Southern Districts Rugby Club has its 2 Academies starting next week and whilst the Colts REDS Academy (Rebels Elite Development Squad) is about to enter its 4th year, the changes and ongoing improvements from its start up for the 2013 season to where it presently stands for the start of 2016 has been phenomenal.

The benefits to the players in the improved physical and fitness conditioning and skill levels in their rugby ability is on show every Saturday during the rugby season. No longer are we hoping to compete with the stronger clubs but we now beat the stronger clubs and are now seen as one of the stronger clubs. The fact that our 2nd and 3rd grade Colts have made the finals the past 2 seasons reflects that it's the depth that is our strength and not just the best 15 players that make the Colts program a success.

This coming season we are starting a new Academy the JEDS (Junior Elite Development Squad) for our 15s, 16s and 17s and they will be doing a similar length of program as REDS, 6 weeks before Christmas and 4 weeks after Christmas @ 2 sessions per week and an optional every 2nd Saturday morning session at Wanda Beach at the Sandhills along side the Colts REDS group.

This is a 25 session program and for JEDS it's about education on strength and Conditioning and nutrition and understanding the need for injury management. We are extremely fortunate to have our Colts Head Strength and Conditioning trainer Junior Ta'ale overseeing the S&C component which is the Tuesday session at his gym, IDefine Fitness and Rugby centre at Peakhurst and a field session at Forshaw rugby park under the coaching of Matt Lewis the successful Southern Districts 18s coach who won their competition undefeated in 2015 and were runners up in the 17s State Championship.

We are very fortunate to have these 2 involved in the JEDS program and Junior will also be running the Colts REDS program which has a longer S&C component going through till after Christmas where Alan Wright the Colts head Coach will introduce a skills component leading up to the conclusion of the REDS program.

Starting up the JEDS program has been a challenge but all the efforts have been worthwhile. I would like to thank Brad Devine and all the Southern Districts junior clubs for embracing the idea and also for the support of Neville Shooter and Craig Hawkings from the senior club and importantly the Southern Districts board for the support of the club, all involved brought an important component to making these Academies take shape and whilst the REDS has evolved each of the past 4 years we have been able to bring the successful factors to JEDS and i am positive it will be an ongoing, long term success.

All players will have a JEDS and REDS training shirt and the REDS have training supplements and we are thankful to the financial assistance from the club and also from our sponsors. Aschroft Packaging, Fleet Locate, IDefine Fitness, Multipack, One Zero Communications, Sports Magic Clothing. Please support these sponsors if you can.

JEDS will be training Monday and Wednesday nights, and REDS Tuesday and Thursday nights and feel free to come along and watch the players train and support their efforts.

Keith Holmes

Southern Districts Colts Program Manager