A NEW youth academy has been launched at Sale FC Rugby Club, to teach life skills and sport to Trafford’s under-17s.

Young rugby players and parents from across Sale were invited to an open day at the National League 1 club’s Heywood Road ground to find out how the new academy would provide the training.

The social enterprise will provide a diverse range of coaching, from sports and fitness alongside Sale Sharks, to cookery and business workshops.

The academy will provide complete support and guidance for young players to make the transition into senior rugby.

Academy head coach, Ian McKerchar, said: “The idea behind the academy is to provide a place where anyone can receive top class training. Not only in rugby, but also in essential lifeskills.

“The under-17 age group is a difficult one, so our aim is to support young people through this transition both on the pitch, by providing quality coaching, and off the pitch by using our links to Manchester Metropolitan University, Trafford Business Club and Sale Sharks.

“Over the past three seasons the changes at Sale FC Rugby both on and off the pitch have been breath-taking. From being promoted into National 1 Rugby, to investing heavily in the both Heywood Road and at our High-Performance Training Facility at Carrington. With new and improved facilities second to none in the North West.”

The Academy Open Day began with a coaches Q&A, followed by a game-based training session lasting 90 minutes. The teenagers then had a well-deserved rest and a meal at the clubhouse where they met the club's senior coaches and officials.

Sale FC Rugby are one of the oldest surviving rugby clubs in the world, and original home to the Sale Sharks.