|
The academy is scheduled to open for business in the fall.
Enrollments are well on the way to reaching the target of 30 attendees. High School players that attend will be guaranteed transfers between the two schools.
Attendees who complete a two-year program at Santa Barbara City College will then be eligible to go on to university, either in Santa Barbara or anywhere else for that matter, and will be required to maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA.
“What we’re trying to do is produce students of the game,” UC Santa Barbara director of rugby Kevin Battle tells ARN.
“The goal is to have the kids go to a four-year school.”
Most attendees at SBCC will likely play with a local men’s team in Santa Barbara, while some will play football in the fall and rugby in the spring.
The academy will offer skills and technique coaching by overseas coaches including Jim Love - forwards coach with the New Zealand Maoris, Damian Hill - kicking coach with the Newcastle Knights rugby league club and Alan Muir - scrum coach with the Wellington Lions.
“By the time they leave here they’ll be primed and ready academically, as well as rugby-wise,” adds Battle.
The academy envisages expanding the course to include a girls’ program in 2010.
