As part of the their preparations towards the Rugby Championship and the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the WP Rugby Academy spent three days this week assisting the Springboks at their training camp in Cape Town.

In what was a fantastic experience for the WPRA players, these aspiring professionals had to mix it up with their heroes and mentors this week, in three days of training at the Cape Town Stadium.

The young players and WPRA coaches helped the Springbok players and coaches in plays and drills that were designed to simulate game-situations and game-intensity at times.

With some drills requiring tackling, contact and speed to create the desired tempo and conditioning elements, the WPRA boys were at times put through their paces both on attack and defence as well as in skill specific drills.

“The WPRA players loved every minute of it and feel very privileged to have been part of the Boks preparations,” said Keith Milner, a Director and coach at the WPRA.

“The Springbok coaching staff, management and players were all fantastic and made us all feel very welcome and appreciated with the Bok players and coaches taking the time to lend their experience to the WPRA players and coaches at every opportunity. We learnt a lot in the three days of being part of the camp.

“The WPRA creates opportunities like this in order to further the development and inspire the players that WP Rugby have recruited as part of it’s development structures. We believe in continuing to inspire young players and opportunities like this are fantastic for the young players as they learn so much in terms of how to be a professional.”

Also part of the Sprinigbok camp was Dave Alred, the renowned High Performance coach who amongst others, was Jonny Wilkinson’s kicking coach up until the end of his career and advisor to the 2003 World Cup-winning England team.

The Springboks take on the World XV at DHL Newlands this weekend before starting their condensed 2015 Rugby Championship campaign ahead of the World Cup in England (September-October).

WPRA 2015 Graduate from the UK Luca Slowik; came to us having had numerous injuries in the past season which hampered his progress through the ranks at Bristol Rugby Club. He worked hard on getting back his fitness and Conditioning with us at the WPRA and steadily progressed through hard work on and off the field. Our approach to the way we condition players and prepare them for professional rugby helped provide him with the stepping stone to improve his confidence and athletic ability which we saw improved his all-round game. Having had the opportunity to train with the Stormers and against them at Newlands and at the HPC; it helped him lift his game awareness and vision of how it is done at the highest level. He has now returned to his club in the UK and left the WPRA a better more rounded person and player alike having experienced something only a few ever get to do in their lives at the

WPRA. We wish him all the best in the future and know that he will go on to achieve his dreams.