Pupils at Forth River Primary School scored at a special sports session organised through the Ulster Rugby and Phoenix Energy LineOut Programme.
Led by Ulster Rugby’s Community Development Coach Niall Irwin, more than 30 Year 6 pupils from Forth River took part in a series of drills and games during the session where they were joined by Ulster Rugby Senior Team members Louis Ludik, Andrew Warwick and John Andrew.
Designed to encourage children to get active and try something new, the pupils at Forth River Primary School were the first to take part in the coaching element of the LineOut Programme and they thoroughly enjoyed tackling the new sport.
Speaking after the session Mrs Crothers, Head of PE at Forth River Primary School said: “There are so many benefits to young people getting active and it’s great that we can show them the breadth of sports that they can get involved in. For many of our pupils it was their first time picking up a rugby ball but the coaches and players got them all involved and it was a brilliant session.
“We would like to say a huge thanks to Ulster Rugby and Phoenix Energy for this fantastic opportunity.”
Jonathan Martindale, Director of Sales & Marketing at Phoenix Energy said: “We’re delighted to see the LineOut Programme engaging young people in sport and inspiring them to try new activities.
“There are so many attributes in sport that are vital for individuals and communities to develop, such as teamwork, resilience and communication, and through our partnership with Ulster Rugby with LineOut we want to fuel these skills for people of all ages and backgrounds across our licence area.”
Chris Webster, Head of Rugby Development at Ulster Rugby said: “Community is at the heart of Ulster Rugby and we’re delighted that through the LineOut Programme we can reach new communities and encourage them to explore rugby as a sport. These sessions are a great opportunity for young people to learn about building healthy exercise habits with some inspiration from our players.”
Forth River Primary School is one of a number of schools across the greater Belfast area that has been supported by the Goliath Trust which has been set up to help tackle educational underachievement in Northern Ireland’s most disadvantaged areas.
For further information on the programme or to request a session for your school contact gillian.orr@phoenixnaturalgas.com