The growth of rugby globally has been phenomenal over the past few years. This is thanks to more and more coverage of the game globally. As the popularity has grown among players of all ages, so universities and colleges have become more interested. Rugby bursaries and scholarships have been increasing in number over the past few years.
It wasn’t long ago that you would only have these bursaries and scholarships available in the established rugby playing nations. Getting your hands on one as an international player was also very rare. Not impossible, but definitely not the norm. That is changing at a rapid pace.
Although everyone usually things of these rugby scholarships as being associated with universities, that is not always the case. There are many different opportunities available for players these days. We would like to tell you a little more about it.
What rugby bursary opportunities out there?
In the traditional sense, there are an ever-increasing number of bursaries available globally. These are specifically for players who want to study at universities or colleges.
There are however a number of other opportunities available that are very exciting. Many of the established rugby nations have rugby academies. These academies offer financial aid to rugby players from across the world. The important thing for them is to get in players that can be groomed.
The players who make the cut will then be able to take the step up to the professional stage. There are currently such academies throughout Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and North America.
The last type of opportunity is to go and play overseas in a smaller rugby nation. The smaller rugby nations, especially throughout Europe offer players accommodation, help with jobs as well as gym access and club kit. In some instances, there is also a stipend (small salary) available to players.
All of that sounds wonderful, but you are probably looking for more detail. So let’s jump right in!