General information for Super 6
Community Rugby at the Heart of the Community
Super Six has proved popular in the under 15 and under 16 age groups. The evening matches are currently being watch by more than 400 people at each venue. As well as offering the opportunity for players to have a go at a higher level.
The Super 6 takes place currently on 5 Friday evenings during the course of the season. To make things more interesting and attractive, the programme tours those clubs in the county that have floodlights. This makes a good atmosphere for those attending and participating and beneficial for the host club, who will have a large number of people enjoying the facilities.
Players: The Programme is very much that of development. The players are invited to take part in training with the best players in their district and developing their skills in line with a basic directive from the county coaching committee. The Festival evenings are the vehicle to exhibit those skills in a competition format.
Coaches: The coaches are all volunteers who are looking to develop their own skills and experience. Mentored by well qualified staff and invited to participate in coaching workshop run by the Somerset County Coaching Committee in partnership with Bath Rugby and Bristol Shoguns.
Referees: The referees are also volunteers and the opportunity is there for anyone who has recently taken a referee course to be assessed or gain experience while working with the Super 6 programme.
Clubs: Those clubs in Somerset who have floodlights are invited to host a Super 6 Festival as the tour progresses. The Clubs involved do not charge for the facility and in doing so support the development of the future players of the county and beyond. They do however benefit from 300 - 400 people attending their club wanting refreshments on a Friday evening when things are usually quiet if not shut.
The Super 6 refers to six districts across Somerset. Each carry a squad who take part in a league played under Floodlights. All six teams play a 40 minute game with the two teams that have travelled the furthest playing first and the two most local teams to play last. The evening will kick off at 6.45pm and be completed by 9.15pm.
Each year the stimulus is changes: At under 15 level all players take part and at the final outcome of the programme a squad is selected to represent SomersetCounty in their cross border matches. Even so, the remaining players in the Super 6 squads also get the opportunity of representing the county, as they each play a match against the B squad of the nearest neighbouring county when the A squads play. In this way more than 200 players get the chance to play county standard rugby. In addition a totally different squad is chosen to play for the Somerset County 10 a side squad. These are diffetnt players from those who play in the 15 a side version of the county squad.
The under 16 programme takes after Christmas and after the schools county programme. The players in the Super 6 squads are made up of those who did not get the opportunity to represent the County A squad in the autumn campaign. This method alters the strength of the squads from the previous under 15 year and gives a different look to the festival balance in addition to giving opportunities to further players.
The local authorities have been unanimous in their support of this scheme and the host clubs have all offered their venues free of charge as a sponsorship to this scheme which is great news.
In turn local business are also fully supporting the Super 6 programme of Youth Rugby, both Kelston Sparkes Group and Firework FX are two businesses firmly behind the iniative. If you require any information about the Super 6 or wish to find out how you can get involved as a player, coach, volunteer or businesses interested in supporting the Super 6 programme please contact gary.hart@somersetrfu.co.uk
