The finest young rugby players from one of the largest states in the USA visited the Rec recently to fine tune their skills in a Bath Rugby Community camp.
26 players aged 16-18 from the Illinois All-State Select Side arrived in Bath following a few days in East Sussex, where they took on the Brighton Colts. They are just one of several touring teams from across the world to receive coaching from Bath Rugby's respected Community team.
The Club's Community camps are tailored to every participating team's needs, with each session including a unique insight into a top-flight Premiership Rugby side's use of video analysis, giving coaches and players a better understanding of what goes on during play.
"Their coach told me that many of the All-State players have been inspired by [former Bath Rugby star] Dan Lyle, who was also American," said Community coach Kim Oliver. "They were already proficient at the physical side of the game, so we were teaching them some of the finer aspects including planning and tactics to help develop their play and take it to the next level."
Rugby continues to boom in the United States, with arguably the sport's highest profile match set to be played in the country on November 1st this year, when Chicago (the capital of Illinois) plays host to USA Rugby v All Blacks.
