Although Rugby is played in parts of Ghana and some club teams exist, there is a lack of structure and funding at the grassroots level of rugby. However, the passion for Ghanaian sport spreads into rugby and there are many young rugby players who want the chance to develop their rugby skills. By joining this rugby coaching project, you will give more children the chance to play rugby and be coached in rugby, giving the structured training they need to develop. If you love rugby, this is the perfect sports project for you, giving you the chance to share your passion for the game with aspiring rugby players in Ghana.

 

You will be based in the KEEA District, a popular coastal area located in Ghana’s Central Region, about 3 hours from the capital city, Accra. As a volunteer rugby coach, you will help to create more rugby opportunities for the children in the schools and local community. You will be assigned to one of the youth rugby teams or schools in the local community. The rugby players tend to range from 10 to 16 years old, and they vary in talent. Your players will train and play hard during your coaching sessions, many dreaming of becoming a pro rugby player one day. However, coaching rugby in Ghana is not all about big tackles and intense training. Your key goal is to simply allow more youngsters to play as part of a structured rugby team, giving them a sense of belonging that is so important to any aspiring rugby player.

 

We therefore welcome rugby volunteers with varied levels of coaching experience. We just ask that you have played rugby on a regular basis, have a good understanding of the game and possess a basic grounding in coaching principles. Enthusiasm and commitment will fill in the rest. So, whether you are a school, club or county player, or even a qualified coach, you are sure to be able to contribute greatly to the development of rugby in Africa through our sports project.

 

As a rugby volunteer, you will start by working with local coaches in the schools and introducing the basics of the game for 10-16 year olds. This will often be during PE lessons but you will also be encouraged to create after school rugby clubs for the keener players. You will need a good understanding of how to teach the game because many of the children will have never seen it played before. They will have very little, if any, grasp of the rules. However, with dedication and perseverance, the children will pick it up and prove to be strong rugby players. By introducing the basics of passing, kicking, position holding and tackling your rugby players will develop rapidly. You will also have plenty of support during the rugby project as you will be working alongside our in-country team and our other volunteer sports coaches. This collaboration is great for organising sports days or rugby matches between different teams. You will also see that the competition between the volunteers can get quite heated! However, whether it’s complicated lineout formations or morning beach runs, you will soon develop your own rugby coaching programme unique to you and your rugby players.

 

A gap year in Ghana allows you to combine a rugby gap year in Ghana with exciting gap year travel in Ghana. You will also meet lots of other gap year volunteers in Ghana, making your time in Ghana a truly memorable gap year experience.