Joshattendsglobal
PDPconference in
Melbourne
Our longest serving Player Development
Manager, Josh Frape, attended theUNIWorld
PDMConference inMelbourne in lateMarch/
early April.
The conference captured the very best
knowledge from around theworld and shared
different ideas on developing athletes for their
futures after sport.
Joshwas joined by a number of fellow
rugby PDM’s fromAustralia, New Zealand and
Ireland, aswell as other Player Associations
such as theNFL Players Association, Rugby
League Players Association, Swedish IceHockey
Players Association and the Japan Professional
Baseball Players Association.
Beth, JamieandBudge
saygoodbye
On a sadder note, the RPA are saying goodbye
to threemembers of the teamwith Beth
Lightowler, JamieConnell and Budge Pountney
all departing the business.
Bethwhoworked as an Events Assistant
left the RPA in June to return to theUniversity
of Chichester to finish her degree after an
11month placement at the RPA.
Rugby Assistant, JamieConnell will be
leaving the RPA on July 31st to return to
LoughboroughUniversity after completing his
12month internship.
Budge Pountney, our Player Development
Manager for Bath Rugby and London Irish,
will be leaving the RPA inAugust to take up a
position atMarlboroughCollege.
Wewould like towish Beth, Jamie and
Budge the very best of luck for the future
and thank them for their contributions to the
cause.
Budgeembarkson
firstShelterBox
Assignment
Our very own Player DevelopmentManager for
BathRugby and London Irish, Budge Pountney,
recently embarked onhis first ever ShelterBox
deployment to Tanzania.
Spending 10 days in the East African
country, the former Scotland andNorthampton
Saints flanker, worked side by side a fellow
ShelterBox volunteer, assessing the shelter
facilities inNyarugusu, one of the largest refugee
camps in theworld.
Budge said “The 10 days I spent in Tanzania
really openedmy eyes to thiswhole different
world. Due to an influx of refugees the shelter
facilities inNyarugusu are at an all-time low
andour rolewas to assess howwe can help
these people gain some kind of dignity back
in their liveswith the provision of sufficient
infrastructure.”
SarahandAlex join
RPATeam
Over the last fewmonths, the RPAwelcomed
twonewmembers to our growing office team.
Sarah Sanders andAlex Lines-Scrase came on
board inApril andMay respectively and have
bothbeen fantastic additions.
Sarah joins as the
ExecutiveAssistant
to themanagement
team andwill also
help to coordinate the
delivery of the RPA’s
events programme.
Alex is the new
FundraisingManager
for Restart Rugby and
will focus on growing
the charity as awhole
to ensure itmaintains
a sustainable future in
supporting professional
playerswho are forced
to retire from the game due to serious injury or
illness.
FantasticEight:
ThelatestBALM
Graduates
With the 2014/15 season officially over, a
groupof RPAMembers including current
players and alumni recently graduated from
the BA (Hons) Leadership andManagement
degree (BALM) at NorthumbriaUniversity.
Developed in 2012withhelp fromRPA
Player DevelopmentManager for Newcastle
Falcons, YorkshireCarnegie EAP and RPA
Alumni NorthManager,Mandy Thompson,
the degree is designed specially tomatch a
professional rugby player’s needs and provide
an opportunity formembers to study around
their rugby careers.
This year to date, the eight graduates
awarded inMarch and June included Jonny
Arr, Nick Koster,MattMullan, NikkiWalker,
Jordi Pasqualin, JakeAbbott andKane
Palma-Newport.
tributeto
ChrisBell
We recently paid tribute to RPAVice-Chairman
andWasps centre, Chris Bell, who announced his
retirement from professional rugby in June, due
to a shoulder injury.
RPAGroupCEO, DamianHopley, said:
“Chris has been an excellent RPAVice-Chairman
working closelywith RPAChairman, Christian
Day, and the RPA Executive Team in delivering
significant welfare improvements for the season
ahead for their fellow players. As everyone in
rugbywill tell you, Chris truly is one of themost
decent people youwill be fortunate enough
tomeet in rugby and, on behalf of all the RPA
members, I wish him and his family the very best
in his retirement.”
RPA NEWS
7
