Scholarships take trio to Latin America
THREE Otago Polytechnic students have professional sports training careers in their sights after winning prestigious Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Latin America (PMSLA).
Postgraduate diploma of applied science (physical conditioning) students Sammy Crawford, Josh Taylor and Jamie Rhodes are off to Argentina this month to spend six weeks working on a customised rugby strength and conditioning programme with the La Plata Rugby Club, in Buenos Aires province.
The programme is a crosscultural collaborative sports training initiative that aims to connect emerging strength and conditioning coaches within the environment of a South American tertiary institution — the University of La Plata — and a semiprofessional rugby club.
Mr Crawford said he was relishing the international opportunity.
‘‘Academically, it will expose us to a highperformance, fastpaced environment, and will be a great way to get immersed in a rugbyrich culture other than New Zealand’s.’’
While there, he also hoped to train with Los Pumas, the national rugby union team.
‘‘I have already trained with five national teams this year — the New Zealand Sevens side as well as the Tonga, Fiji, Samoa and Georgia 15aside teams.’’
The trio will arrive in Argentina on August 26 and return to Dunedin in early October.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said for each of the individuals involved, the scholarships would be ‘‘lifechanging’’.
‘‘It offers the chance of a big adventure that’s personally challenging and enriching.’’
The Otago Polytechnic trio are among more than 60 across New Zealand to receive the scholarships and will study, conduct research or carry out internships in destinations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico.