Camps which will include five new School of Excellence camps.

The camps, which are sponsored by Centra and its independent retailers, will visit over 20 venues across Ulster from 4th July – 25th August. This year will see the introduction of the three-day School of Excellence camps for players aged 12-16 years, which have been developed in conjunction with Ulster Rugby’s Director of Rugby Les Kiss and will be delivered by qualified Ulster Rugby staff.

The School of Excellence camps will take place at Friends School, Lisburn, Royal School, Armagh, Campbell College, Belfast, City of Derry RFC and Virginia RFC, Co. Cavan.

Week-long junior camps will continue to run at 14 locations for boys and girls aged 6-12 years while two three-day girls camps at Clogher Valley RFC in Co. Tyrone and Cooke RFC in Belfast will cater for 12-18 year olds. Newforge Sports Complex in Belfast will once again host a Special Needs Camp.

Each year the Summer Camps have grown in popularity and since their launch in 2008, have welcomed over 11,000 participants. Young players benefit from expert advice from qualified Ulster Rugby staff coaches with Ulster players on hand to give tips on the game, talk about life as a professional player and interact with the participants.

 

Chris Webster, Domestic Rugby Manager at Ulster Rugby said: “We are delighted to launch the ninth annual Centra Summer Camps. Ulster has a rich source of young talented rugby players and we look forward to developing and nurturing their skills and talent over the summer months. The addition of the Schools of Excellence will give that added focus to the young players as we hope they progress further in the sport.

“We would like to thank Centra for their continued support as well as the senior Ulster team for their involvement throughout the summer.  We’re excited this year to offer camps in all four regions of Ulster to meet the demand from so many enthusiastic young players,” he added.

Jennifer Morton, Centra Brand Manager, said: “Centra and its independent retail partners are once again lending their support to this great initiative. Our partnership with Ulster Rugby has gone from strength to strength over the past nine years and we’re proud to have supported over 11,000 young people in their skills development. We hope the camps provide young players with the opportunity to stay fit and active during the school holidays.”

The cost of each camp is £65 for a place on the Junior Camp, £40 for the Girls and Special Needs Camps, and £85 for the Schools of Excellence Camps. Discounts are available for additional family members attending the same camp and for participants attending a second camp. The prices include a T-shirt, a water bottle, a rugby ball and promotional codes to claim a free ticket to an Ulster game at Kingspan Stadium and a free stadium tour, including a visit to the Nevin Spence Centre.
Information will be distributed to schools and rugby clubs across Ulster and parents can also book and pay for camps online. Full details of this year’s Summer Camps and how to book can be found at camps.ulsterrugby.com

 

Centra is a leading convenience brand in Northern Ireland for retailers who want a convenient range of fresh, local products. Core to the Centra philosophy is building vibrant communities. Centra stores throughout the province are owned and managed by independent retailers who are committed to supporting towns and villages in which they live and operate.  This is why, every year, we sell in excess of £96 million worth of products from Northern Ireland in our stores.

NOTES

· Dates of eligibility apply for all camps based on the Northern Ireland Education framework entry criteria

· To attend a Junior Camp your Date of Birth must fall between 1/07/2004 and 030/06/2010

· To attend a School of Excellence your Date of Birth must fall between 1/07/2000 and 30/06/2005

· To attend a Girls Youth Camp your Date of Birth must fall between 01/07/1998 and 30/06/2004

The 2016 Centra Ulster Rugby Summer Camps schedule is as follows:

Week 1 – 4-8 July
Dungannon RFC
Stormont Pavillion, Belfast
Clogher Valley RFC (Girls Camp – 4-6 July)

Week 2 –
Virginia RFC, Cavan (School of Excellence – 13-15 July)

Week 3 – 18-22 July
Enniskillen RFC
Coleraine RFC
Friends School, Lisburn (School of Excellence – 18-20 July)

Week 4 – 25-29 July
Ballymena RFC
Belfast Harlequins RFC
Royal School Armagh (School of Excellence – 25-27 July)

Week 5 – 1-5 August
Carrickfergus RFC
Lisburn RFC
Newforge Sports Complex, Belfast (Special Needs Camp, 1-3 August)

Week 6 – 8-12 August
Banbridge RFC
Rainey Old Boys RFC
Campbell College, Belfast (School of Excellence – 8-10 August)

Week 7 – 15-19 August
Randalstown RFC
Ballynahinch RFC
City of Derry RFC (School of Excellence – 15-17 August)

Week 8 – 22-26 August
Ards RFC
Cooke RFC (Girls Youth Camp – 22-24 August)
Letterkenny RFC