BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby announced Tuesday the addition of the Life University National Development Academy, as part of the broader USA Rugby Olympic Development Academy program, to help identify and develop rugby players across the country.

 

The Life Academy in Georgia will be joining successful National Development Academies Northeast Rugby in New York and New England, Tiger Academy in Ohio, and the Serevi Institute in Washington. In less than two years, these founding NDAs have toured almost 30 times in club-plus competitions, while increasing the weekly volume of skill repetitions, feedback, and physical preparation for emerging elite athletes.

 

“The nascent ODA has had a healthy impact on the men’s national sevens team,” USA Rugby National Sevens Director Alex Magleby said. “The work done by the Northeast NDA has raised the level and parity in the club game in that region; the Tiger Academy and touring team have accelerated the growth of some now-standout Eagles; and Serevi, in addition to all the good work they are doing at the grassroots level, has became a robust and competitive daily training environment for numerous Eagles of today and tomorrow. It’s important we continue to grow the Academy to help our up-and-coming male and female athletes close the gap on international competition.”

 

The Life facility in Marietta will be an influential addition to the Olympic pathway, which has allowed athletes such as Tiger’s Perry Baker and Michael Ziegler hone their skills before making the jump to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

 

“Life University is a seamless fit for our development infrastructure. They have the resources, dedicated rugby facilities, medical and sport-science means, and a world-class coaching staff.” said Magleby, “And being in suburban Atlanta, they have year-round training and easy access to the Atlanta airport.”

 

Life University has produced perennial contenders in both collegiate and club USA Rugby competitions. The Running Eagles have been to the two most recent D1A Rugby National Championships and hoisted the trophy in 2013, while the Division I club team has played in the past two National Championship Finals with a successful trip in 2013.

 

“We are honored to be selected by USA Rugby to a part of the Olympic Development Academy,” Life University Director of Rugby and Assistant Athletic Director Dan Payne said. “Our position in rugby has always been about growing and improving the sport in the United States. We are happy to have the opportunity to serve as a conduit for the appropriately identified players of the southern states to help them to achieve higher levels of competition.”

 

Each of the affiliated National Development Academies (NDAs) operate independently from USA Rugby while simultaneously following the international standards set forth for athletes aspiring to participate in the Olympic Games and international test rugby by the national team staff. Emerging elite athletes in the NDAs are exposed to national team physical, technical, and tactical standards and aim for similar training and match volumes to their international peers.

 

“Each Academy has a unique model that works for the athletes involved in those centers. Academy coaches speak weekly, if not more often, with national team staff. We are starting to get geographic and seasonal variety in the ODA, which can fit the various needs of the athletes, coaches, and club schedules throughout the country,” noted Magleby. “We have a way to go still with the coordination of one nation, one team, one mission, but that process is now underway. We look forward to a controlled build out of the men’s ODA program and to announce the start of the women’s ODA in the coming weeks.”