USW partnership strengthens rugby opportunities for Pontypridd’s young players

A partnership agreement between the University of South Wales (USW) and Pontypridd Initiative Rugby Academy (PIRA) is helping young players develop their rugby skills while giving university students valuable experience in real-world sporting environments.

Established in 2017, PIRA provides a structured rugby development pathway across the Pontypridd community. It works collaboratively with local primary and comprehensive schools, community rugby clubs, Pontypridd RFC, and Pontypridd Schools Rugby.

Since its launch, the volunteer-led academy has grown significantly and engages more than 1,000 young people each year through holiday skills camps, weekly training sessions, and player development programmes.

The scale of that growth is reflected in PIRA’s Primary Schools Tournament. Four schools took part in the inaugural competition in 2017, compared with 25 schools and more than 350 participants in 2026.

USW has supported the initiative since its inception, providing access to specialist facilities at USW Sport Park, which has enabled PIRA to deliver activity throughout the year.

More than 100 USW students have also worked with PIRA in a range of roles. These have included coaching, sports therapy and medical provision, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, team management, and media and content production. This provides students with opportunities to apply the knowledge and skills gained through their studies in a live sporting environment. At the same time, their contribution supports the professionalism, safety, and quality of PIRA’s activities for young players.

The new partnership formalises the longstanding collaboration between USW and PIRA, which encompasses community participation, student employability, applied learning, player development, and organisational sustainability. The initiative also forms part of a longer-term development pathway aligned with Pontypridd RFC, supporting the club’s strategic ambitions within the Super Rugby Cymru League.

Rob Griffiths, USW Director of Sport, said: “We are delighted to support PIRA through the expertise of our students and staff, as well as our specialist facilities at USW Sport Park. The partnership creates valuable opportunities for young people across Pontypridd while enabling our students to apply their learning in a real-world sporting environment. It is a strong example of what can be achieved through long-term collaboration, and we look forward to developing the partnership further.”

Justin Burnell, Director of Sport at PIRA, said: “USW has been part of the PIRA journey since we started in 2017, and their support has been fundamental to the growth of the academy.

"The relationship with USW strengthens the pathway from schools and community rugby, through PIRA and Pontypridd Schools, and ultimately towards Pontypridd RFC. We want talented young players to be able to develop within their own community and see a genuine pathway ahead of them.

“Everything we do at PIRA is centred around providing opportunities for young people from Pontypridd and the surrounding communities, which we are extremely proud of. We are hugely grateful to USW for believing in us. Formalising this partnership is another important step forward, and we are excited about what USW and PIRA can achieve together over the coming years.”