Newcastle Knights: NRL club reaffirms commitment to relationship with Farrer
Farrer has described the "deepening" of its relationship with the Newcastle Knights, through the staging of welfare and training sessions this week, as "massive".
KNIGHT TIME: Troy Pezet, the Knights' elite pathways recruitment manager, with Farrer students Kye Jackson, Sam Wentworth and Jordan Butler. Photo: Peter Hardin
David Gale, Farrer's deputy principal - residential, said that while the school's relationship with the NRL club started "three or four" years ago, the "formalisation" of the partnership was now happening.
"So they will come up throughout the year and run different programs for us," he said, adding that each year Newcastle provides rugby league playing apparel to the school worth thousands of dollars.
The program this week was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, and involved a welfare session in the morning and a training session in the afternoon.
PATHWAY: Hayden Loughrey is a former Farrer student who was signed by the Knights. Photo: Newcastle Knights
Last year the Knights - who conduct trial matches against Farrer - visited the Tamworth school to discuss welfare but this was the first time the training sessions had been held.
Those sessions were conducted by former NRL player Troy Pezet, the Knights' elite pathways recruitment manager.
The welfare sessions involved good eating, making good decisions, having gratitude and managing a concussion.
"But they will roll through to other focuses down the track, when they [Newcastle] continue to come," Gale said.
"Really, for us, that's [welfare] more important than the rugby league - talking to our boys and making them better people," he added.
"And they're [Newcastle] blown away by how good our boys are here at Farrer and how respectful they are."
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Since forming the partnership, three Farrer students have been signed by the Knights: Hayden Loughrey, Jack Cameron and Mitchell Henderson.
"The obvious part [of the relationship] is the pathway to the NRL that it provides for our boys," Gale said.
"But more importantly for us, the Knights are very committed to: better people make better rugby league players."