Burleigh Bears to host The Rapana Academy’s inaugural Girls Can Too rugby league camp on Saturday
What began as a simple dinnertime chat has turned into a potentially-seminal moment for some of the Gold Coast’s best young female footballers as they prepare to fast-track their rugby league education on Saturday.
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WHAT began as a simple dinnertime chat has turned into a potentially-seminal moment for some of the Gold Coast’s best young female footballers as they prepare to fast-track their rugby league education.
Forty girls aged 14-16 will descend on Pizzey Park for a groundbreaking Girls Can Too camp tomorrow, with the full-day program to cover topics such as nutrition, strength and conditioning, goal setting and on-field skills.
The camp is the brainchild of The Rapana Academy - led by Giovanni Rapana and Jillaroos representative Tazmin Gray, the siblings of former NRL flyer Jordan Rapana – and is designed to help develop players on the path to the NRL Women’s.
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Queensland representative regular Gray, 24, has been among those to benefit from the establishment of the NRLW since 2018, playing for the Roosters in the inaugural season before helping to Broncos to back-to-back crowns last year.
Her focus now is on helping the next generation make their dreams a reality.
“I’ve always wanted to help the younger generation and offer my talents and skills and help them to reach their full potential,” the hard-running back-rower said.
“Growing up and not being able to have things like this (camp), it’s something to create a pathway for these young girls. All my brothers have played rugby league so it’s just to be around and help teach (these girls) the things I’ve been taught.
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“I’m just an individual like them and aspiring to be the best individual they can be. My dream is just to give back to the community that’s helped shape me to be the person I am.”
Desperate to give talented players the best start possible, Giovanni Rapana said the help of sponsors had allowed The Rapana Academy to make tomorrow’s event free of charge.
“We were sitting around the dinner table a few months ago and while talking about footy, my sister Tazmin voiced that she would love to put a rugby league camp together to focus on the younger generation and as she has experienced the lack in opportunities for the younger girls in the game,” Rapana said.
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“The conversation led us to wanting to make this happen, thus the creation of Girls Can Too. As we have families, we came up with the idea of making it free as we know school is back on, footy season is just about to start and some parents just simply can’t afford it.
“A few (sponsors) have been willing to make this happen for us.”
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