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'Free open day with international football and rugby stars' Dubai, UAE, 9 December, 2009 - Transguard Elite Sports Academy providing professional training for boys and girls aiming to become rising stars Leading international football and rugby professionals will be on hand tomorrow (Saturday, 12 December 2009) at a special open day for youngsters of all abilities, from beginners to potential world champions, at the Transguard Elite Sports Academy (TESA) in Dubai. Among those taking part will be the coaches of the 12-week training camps for boys and girls aged 8 to 16 at TESA, based on the Repton School campus at Nad Al Sheba. They include for football Carlton Palmer (Sheffield Wednesday and England), Kirk Hilton (Manchester United and Royal Antwerp), Trevor Sinclair (West Ham United and England) and Stephanie Carte (Leeds United). The rugby coaches include: Apollo Perelini (St Helens, Sale Sharks and Samoa), Trevor Leota (Wasps and Samoa), Andrew Fa’avale (Toa Dubai) and Vaniya Lavea (Toa Dubai and New Zealand). Open to both expatriate and Emirati children, TESA Director John Mamea-Wilson is confident that it is only a matter of time before the Academy provides home grown talent capable of competing at the highest levels in both games. As an example of what can be achieved, Transguard Toa – an extension of the Academy – has teams in the local Arabian Gulf Rugby Union leagues and recently formed under-16 and under-14 teams. The youth teams are receiving their training through the Academy. Transguard Toa has the only dedicated Emirati rugby development programme in the country, a labour of love for Mamea-Wilson. “The local group have been coined the Toa-ratis and are fast becoming a legitimate force in the rugby scene,” he said. Toa means warrior in Polynesia and Transguard Toa was founded and nurtured by Mamea-Wilson, a resident of Dubai who has been a pioneering figure in local rugby. Mamea-Wilson is New Zealand born, of Samoan descent. At the Dubai Rugby Sevens recently Transguard Toa had a successful weekend with the ladies team the best performers of the local clubs grouped with some of the top international clubs in the world. They were eventually knocked out in the quarter finals by the eventual champions. Toa also had two teams in the men’s competition which culminated in Transguard Toa beating Transguard Toa-ratis in a hard fought 17-12 victory. “It’s hard not to smile when you see things like that especially being played in front of a decent crowd and the boys thoroughly deserved it,” Mamea-Wilson said. In a further match a team of young Emirati men played another team which included four 17-year-olds, Trevor Leota, Mamea-Wilson and Andrew Fa’avale wearing the crest of Transguard Toa Dubai. The free open day takes place from 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon at Repton School. To register to attend, email info@elitesportsme.com
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