The host club/partnership will form appropriate partnerships with local educational and vocational institutions in order to provide personal development opportunities for each player. The key requirement is that the player's technical and personal rugby potential is maximised. Within this, every attempt will be made to ensure that academic or vocational training is catered for and not compromised.

At ages 18-21 personal development opportunities might be offered via links with higher and/or further education or by the club directly, should it be registered as an NVQ provider.

At ages 16-18, further personal educational and development opportunities might be offered through:

• Enrolment at a local independent school
• Enrolment at a specialist sports college
• An England Rugby Academy process within a further education college
• The club, where it is registered as an NVQ provider
• Other form of adapted apprenticeship or employment training

For each of the above groups, the host club/partnership will negotiate appropriate flexibility with the provider to allow for the player to:

i) Receive the levels of training/coaching agreed with the Academy Manager
ii) Play only in those games of rugby that are agreed within his personal development programme (normally one game per week)
iii) Have access to appropriate physio/medical support
iv) Be provided with meals of the type, and at the times, that match the
individual's dietary/nutritional/training needs
v) Continue with his personal/study development in a manner that enables him to optimise his personal rugby potential

The England Rugby Academy Manager/Assistant Manager will ensure that there is adequate liaison with all educational institutions where England Rugby Academy players are enrolled.

Where individual athletes are prevented from taking advantage of the programmes due to financial need, the RFU will work with the England Rugby Academy to draw down individual athlete support funding from lottery, Sport Aid Foundation and other sources to assist in meeting these needs.