JUNIOR RUGBY ACADEMY
The Burlington Centaurs Rugby Football Club established a Junior Rugby Development Academy in the fall of 2017 with the vision of providing a high-performance training environment for both male and female athletes ages 14-18 in the Burlington community and surrounding areas.
This off-season Academy operates out of the sports domes located at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington. The Academy program consists of two 90-minute training sessions each week and runs from the first week of November to the 1st of March each year.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Registration is open to high school athletes born in 2005-2009 and spots are limited so please complete the registration process in a timely manner to confirm your spot. Exceptional athletes born in 2010 are invited to participate by invitation only.
To register please complete the below Google Form;
PLEASE USE ONLY THE PASSWORD Academy2023 WHEN SENDING THE ETRANSFER FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF OUR CLUB TREASURER WHO HAS TO DEPOSIT ALL OF THE FEES
ACADEMY GOALS:
The Short-Term goals of the Centaurs Academy are:
An affordable opportunity for young athletes to train in a High-Performance environment
To make rugby a sport of choice for young athletes in the City of Burlington
To expand the player population in our sport
Improve quality of life of the participating athletes through sport
Provide an open training environment to assist with coaching development in the community and surrounding area
The long-term goals of the Centaurs Academy are:
A Long-Term goals of the Centaurs Academy are:
Provide a pathway for High Performance Athletes to represent the City of Burlington, Province of Ontario, and Canada on an international stage
Further establish the Burlington Centaurs Rugby Football Club to consistently compete among the best rugby clubs in the Province of Ontario at all age grades
Participate in Athlete Exchange Program with established rugby clubs in England, Scotland, Wales
Provide travel opportunities for our athletes to participate in training and competitive tournament environments
COACHING AND INSTRUCTION:
Rugby Canada Key Themes
Coaching and instruction in the Centaurs Academy will be directed in the areas identified by Rugby Canada as Key National Themes to push rugby to a more competitive level. The Key National Themes are:
Run, Catch, Pass
Ball Out of Contact
Tackle Technique and Tracking
Breakdown and Clear-out
http://playsmart.rugbycanada.ca/pdf/Canadian%20Rugby%20National%20Key%20Themes%20booklet%20fillable.pdf
LEAD COACH- Clayton Gillis “Gilli”
Clayton Gillis will be the lead coach for the Centaurs Academy. Clayton is a lifelong Burlington resident and graduate of Nelson High School, where he was introduced to the sport of rugby. Clayton’s association with the Burlington Centaurs dates back to 1995 when he competed for the Centaurs Under 18 team. Clayton attended the University of Guelph and played Scrum-Half for their 1998 Ontario University Championship team. Clayton played men’s rugby for the Burlington Centaurs, Oakville Crusaders and Stoney Creek Camels as well as representative rugby for the Niagara Thunder in the Rugby Canada Super League.
Clayton began coaching rugby in 2003 at Saltfleet Secondary School in Stoney Creek and the majority of his coaching experience has been with high school age athletes. Saltfleet Rugby is recognized as one of the best high school programs in the province, annually participating in the OFSAA provincial championship and winning several medals at that tournament including Gold in 2005 and 2016.
Clayton Gillis’ Coaching resume also includes;
University of Guelph Gryphons Rugby
Upright Rugby Academy
Rugby Ontario- Highway to High Performance 7’s Rugby
William (Bill) Clayton
Bill has been playing competitive rugby for 33 years and has been a proud member of the Burlington Centaurs RFC since 1992.
Bill was a Senior Men’s 1st XV player throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Most recently, he was selected to play at the 2019 Can Am Series in Anchorage Alaska for the Canadian Classics and again at the 2021 Can Am in Calgary.
Bill started coaching Junior Rugby in 2011 and has coached both boys and girls U12 - U18 Centaur teams. He has also been the Head Coach of the Notre Dame Catholic Secondary Girls team for the past four years, bringing them to the 2018 and 2019 OFSAA Championships. He has been a Coach with the Junior Academy since its inception in 2017, the current U16 Boys Coach, and Director of Administration at the Burlington Centaurs RFC. Bill gives credit to rugby for providing him some of the greatest experiences and friendships in his life and has a passion to improve the quality of young people's lives through the sport.
Trevor Atkinson "Atty"
Growing up ‘Atty’ was a AAA hockey player in Hamilton / Stoney Creek area. As the sport of rugby was not known to him, his first experience playing was when he attended Saltfleet High school as a 15-year-old. Saltfleet Rugby is recognized as one of the best high school programs in the province, annually participating in OFSAA provincial championship and winning several medals at the tournament including Gold in 2005. Additionally, it gave him a chance to tour out of country for the first time and in his grade 12 year he had a chance to travel to Cayman Islands to play their province squad. After falling in love with the game, Atty continued playing Jr. rugby at the Club level which quickly transitioned into Sr. men’s and He made his 1XV team debut at just 18 years old. He continues to be active in playing rugby but now with the Burlington Centaurs Sr. Men’s team. He was also fortunate enough to represent the Niagara Lighting (U20) and Niagara Thunder in the Canada rugby Super League.
The sport of rugby has taken Atty all over North America competing in both 15s and 7s. His last tour (2019) being the Stampede 7’s in Calgary with the Calgary Canucks. This is his third year assisting with the Centaurs Rugby Academy and he also helps Coach Bill Clayton with the Burlington Boys U-18 team. After a season ending injury this year, he joined the Burlington Sr. men’s coaching staff on an interim basis. His coaching style is tough but fair and he stresses work ethic.
Favourite Quote: ‘Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Matt Woodley "Woodley / Woods"
Coach Woodley is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson High School in Burlington, Ontario and grew up in the area playing in a wide variety of sports. He was named Pearson’s Athlete of the Year in grades 10 and 12, but more importantly, Pearson was where he was introduced to the sport of rugby. After playing and captaining the team in his senior years, coach Woodley attended Queen’s University right at the beginning of their impressive rugby dynasty. Since his first year attending and playing at Queen’s, they have won OUA gold in 8 of the last 10 years. During this time, he also played for the U20 Niagara Lightning who participated in the Canada Rugby Super League. After finishing a very successful university rugby career, he returned home to Burlington to play for the Burlington Centaurs, the only city club he has ever played for to date. He is a starting 1st XV back three player who models his game on speed and skill. In addition to his playing career, “Woods” also coaches the U18 Burlington Centaurs Girls team. Coach Woodley is thrilled at the progress the club has made over the last 6 years, from the junior program all the way up to the men’s and women’s 1st XV and knows it won’t be long until all programs in the club are competing for league and provincial championships.
Favourite quote: The person who does what is required of him is a player, when he does more, he becomes an athlete.
Kenn Waring aka “Kenny”
Kenn grew up in the small town of Cornwall located in Eastern Ontario, which is where he was exposed to rugby in high school. Kenn grew up playing multiple sports including basketball, football, and volleyball, but it was rugby that he would take a keen interest to and play life long. Kenn has always strived to play at the highest and most competitive level possible. He has been playing for 18 years and has had the opportunity to pull on many different jerseys including the Cornwall Crusaders, Ottawa Irish, University of Ottawa, Eastern Ontario Harlequins, and most recently the Burlington Centaurs. Kenn sees rugby as something that has given him stability and a place to turn to in difficult times; for this reason, he began giving back through coaching. Kenn has coached at the high school level both in Ottawa and Burlington. Last season he took charge of the clubs U16 Girls team leading to this being his first year with the academy. Kenn’s coaching style demands hard work and dedication to improving off the field as much as on. He stresses the importance of fitness and showing up to practice ready to work.
Favourite quote: “Do your job” – Bill Belichick