Judo4Rugby

Originally conceived by a unique allegiance between the first-rate rugby team Leicester Tigers and the British Judo Association (BJA), the phenomenal success of Judo for Rugby has already proven its worth as a valuable asset to many teams and players.

As the BJA Judo Technical Director for the Eastern region I am obviously keen to promote Judo in our area; as an advocate of progressive sports training I see this as an exciting new development for both disciplines. The fact that this new concept is achieving superb results for rugby is something that inspires me even further. As well as being amongst the very best Judo players in the country my team of coaches have also experienced first team rugby which places them in an ideal position to teach these new techniques.

Following the successful implementation of this concept at Shelford Rugby Club, across all age groups, I am now in the process of introducing the Judo4Rugby initiative to schools in our area and would like to invite all schools to take part in this new scheme. The ultimate aim is that pupils would benefit from this specialised training as part of the sports curriculum.

During the Judo classes at Shelford we will teach techniques which will benefit the rugby player by focusing on balance, timing and transfer of energy - all skills which are required in the sport. Regular Judo4Rugby sessions at Shelford Rugby Club are planned for the future - so watch this space!

David Southby 5th Dan