By John McMurtry
Queen's University ran a three day U18 Performance Camp at the Sports Arena. The Front Row Union went along to check it out.
The camp was led by David Chambers who has a wealth of experience in the women's game having help coach Ulster U18 Girls to a Grand Slam in 2016
Ulster Women's stalwart Jemma Farrell was also part of the coaching team. A health and fitness expert, Jemma has been involved with coaching U18 Girls since 2016
Ireland Women's international Claire Small was also on hand to share her experiences of international rugby and the player pathway
The sessions would start with a review of the principles behind the game's core skills
In a busy schedule, the coaching team would work with the players to develop and build on their technique
The players were then encouraged to apply their learnings in controlled match situations where technique was key
By day 3 the intensity of the drills had moved up a gear as the coaches built on the challenges of the match situation
The course ended with a comprehensive rucking exercise as the players worked on their responsibilites after the tackle
The focus and the willingness of the players to work on their technique was impressive throughout the sessions
We caught up with the players and coaches at the end of the course to find out how they found the camp
— Jemma Farrell
— Claire Small
— Sinéad
— Shana