Connect is a high performance academy dedicated to nurturing disadvantaged young people in Cape Town, South Africa, from the grassroots through to professional rugby.

We work holistically and individually with our athletes to give them the best possible chance of fulfilling their potential, on and off the sports field, by providing consistent access to quality resources and opportunities.

Our first four national champions were crowned at age group level in 2017, three years after beginning their rugby journey. Rugby also provided the opportunity for several of our children to begin scholarships at prestigious local schools in 2018.

While basic access to sport is an undeniable positive for children from backgrounds of poverty, it is our firm belief that it shouldn’t be the ceiling of ambition. By allowing our young people to aim for professionalism we will not only achieve that in several cases but also engender a more outward-looking, educated and ambitious culture as a bare minimum for each of our participants. Our aim is to encourage not just rugby players but well-rounded, employable adults in the wider world.

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