Team USA took time out of their busy training schedule at the IRB Women's Rugby World Cup 2006 to make a special visit to a local Young Offenders Centre on Tuesday afternoon.
The Lady Eagles, who defeated Ireland 24-11 to get its campaign back on track after an opening 18-0 loss to England, visited the centre in Edmonton to give some 40 of the resident youths a flavour of Rugby Union through the delivery of coaching and question and answers sessions.
The youths, many of whom had never experienced Rugby Union before, participated in warm-up and skills drills before being treated to a demonstration of the scrum and lineout disciplines.
“We started the afternoon by demonstrating some of the drills that we go through in practice,” explained USA Team Manager Katie Peterson. “We split the players up into two groups and played a bit of touch before the kids got involved and they really seemed to enjoy it.
“We also went through a number of different Auckland square variations and handling drills. However, I have to say that it was the scrum and lineout demonstrations that proved most popular. Everyone wanted to be lifted as they had not seen anything like it before, so out lineout lifters got a real work out – I don’t think they have lifted so many times in one day!”
Following the sessions, the players chatted about the sport and how they got into rugby as well as the role of team work, discipline and channelled aggression within the sport.