LEINSTER SEND O’BRIEN TO USA
LEINSTER will underline their commitment to ‘opening up the USA’ by sending Sean O’Brien to coach at their inaugural School of Excellence (July 31 to August 4) at New York’s Syracuse University.
This first move comes ahead of Leinster appointing a full-time coach in the coming months to live on campus.
Prominent School of Excellence pupils will be assessed for places in the Leinster Academy; prominent university rugby stars will be afforded opportunities to train with the Leinster squad.
The partnership will also provide placements at Leinster’s head office in UCD, in addition to exploring exchange opportunities for Irish and Syracuse University students.
O’Brien will oversee the Leinster Rugby School of Excellence for boys/girls aged 13-17 at SU camp, which has residential and nonresidential options.
Excited
“I’m very excited to get over to Syracuse University this summer and to be introducing our Leinster Rugby pathway to the United States,” says O’Brien who will be settling in for a stint at a college where Joe Biden is a former alumni.
“The School of Excellence, as a concept, has been going for over 25 years now and is very well established in Ireland, every summer over 1,200 boys and girls learn to play the ‘Leinster Way’ at the camps.
“The scale of it over there (in New York) is unbelievable so I am sure there is lots of talent there, I’m sure it will be an eye-opener for us to see what’s over there.”
O’Brien (right) contends his own rugby pathway – he didn’t attend a recognised rugby school but broke into the game playing under-age and youths rugby at club level – gives him common ground.
“’From The Ground Up’ is, obviously, our slogan and from a youths perspective and from where I came from where the clubs are not as prominent as the schools, it’s where everyone has a fighting chance to get in that shop window to make it as a professional rugby player.
“That has been the most exciting part for me and in my development growing up and seeing how far this whole enterprise could come.
“The pathway we have here has been unbelievable and I’m really looking forward to getting over there and seeing what is all about over there and introducing that pathway and that relationship with Syracuse.
“I look forward to playing a part in how we develop the camps working in tandem with Syracuse University in the coming years.”
Bob Wilson, head coach of Syracuse University added: “To be working this summer and beyond with an ambassador of Sean’s calibre and profile is brilliant for us and launching the School of Excellence programme.
“He had tremendous success as a player and is quickly developing into one of the most promising young coaches in the game – how brilliant is it for camp attendees to lean on him for his knowledge and expertise.”