Project Rugby First for Young Warrior Cheick
Cheick Kone, one of four young players joining Worcester Warriors Senior Academy at Sixways, is the first player in England to progress from Project Rugby to the Senior Academy of a Gallagher Premiership club.
Born and raised in the Ivory Coast, 18-year-old Cheick spent time in Bologna in Italy before his family re-located to Wolverhampton. Never having watched or played rugby, Cheick was spotted by Matt Jones, Warriors’ Academy Outreach Coach, who went into his school as part of the Project Rugby programme.
Project Rugby is an initiative between Premiership Rugby and England Rugby to increase participation in rugby by people from traditionally under-represented groups, including ethnically diverse communities.
Cheick, who now plays lock, has progressed from the Warriors’ Diploma in Sporting Excellence programme at Stourport HS & Sixth Form College and club rugby at Wolverhampton into the Senior Academy at Sixways but his route into rugby has been anything but conventional.
“I was in Year 11 in school when Matt came in to train some of the boys,” he said. “I’d never played rugby but my teacher Mr Humphreys said there’s a big lad in isolation if you want to go and see him and that’s how I started playing rugby.”
Having been in isolation at school for bad behaviour like failing to do his homework, Cheick has become a diligent student of rugby union, working relentlessly and training every week with the Warriors first team.
“I try to give everything I do 100%, give it my best, listen to the coaches, what they want me to improve and do better. I’ve got a lot to learn and I’m watching the first team players, learning from people like Justin Clegg who plays my position.
“I’d played football, baseball and taikwondo because my dad’s pretty good, a black belt who did pretty good in the Ivory Coast. Dad is really into sport and has really pushed me to work hard, he calls me every day to see how it’s going. He’s really proud, tells me to keep working because I never know where I could end up.”
"Love and friendship in rugby"
Now living in Worcester’s academy house with the other boys, Cheick said: “People really help me out, help me work on my game. There’s a lot of love and friendship in rugby. The other boys know more rugby than me and I’ve got lots to learn. What I love is tackling, carrying the ball forward. I wasn’t focused in school, had stuff on my mind, but now everything I do, I try to do my best.
“Project Rugby and Worcester have given me rugby and lots of opportunity. It put me into Stourport Sixth Form and the Wolverhampton club. They’ve helped me a lot, given me confidence and friendship, I’ve got a lot of friends now. Rugby is a team sport, everyone helps you, that’s what I like about it.”
Thanks to the work of Warriors Community Foundation – the club’s charity arm – Matt Jones has been able to carry out ground-breaking work in introducing rugby to inner city areas in Wolverhampton and the wider area.
While Project Rugby, with Premiership Rugby and England Rugby working with grassroots clubs is increasing participation across communities and improving health, wellbeing, confidence and life chances, Matt believes there are more young people with athletic potential like Cheick out there.
“Cheick has an incredible work ethic and willingness to learn and there are lots of kids who have never found rugby who we want to give the opportunity to get involved,” he said.
Cheick has an older brother living in Italy, an eight-year-old brother who loves swimming and a one-year-old baby sister. He also has a 15-year-old brother.
“He’s already asked me if he should try rugby and he’s a big kid,” said Cheick with a huge grin.
