Advanced Sporting Excellence Apprentice selected to play for England
22 January 2010
17-year-old Rose Jay, who attends Hartpury College, is the first female student on the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) scheme to be selected to play rugby for her country.
Having been selected for the England Women's Under 20s squad, Jay could be featured in games against Wales and France this season.
In September 2008 the Rugby Football Union for Women (RFUW), working with the Learning Skills Council (LSC) and the RFU, began the AASE programme at Hartpury College.
AASE is a two year course for 16 to 18 year olds who are ambitious, looking to perform at the highest level and demonstrate the potential to achieve excellence. The programme is designed to provide a career path for young athletes by providing them with excellent training and skills development opportunities in their sport, whilst encouraging athletes to remain in education. The AASE programme comprises of integrated work based experience and learning and academic education.
Tom Stokes, the RFUW's Player Development Manager, said: "The progress Jay has made in 12 months has been fantastic and demonstrates that the AASE programme at Hartpury has delivered what it was designed to do."
Jay added: "Being able to continue my academic studies alongside the AASE programme and rugby career has been brilliant. If I was not involved with this programme my progress would have been so much more difficult.
"My aim now is to go to university but also to continue to develop as a rugby player and realise my ultimate ambition of playing for England."
Jay is one of 18 players on AASE programme at Hartpury and because of the success of the pilot AASE scheme in Gloucestershire the RFUW have this season expanded the programme to Moulton College in Northamptonshire.