New Zealand
New Zealand take part in growing the game in the US
ESPN Staff
September 29, 2014
Rugby continues to be the fastest growing sport in the United States © Getty Images
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A Wellington entrepreneur has instigated a series of training camps that will see some of New Zealand's Super Rugby players travel across to the USA to help grow the game and impart their knowledge.

Harrison Stott has formed the New Zealand Elite Rugby Academy in response to his time playing rugby in St Louis. "The coaching staff was below par, to tell you the truth," Stott told the Dominion Post. "Unfortunately, we won the nationals. So we apparently had the most accredited coach in the USA, but he was terrible."

With rugby one of the fastest growing team sports in America alongside lacrosse, the potential is huge for the game. The academy's programme sees the Hurricanes' Brad Shields and Reggie Goodes and Chiefs' half-back Brad Weber travelling over to the USA and Stott wants the players to pass on their modern understanding of the game to those they are training.

"Take Reggie, for example. I know he scrunches his toes before he's about to go in the scrum and then explodes out - how his grip's different, how he holds his feet placement before a scrum. And Brad Shields, he has a certain running style and when he's about to offload the ball - it's all timed. No coach is ever going to look at that, per player, and try to get that across to them."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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