INTERVIEW | Kal In The Afternoon Speaks To Bruce Cunningham From Aguiles Rugby on BayRadio
7K views
Oct 29, 2024
Like and Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more insights from BayRadio Spain, and follow us on Social Media: Website: http://www.bayradio.fm/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BayRadioInSpain Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayradiospain/
View Video Transcript
0:00
Saturday Sports show on Bay radio glad
0:02
to say hello again to Bruce Cunningham
0:04
from agilis rugby how's it going good
0:06
thanks Cal thanks for having us yeah
0:07
very good with season's uh first phase
0:09
of the season is finished and um getting
0:11
ready to see what next year is going to
0:13
hold for us just remind the audience
0:16
what exactly aguiles rugby does it's
0:18
kids of all ages of all genders that's
0:20
correct yep uh from the ages of five up
0:23
to 16 um we are junior Rugby Club so uh
0:26
we don't go any further than that at the
0:28
moment um but yeah kids boys and girls
0:30
um in fact uh we've been doing classes
0:33
in Lees uh just finished a four class
0:36
Series in XC and then we're also working
0:38
with the Instituto in December to do
0:40
five classes of rugby so we're taking
0:41
rugby to the schools right across the
0:43
board as well then the uh the
0:44
international schools and the Spanish
0:46
School absolutely and you play right up
0:47
and down the hole of the Costa Blanca we
0:49
do all the way from North of valenia
0:51
down to alacante uh we're in the
0:53
southern league so most of our games
0:55
tend to be from Dena down to alante and
0:58
El um but yeah up and down the coast you
1:01
just had a big de last night how's your
1:03
head uh it's fine actually considering
1:06
um you've been drinking some of that
1:07
cassad Delino wine your own you've
1:09
actually got your own wine of course
1:10
yeah we do the agilla wine it was
1:12
ailable I didn't try it yet by the way
1:13
you bought me a bottle and I haven't had
1:14
the occasion well you must try it it's
1:16
it's available only at cadino actually
1:18
but um uh yes it's a coach appreciation
1:20
night we had and um just to give thanks
1:22
to our uh um wonderful coaches 100%
1:25
volunteer no one gets paid for anything
1:27
they step up they give their free time
1:28
so it's our way of saying thank you
1:30
ladies and gentlemen for for you know
1:32
giving up your time during the week
1:34
during the weekends to to coach the kids
1:36
and lead them forward how many people
1:37
have you got involved then on the
1:38
coaching side the coaching side we have
1:40
about 12 at the moment um we do need
1:42
more always looking for more because as
1:43
we're volunteers you know these are
1:45
these are volunteers and I'm one of them
1:46
we have jobs and travel and kids and
1:49
family and so we've all got our own
1:51
issues I guess in as far as time is
1:53
concerned so we're always looking for
1:54
more coaches to step up and help what's
1:56
the commitment then what sort of time
1:57
are you looking at really you know it's
1:59
it's a couple of hours a week during the
2:01
week for two trainings and then an hour
2:03
or two on the weekend when there's a
2:04
game um that's really the essence of it
2:06
some some more of our coaches have more
2:08
time during the day so they help me out
2:10
with the classes at the schools but one
2:12
or two hours a week would be awesome and
2:13
what sort of qualifications does
2:14
somebody need to be able to help the
2:16
kids coaching them in rugby yeah so um
2:19
first of all love for rugby ability to
2:22
coach kids but we also help out with
2:24
courses uh there's a world rugby course
2:26
essentially just gives parameters for
2:28
those people who have come in to as
2:30
coaches but not necessarily know much
2:31
about rugby we then Elevate to a course
2:34
that the valenia community puts on um
2:36
specifically uh for training rugby at
2:38
different age groups myself and seven
2:40
other coaches from the club just
2:42
completed that was that in Spanish or in
2:43
English it was 100% Spanish wow okay so
2:47
that's another level it was another
2:48
level little challenge we all we all got
2:50
there which is great excellent good to
2:52
hear and great that you've got so many
2:53
people involved but you always need more
2:55
volunteers right always need more
2:56
volunteers we've just had a couple more
2:57
step up some uh some the Ladi uh parents
3:01
have stepped in and helping us now so
3:03
but it it takes a it takes a village
3:05
right to to run a club um as I said
3:07
again 100% volunteers so if everyone
3:09
anyone can give up an hour maybe two a
3:11
week uh just to help in all different
3:13
sorts of are I was going to say actually
3:14
because you don't actually have to be a
3:15
rugby coach do you to help out there's
3:17
lots of other things that people can
3:18
help with abs absolutely just organizing
3:19
events um helping you know translations
3:23
and things like that meeting with
3:24
different people um yeah I mean just
3:27
anywhere we can we can have a little
3:28
help would be great and of you're always
3:30
open to more kids joining up absolutely
3:32
yeah we're up to about just over 100 I
3:34
think 120 kids but um we're constantly
3:37
looking to grow and as the season goes
3:39
we just add one or two more players and
3:40
they they come in from different parts
3:41
of the world so uh very fortunate to
