Worcester Warriors Academy successfully runs an Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) for aspiring elite rugby players that combines player development and academic study.

Who is involved with the Warriors Apprenticeship?
The Worcester Warriors AASE scheme is a partnership between:
• Worcester Warriors
• Rugby Football Union
• Worcester Sixth Form College

What is the Worcester Warriors Apprenticeship?
The initiative, which is supported by the RFU, invites students aged from 16 to 18 to apply for an AASE place which will combine rugby training at Warriors with a course of academic study at Worcester Sixth Form College. The new scheme complements the club's existing Academy.

The course takes two years to complete, with the AASE framework providing a structured national training and development route. The framework contains a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) which is fully reflective of the broad range of competences required such as the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of rugby as well as addressing wider issues such as lifestyle, communication, wider career management, and health and safety.

The apprenticeship meets the needs of the RFU:
Long Term Athlete Development 16-18 should be "Train to Compete" 15 hours a week. Traditional rugby schools "Train to Win" ethos is usually about the developing player preparing for the School 1st XV to win fixtures.

The apprenticeship meets the needs of Worcester Warriors:
We would like to continue to develop our own players who will continue to further the reputation for excellence of Worcester Warriors. The club takes pride in the fact that the rugby element of the Worcester Warriors Apprenticeship is conducted by professional staff at the 1st Team training facilities at Sixways Stadium.

The apprenticeship offers a quality academic experience:
The students undertake their academic studies at Worcester Sixth Form College which is a short drive from Sixways Stadium and offers fantastic facilities and an outstanding academic record.

How is it organised?
Rugby is structured around the academic timetable so that whatever course our students take - A Leave or BTEC - the training programme fits in with this.

The Rugby Programme is divided into three areas:
• Rugby Development & Performance
• Physical Development
• Knowledge and Understanding

Rugby Development and Performance
• Core Skills sessions - techniques and skills required for individual excellence in execution
• Rugby sessions - game understanding, techniques and skills required for excellence
• Set piece sessions - ensuring individuals and units have the understanding, techniques and skills required to fulfil their specific positional roles within the game.
• Captain's run - organises the team to develop team play and game management understanding and execution.
• Free Training - the content and focus of the session is led by an apprentice, with the support of their peers and/or coaches as they request it.
• Games - An essential part of development is consistently playing in good quality competitive games.
• Video Analysis - Warriors AASE has a full-time performance analyst who records every match and records every individual's actions. The apprentices then have full access to his footage at a dedicated analyst suite based at Sixways Stadium so they can go through games and training sessions with coaching staff.

Training develops technical excellence, and game play encourages learning through performance. To this end we maintain a very strong fixture list featuring other Premiership club apprenticeship schemes.

Physical Development
Physical Development and Performance is led by our strength and conditioning and physiotherapist teams.

Strength and Conditioning is divided into:
• Power
• Strength
• Hypertrophy
• Conditioning
• Speed
The physiotherapy department lead on:
• Athletic Potential Enhancement (A.P.E.) - a series of levels of exercises and activities designed to improve athletic performance i.e. adjust to and make best use of the strength and conditioning gains and also prevent injury by means of improving mechanics, balance, flexibility, coordination etc.
• Recovery sessions - which are a combination of self massage, body mechanics, flushing body systems by using systems such as ice baths etc.
• Triage Clinic - Physiotherapy is available throughout the week by simply making an appointment but there is also a specific triage clinic time set aside for post match days.

Knowledge and Understanding
Knowledge and Understanding is covered wherever possible by gaining practical experiences on the pitches. Where this is not possible we will undertake classroom based sessions covering such topics as game understanding, technical and tactical appreciation through reflection, etc. Most are backed by video analysis of the apprentices own performances or by analysis of current elite performers.

What are the entry requirements?
Candidates for a Warriors Apprenticeship are identified via a combination of nominations, scouting and applications.

Acceptance that the candidate has displayed elite levels of performance or shown the potential to reach elite levels will be established through scouting or application, references and trials.

Once a candidate has been selected on rugby performance grounds, an interview with the college will ensure the provision of appropriate academic courses.

Once a candidate has been accepted on rugby performance and an academic path has been agreed, a medical is required to ensure fitness to engage in the physical rigours of the apprenticeship.

How successful is the Warriors AASE scheme?
The AASE scheme has already been hugely successful in rugby. Out of the initial 83 scholars, 12 have so far achieved international honours, 34 have been offered professional rugby contracts, 45 have progressed into Higher Education and four have moved into employment.
Currently over a third of the AASE students with Warriors have been offered professional contracts. The remainder have been offered university places, often on a scholarship to keep close links with Worcester Warriors.
Matt Sheratt, AASE co-ordinator at Warriors, said: "The AASE scheme provides us with the framework to give players the chance to excel in their sport and still get the education they need, so that if rugby doesn't work out for them they will have completed their education and have other careers to fall back on.
"As AASE gives each participant an additional qualification alongside their mainstream courses, it can help them pursue further education opportunities. Our belief is that education must run alongside sport at this level, however talented the player."