Rob offers coaching masterclass

 

The last thing Rob Baxter probably expected when he walked into Ottery St Mary Primary School was a group of youngsters quizzing him on his team selection.

However, the Exeter Chiefs head coach admits he is thrilled the Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is spreading the rugby gospel to even younger converts.

Baxter recently visited the Devon school to impart his years of knowledge to a group of 30 pupils as part of the scheme, one of a range of initiatives launched by the club across Devon and Cornwall. And the former 42-year-old said he was delighted to work with a slightly younger set of players than he was used to.

"It's been fantastic, everyone's aware of the weather and the insistent rain we've been having but we had 30 children running around, getting some fresh air with big smiles on their faces throwing a ball around and that's what it's all about," said Baxter.

"We've travelled 15 to 20 minutes away from Sandy Park and the moment I walked into the school I had four or five children asking me about the team or for an autograph, which just shows how the club is expanding across Devon and Cornwall.

"At Exeter Chiefs we've put in place a fantastic rugby development programme going all the way from sessions with school children to four of our senior academy players playing for England Under 20s in the Six Nations.

"I'm a big believer in children playing all kinds of sports, I think it's good for their development, but what I like is that you can put a nice programme together for them they get lots of touches of the ball. That's what's so fantastic about tag rugby - even if you're not the greatest player you can still run around and participate."

And with Exeter Chiefs looking to build on their third straight season in the Aviva Premiership, Baxter knows how important it is to continue building links with the fans and players of the future.

"It's no secret we want to develop our stadium towards a capacity of 20,000 and there's very little point us doing that if we are not playing a brand of rugby people want to watch and that is accessible to the community," he added. "You don't fill a 20,000 capacity stadium by chance, you have to develop your fan base."

The Aviva Premiership Rugby Schools Programme is now in its third season. The key legacy project, which comes with a £2 million investment from Aviva, is an initiative which introduces more than 39,000 young people to rugby union each season.