WooHoo Rugby Scholarship offers a leg-up for a talented player
20 July 2015– WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds, official partner to The Crusaders, is offering a talented young rugby player the opportunity to
attend the Crusaders Academy while undertaking tertiary study.
The WooHoo Rugby Scholarship, valued at $5000, aims to assist in the development of emerging young elite rugby talent.
The scholarship recipient will attend a Canterbury tertiary institution of their choice while attending the Crusaders
Academy, which provides a recognised pathway to a professional rugby career.
Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach said the organisation is delighted to be teaming up with WooHoo to help a future rugby star
realise their potential.
“We’re excited to be providing this opportunity for a young player to learn the skills and techniques that have helped
shape the success of Crusaders and Canterbury rugby over the years, while receiving financial assistance with their
tertiary education.”
As a member of the Crusaders Academy, the scholarship recipient with work with a team of coaches and support staff who
will assist them throughout their scholarship, Webb said.
John Mander, acting CEO of WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds, said the company was proud to be sponsoring the scholarship.
“We’re very happy to be giving a budding rugby star the opportunity to further their education while attending the
Crusaders Academy. We hope that by removing some of the financial barriers to studying and training at this high level,
we will help a young player to realise their dreams and commit to Canterbury.”
Applications for the WooHoo Rugby Scholarship close on 31 August 2015. Selection will be based on applicants’ potential
and achievements in rugby and academics. Each application will be reviewed by a panel of judges.
The Crusaders Academy was established in 1998 as the Canterbury Rugby Academy. It has recently been expanded to
incorporate the Tasman Rugby Academy and rebranded. The Crusaders Academy aims to develop the best rugby talent in the
Crusaders catchment area, with training bases in Canterbury and Tasman, and to provide opportunities for players to
advance their careers with training from some of the best coaching staff in the country. The Crusaders Academy has moved
from strength to strength in its 17 years of operation, with 90% of its inductees graduating into professional rugby
contracts at ITM Cup level or higher. 33 All Blacks that have come from the Academy in the past 17 years.
More information on the WooHoo Rugby Scholarship is at bearugbylegend.co.nz.
ENDS