A new era is dawning for the former Stellenbosch Rugby Academy and Western Province Rugby academies in the Western Cape.
UXi acquired both academies in 2018 and has since embarked on establishing world-renowned International Rugby Institutes across South Africa’s provinces. It took hands with the Griquas-, Blue Bulls-, Pumas-, Free State rugby unions and the Harlequins Rugby Club, to build a rugby development platform that caters for grassroots rugby development as well as high-performance athletic development, based on an individual player development focus and sports science.
For UXi Sport the rugby athlete’s holistic development is of utmost importance. This ensures that an individual develops in his/her sport to their full potential, which includes mind, body, soul and spirit, but most importantly also a career and employment opportunities after rugby. It is for this reason that a move away from the traditional ACADEMY- terminology to INSTITUTE was required, as the programme involves a comprehensive and intrinsic approach to rugby theory and providing practical experience on the field.
The UXi Rugby Institute High Performance Rugby Programme has become a world-class programme that involves a disciplined schedule that makes provision for the mental, life-skills, academic, sport science, counselling, nutrition, and future-fit skills, that will produce an individual that is employable, skilled and has various exit-level opportunities not only in sport but also in other disciplines. The programme also includes various new career opportunities in sport, international placement as coaches, video and game analysts and also rugby specialist fitness instructors. UXi Sport offers internships with all its career programmes and as such the focus is not only to assist players to become professional but more importantly, to ensure that critical skills are taught for employability.
The NEW Western Province International Rugby Institute (WPIRI) will host national and international student-athletes who wish to embark on a journey to develop in their sport whilst also studying a degree in Marketing and Business Management or Logistics, various QCTO Trade programmes, BEd, Agriculture, Financial planning, Project Management, Sport Management, Sport Event Management, Nutrition, a Higher Certificate in Exercise Science or National Diploma in Fitness instruction.
The new logo symbolises the South African national flower, the gem of the Western Province. The stem on which it rests embraces the rich history of the former Stellenbosch Rugby Academy and the five years it took to re-build the former Western Province Rugby Academy. The sharp edges of the leaves represent the incredible highly skilled, dedicated, team of coaches, specialist coaches and support staff who strives for excellence and who have bravely faced the many challenges over a difficult few years, pre- and post-Covid. The flower’s centre resonates inspiration and energy like a shining light of HOPE for the world to see, beyond the challenges of life, our past obstacles, or mistakes. The yellow says “ Nothing is worth more than this day!”
The red warmly invites every young individual with a passion burning in their hearts for the incredible sport of rugby, to have the courage to keep on chasing dreams and to become the change they wish to see in the world!
The prominent white and black outlines of some leaves represents all the various components of the programme that interlinks, and has its roots in the wonderful lessons that sport teaches such as toughness, adaptability, accountability and discipline. It’s a language that knows no borders or boundaries but UNITES like nothing else!
It is UXi Sport’s vision to INSPIRE HOPE through SPORT TO LIFE. It is our prayer that this powerful KING PROTEA will be worn with pride and grace by current and future players and our staff, and that this symbol will become to all what it represents, in each life it touches.
