Placement overview
Name: Marcus
Vocational area: Rugby
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Perpignan, France
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'My time overseas has given me a greater sense of personal ethics and professionalism. I was inspired by the academy and rugby players to replicate their achievements. I have one more year at College, then I want to enrol at a rugby-focussed university. I am even open to study abroad now thanks to this placement.'
The motivation
My tutor encouraged me to apply and to prove myself by working hard throughout the year. I am from a working class background so I really appreciated the opportunity to have a funded placement complete with flights, accommodation and subsistence.
The placement
My placement in France exposed me to a whole new way of playing sport. The British style of playing rugby is a lot more physical than the French way, where emphasis is placed on the technical side of things. There is a lot more passing and strategising and the French learn at a faster pace.
My group was weaker at this but the French academy gave us the chance to progress which we would not have had in the UK. We practiced hard and took all the advice on board to be able to perform using the best of both worlds.
The location
We spent a lot of time learning the local language. The tutors spoke to us in French as well as English and were really patient in helping us to learn basic phrases.
The host partner Alfmed did a great job and even organised educational trips for us. We saw a mountain fort with dungeons below and views of the Alps at the top!
I enjoyed learning some of the local history. We also had the chance to watch a professional rugby match. It isn’t every day that you get to watch professional play and feel the atmosphere in person. A highlight of the trip was being asked to sing a song in English for our employer’s birthday. We chose Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ which completely made her day!
The impact
I loved having the chance to live independently. It helped me to grow and to build me as a person. There were no family members around to fend for me which allowed me to mature and manage my own money.
My time overseas has given me a greater sense of personal ethics and professionalism. I was inspired by the academy and rugby players to replicate their achievements going forward. I have one more year at college after which I want to enrol at a rugby-focussed university. I am even open to studying abroad now thanks to this placement.
My advice for anyone thinking about doing a work placement abroad is not to turn down the opportunity. It will open your eyes to different aspects of life which you would not get to see at home. For me it was the experience of my lifetime.
Outcomes
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Improved language skills
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Exposure to cultural experience
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Confidence building
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Improved people skills
Collaboration and partnership is at the heart of what we do.
If you would like to find out more about the way we work, get in touch.
