RWC 2015 legacy thriving in Exeter

The strong and positive legacy of Exeter's successful hosting of Rugby World Cup 2015 is set to continue with the establishment of Mini’s Academy, a dedicated after-school club for four-seven year old boys and girls.

Established by former Exeter Chiefs player Nic Sestaret and Tracey Alison of My First Rugby Ball and supported by community coaches from Exeter Chiefs, along with local sports coaches & students from Exeter College, Mini's Academy is designed to promote the social and health benefits of team sport, while introducing children to rugby; a sport that has at its heart character-building values of passion, respect, integrity, discipline and solidarity.

The Academy will focus on core skills and values, for use both on and off the pitch, giving the very youngest players the best possible start in sport, while building self-esteem.

"This is a great opportunity for the children to learn that the most important part of learning anything new, is to have fun and not to worry about making mistakes.

"That is the way we learn and that is how we grow as players.

"I think that this is an excellent thing for the chil-dren and I am looking forward to spending more time back in Exeter,"  said Nic Sestaret, Director of Coaching and former Exeter Chief.

Rugby World Cup 2015 has been hailed the biggest and best tournament to date with the compelling and competitive action at Sandy Park capturing hearts and minds and attract-ing new participants and fans.

Exeter's Rugby World Cup 2015 legacy programme achieved global recognition during the tournament, attracting the attention of some of the biggest names in rugby. Mini's Academy is the next phase of the legacy and will be a pivotal development within the city.

The Academy kicks off this week at Ide Primary School, before rolling out across the city and Devon during 2016.

This first session will be taken by Nic Sestaret and will run from 3.30pm-4.15pm on Friday 8 January.

Over 3,000 children were involved in Exeter's RWC2015 Legacy, enjoying coaching ses-sions from Andy Baylis and visits from the star of the show himself; Mini.

This platform is being used to launch the Academy, with support coming in from partners across the city.