Harlequins to hold rugby clinic for youth

PORT Elizabeth Harlequins are keen to bring the city’s communities together through rugby and will host a coaching clinic for northern areas primary schools from March 4.

The clinic will target 15 primary schools and Harlequins will take 100 pupils under its wing for the course of the year.

It will then expand to secondary schools in the areas.

In keeping with its 25 years of rugby celebration, Harlequins are to host a Legends match at the Adcock Stadium and feature the schools involved in the clinics.

The coaching clinic will be a community driven initiative by the Harlequins Legends.

The clinic’s organisers said they hoped to uplift youngsters in previously disadvantaged and crime ridden communities through rugby.

Former South African Sevens player and Harlequins Legends chairman Bernard Peterson said: “We have immense talent among ourselves that can bring out development in rugby from our communities.

“We have noticed the situation at Eastern Province where there is little development.

“We have a lot of potential in the Harlequins alumni to help with the coaching clinic,” Peterson said.

They are hoping to get the backing of former Port Elizabeth Harlequins players and now legends who are now in top level coaching positions – the likes of Thando Manana and Allister Coetzee.

“This will be a way for us all to plough back to the communities we come from and to bring something meaningful to the youth,” Peterson said.

Harlequins treasurer Mark Norris said: “We are looking to use rugby as a tool to get the children occupied and off the streets after school.”

The team has been invited to compete in the Zando Cape Town Tens Tournament, which is due to start at various venues in Cape Town today.