Schools rugby in KwaZulu-Natal will be transformed with the launch of a new initiative between The Sharks and Discovery aimed at making the game safer for school players in the province.

The Discovery SharkSmart Schools of Excellence Programme will build on the success of the Discovery SharkSmart Programme in dramatically reducing the risk of serious rugby injuries by incorporating education and support for school players, parents, coaches, referees and first aid personnel.

"The aim of the programme is to make rugby safer and more fun at all levels," said Discovery SharkSmart Director, Dr Glen Hagemann. "Once a school meets all the criteria they will be accredited as a Discovery SharkSmart School of Excellence, and this will not only make the game safer for their pupils, but also enhance the school's reputation."

All the schools in the programme will subscribe to specified criteria aimed at encouraging their players to play competitive but fair and safe rugby. Those schools that achieve their targets will receive rewards that will benefit and promote safe and injury-free rugby at the school.

The Discovery SharkSmart Schools of Excellence Programme will be driven by Discovery SharkSmart Champions who have been appointed by their respective schools to assist with the implementation of the various criteria. These Discovery SharkSmart Champions recently received their first reward for taking on the project.

Hilton College, Glenwood Boys High School, Kearsney College, Hillcrest High School, Crawford College, DHS, Westville Boys High School, Clifton College, Maritzburg College and Weston Agriculture College are among the schools who will take part in the initial roll-out of the programme.

"Discovery has a long and proud history with Sharks rugby, particularly through the Discovery SharkSmart Programme. This is our eighth year of being associated with what we believe, to be the best injury prevention programme in rugby in South Africa, and certainly one of the best in the world," said Jody Foster, Discovery's Head of Sponsorships.

"Our approach to sponsorship supports our core purpose of making people healthier. We have partnered with SharkSmart to create a programme that aligns with our core purpose of making people healthier. It was a natural progression for us to expand the programme to our schools" concluded Foster.

By setting up a structured programme for schools to subscribe to, the Discovery SharkSmart Schools of Excellence Programme is ensuring that the coaches and first aid personnel are kept at the forefront of world standards in injury prevention so that schools rugby remains an enjoyable and safe sport."

The relevance of such a programme for schools was shown in the case of Sharks Academy member Matt Gregory.

Gregory was injured in a pre-season warm-up game for the College Rovers Under-20 A team this February. The young scrumhalf was caught at the bottom of a ruck and suffered a a serious neck injury. Physiotherapists Daniel Garnett and Jaco Ras who were at the game, and who have also participated in a number of the Discovery SharkSmart Injury Prevention Programme components , stabilised Matt. They ensured that Matt received the correct treatment during the crucial first minutes after the injury. This helped to speed up Matt's rehabilitation and recovery.

"Both physiotherapists have participated in various components of the Discovery SharkSmart Injury Prevention Programme, and thanks to the immediate on-field management provided by Daniel and Jaco, Matt is now walking. He is expected to make a full recovery from what could have been a potentially tragic injury," said Hagemann.

"The way in which Daniel and Jaco acted is testament to the saying that prevention is better than cure. It is this kind of preventive action that we hope to instil with the Discovery SharkSmart Schools of Excellence Programme."

Paul McKay (Clifton College, Discovery SharkSmart Champion), Pippa Rowe (Projects Manager, Discovery SharkSmart), Dylan Nel (Clifton College, First XV Rugby Team Captain), Brian Mitchell (Clifton College, Executive Headmaster), Gerry Goedeke (Clifton College Headmaster)

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