3:43
have a a very robust community that
3:45
welcomes the kids sell it to somebody
3:48
who hasn't actually tried rugby before
3:49
hasn't thought about it or parents who
3:51
might be a little bit concerned that it
3:52
might be a bit rough for their children
3:54
uh well you know the the training
3:55
happens in stages so the little kids
3:57
they're not getting into scrums and line
3:59
outs and and all that thing um it's a
4:01
progressive sport so as they age they
4:03
the new skills get um introduced to them
4:06
so they're learning at a certain Pace
4:08
it's not just hey we all got to go and
4:09
play rugby and kill each other it's we
4:11
learn the skills and once we've mastered
4:13
those skills the next age group just
4:14
moves up a little bit it's not really
4:16
until the 16s where they start to play
4:18
full rugby rules with the lifting line
4:20
outs and the scrums but uh um it
4:23
otherwise it's it's age appropriate
4:25
we've mentioned before the how
4:26
successful the club has been for a
4:28
relatively new club three Finals within
4:30
three years yeah and um of course now
4:33
you've got this extra team as well
4:35
because they've got older they have they
4:37
have our 14s all moved up all of them
4:39
pretty much moved up to the 16s and
4:42
interesting about Rabia in in Valencia
4:45
is they move up in two-year age groups
4:46
so they've now all moved up to the 16s
4:48
but they're all Junior 16s so they're
4:50
running up against some senior teams who
4:52
you know been together for a couple of
4:53
years but we're not phased because we're
4:55
still holding our own in against some of
4:57
the teams in the South so uh this is our
4:59
let's call it a transition year yeah I
5:01
would say from a skill point of view I
5:02
was talking to one of the parents the
5:04
other day and he was saying that you
5:05
know whilst you know they can hold their
5:07
own they are up against bigger kids yes
5:10
they are indeed and I'm quite
5:11
embarrassed to say that I when I trained
5:13
the uh 14s and 16s the 16 year old boys
5:15
are looking down at me I can't make ey
5:17
contact those LS they've grown so
5:19
quickly haven't they across the summer
5:21
absolutely and uh when we're holding
5:22
that tackle bag for them to to crash
5:24
into it trainings and
5:27
ouch they they're big Lads now yeah
5:29
you've got another event coming up soon
5:31
tell us about that yes Nick we we do
5:33
this once or twice a year um it's our uh
5:36
wine tasting that we do in conjunction
5:38
with uh um the club it's being held at
5:40
casad deino in here in the rnl here in
5:43
Javier on Thursday the 30th of November
5:46
from 8:00 goes to about an hour and a
5:48
half you get to try some great wines
5:49
there's a door prize nibbles and bits to
5:51
to carry on uh have a good conversation
5:54
but uh and a little bit of money at the
5:55
door 15 and that goes towards the the
5:58
club there a fundraiser for
6:00
and of course also there's the
6:01
opportunity to sample ail wine
6:03
absolutely and meet some some new people
6:05
and meet some coaches Etc and and just
6:07
enjoy yourselves it's what it's all
6:09
about what about this situation with
6:12
somewhere to play in a clubhouse because
6:13
we know that's been an issue for a while
6:15
it takes a long time to get things off
6:16
the ground in it does it does indeed
6:18
it's uh two years we've been working on
6:20
a on a space in the in harier here
6:23
behind the rnl um but again this
6:25
bureaucracy we've got to jump over
6:27
hurdles jump through hoops Etc um it's
6:30
inching closer but uh we it's there we
6:32
can see it we want it it's just a matter
6:35
of the bureaucracy allowing it to happen
6:37
you finally got somewhere to store your
6:38
kit we do now that's a huge breakthrough
6:40
today yesterday got the key from uh uh
6:43
the palow the sports center and we're
6:44
now the rugby team has its place to
6:46
store all its equipment uh so it's not
6:48
spread through my garage or many other
6:50
people's garages so we can keep it all
6:52
together at the mosquitoes pitch but
6:53
your Clubhouse is still the bus right
6:55
yeah that's still the Bus 55
6:57
uh six wheel or what it is um and we'll
7:00
be going up to uh tomorrow it's going up
7:03
to um Valencia there's a big uh
7:05
tournament for the the younger kids from
7:07
the eights 10 and 12s are playing a big
7:09
tournament up in Valencia tomorrow so
7:11
what other events have you got coming up
7:13
I guess Christmas there'll be a break
7:15
there'll be a break we're still training
7:16
we'll train right through to the
7:17
Christmas week um the 16s have a
7:20
friendly coming up on um oh sorry
7:21
they've got their their last game today
7:23
of course uh they got another one next
7:25
uh Saturday and then we a couple more
7:27
friendly games just to keep them in tune
7:29
and phase two of the tournament starts
7:31
which is um the second week of January
7:33
and it goes through till uh May okay
7:35
Bruce great to see you again thanks for
7:36
coming in you're always so enthusiastic
7:38
about it it's great how do people get in
7:39
touch with you to maybe take part or
7:41
volunteer absolutely easiest way is
7:43
agill rugby.com uh or email me directly
7:46
at info@ aillis rugby.com and uh happy
7:50
to help all right great good to see you
7:51
thanks appreciate it
#Rugby
#Sports Coaching & Training
#Team Sports
#Youth Organizations & Resources