Former Tongan international and Two Blues legend John Fonua has accepted the position of Head Coach of the Two Blues Rugby Academy for 2023.
Fonua, a long time Two Blue player and Coach, said he was excited to get to work with the Academy. “The development of our Juniors in the Two Blues District is something I am very passionate about. The chance to help these young kids improve their Rugby is a great opportunity for myself and the Club as a whole. We know how important our young players are to the future of the game in Western Sydney and the Two Blues.”
The Two Blues Rugby Academy is a new joint venture between the Two Blues Seniors and the Two Blues Juniors and aims to create a pathway for Two Blues Junior players to one day represent the Senior Club.
“It’s a fantastic initiative between the Seniors and Juniors and will only benefit the young players in the long run.” Fonua said. “There is a stack of talented players in the Two Blues Juniors, and I am looking forward to helping to ensure that these players can continue to improve and stay in Rugby.”
Tim Shand, President of the Two Blues Juniors, said “We launched the Two Blues Rugby Academy earlier this year to test the format and interest in the Program. It proved to be very popular and since then we have received sponsorship support from The Rugby Club Foundation and Valour Sports, and we have developed an exciting partnership with Super 6 High Performance under the watchful eye of Carl Jennings. The Academy has been established to provide our young rugby players coming through the Two Blues District with a Program to help them improve – from skills, conditioning, and general knowledge about Rugby.”
The Two Blues Rugby Academy has come about following a renewed focus that the Two Blues are placing on Junior development in the region. “The Senior Club is taking this seriously.” said Shand “It’s great to be working together to create something of strategic value for Rugby in Western Sydney. In 2022, we had Senior Club Coaches and Colts Players helping with coaching, and we hosted the Academy training sessions at the Eric Tweedale Stadium to help showcase the facility to our young players and their parents. We believe a strong partnership between the Seniors and Juniors is crucial to the future of the Two Blues.”
Two Blues Head Coach, Sailosi Tagicakibau is also behind the Two Blues Rugby Academy saying “The Academy is a great opportunity for us to work closely with our Juniors and showcase the pathways that are available to our young players to come through to our Colts and Grade Programs at the Senior Club. We are working hard to make sure the Senior Club is an environment that attracts and develops talented players from Western Sydney. We are looking forward to contributing to the growth and success of the Academy, and I know John Fonua will do a great job there as Head Coach.”
Further details about the Two Blues Rugby Academy are available via the
- Website: Two Blues website
- Social Media: Facebook
- Email: academy@twobluesrugby.com.au
