Despite aiming to produce future professional rugby players, Kent Player Development Manager Chris Wilkins admits that helping the ones who fail to make the cut is maybe his most important mission.
“This is the area that is really important to us. We really want to give those boys just bellow the top level or late developers a pathway to improve.
“They can play for Kent clubs to then feed the Kent U20 and senior sides so they can keep improving and enjoying their rugby with also a pathway to the England Counties set up,” said the former London Wasps flanker.
As a proof of their dedication to these players, a development team coached by Wilkins and 1987 World Cup Winner John Gallagher will travel to New Zealand for a two-week tour next summer.
The School of Rugby in Kent is part of a RFU directive, which states that every county must have a School of Rugby, which has to be linked with a Premiership side.
In Kent’s case, the School of Rugby is linked with Premiership champions Saracens.
“The aim of the School of Rugby is to identify and develop the top boys playing rugby in Kent between the age of 13 and 15.
“There is about 25 players in each age group. The best players are selected in the Saracens Kent Elite with the best boys form there feeding the North London club academy.
“The relationship with Sarries works really well. However, we run the Saracens Kent Elite here in Kent to keep it realistic and not raise the expectations of the boys even if we do have the odd session up there,” added the former England A international.
If the School of Rugby doesn’t have a long history, there are a few players that have come through the Kent development system such as James Short, Ben Ransom and Harry Allen who are all involved in the Saracens first team set up.
Other players like Piers Francis, who played for Auckland in the last ITM Cup in New Zealand and has now signed with the Waikato Chiefs for the next Super Rugby season, or England Sevens star Dan Caprice, who now plays for Biarritz in the French Top 14, have also done well after making their rugby debut in Kent.
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