Rugby students are excelling in their careers after being called up for England
TyneMet students, Alex and Isaac are excelling in their careers after being selected to play for England U18! Alex Donaghy and Isaac Nokes are both studying the Rugby Excellence Programme (in partnership with Newcastle Thunder) and are currently in their second year of their Level 3 programme. After playing a good first season they both caught the eye of England coaches and ended up being called up for the National team! Isaac said:
I’ve been playing rugby since the age of 6 and was part of the U16 rugby academy with Newcastle Thunder so I’ve always enjoyed playing the sport. My coach at Thunder told me about the Level 3 programme at TyneMet and the chance to play rugby at a professional level alongside my studying sport was a no brainer for me.
Alex comments:
The rugby excellence programme is the perfect course, it offers a different pathway to a sporting career and is right for me. Playing for England is an amazing opportunity that I wouldn’t have had if it wasn’t for the course. I now plan to go to university after completing my course to study sports coaching.
Both Alex and Isaac are hoping to be part of England’s tour of Australia in 2020 so watch this space! The rugby excellence programme is based at Kingston Park Stadium, where students will complete a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Rugby Excellence, but also have the opportunity to train and learn within a professional rugby environment. Students on the programme will train like a professional with expert coaches from Newcastle Rugby Academy and learn integral dual coded rugby techniques.