PSA Rugby Academy, Tignes

For all of our latest updates please see our dedicated COVID-19 FAQs Page, which contains all of our latest operational planning information relating to the PSA Rugby Academy, Tignes programme

As well as core skills, our programmes looks to deliver step changes in game comprehension, communication skills and overall influence of each individual, as a player and person. Our approach, which in 2020 will use the 9PSAVs Framework, adapted from elite sports, looks to create a clear roadmap for our ambitious players, empowering them to confidently lead their own development progress on and off the pitch.

Our training programme will include 10, one hour pitch based training sessions focussing on non contact individual skill development along side a minimum three 45 minute strength & conditioning sessions. We also include a rest day and recovery activities throughout the week making the most of the amazing adventure activities that Tignes has to offer. For more information please see our sample programme HERE

We have partnered with UCPA to ensure the best possible experience for all of our players during the PSA Rugby Academy Tignes. Through our partnership, not only do UCPA run the excellent sports hostel located 2100m above sea level in Val Claret, but they use their over 70 years of being the leading provider of youth sports experiences in France, to deliver a well supervised pastoral programme alongside our high performance rugby training.

Our pastoral programme will see fully trained staff accompany your young players around Tignes as they participate in all the exciting recreational activities that Tignes has to offer during the day, as well as providing a series of exciting evening activities. Not only will this ensure an unforgettable experience for your players outside of our action packed rugby programme, this activities will create an opportunity for your players to meet children visiting Tignes on other programmes run by UCPA.

Our fully vetted and professionally trained programme staff are responsible for the pastoral care of all those players in our care and ensure that everyone is sleeping & eating well, joining in all activities, making friends and having a great time. As well as ensuring the daily wellbeing of the overall group, our staff get assigned a group of players that they mentor, delivering twice daily “Markers” meetings, where they get to develop a rapport with each individual and can speak about how they feel physically & emotionally, what their daily goals are and how they fell the programme activities have gone. During free time, our players are able to relax in specified areas of the UCPA Tignes common areas with their new friends, whilst being supervised by our staff.

The majority of our programme staff are trained First Aiders. If there should be a serious health problem involving one of our players, the player in question will be taken to hospital and we will inform his/her parents immediately. Please only provide your player with medication that needs to be taken during their stay at camp. In case of illness, we will ensure your player has access to the local medical facilities, where fully qualified medical professionals can prescribe any additional medicines deemed necessary.

NOTE – all medication (other than inhalers) will be kept securely by camp staff and made accessible to your player as per your instructions. Medication cannot be kept in shared bedrooms due to the potential safety risks involved.

Accommodation at the UCPA, Tignes is in shared rooms. All bedding, sheets, duvets & pillow plus covers are supplied, but players are welcome to bring an additional pillow or home comforts. Our Academy Staffing team will allocate rooming based on specific room sharing requests on booking and/or by age. Please contact us in advance of arrival if there is any preference that you haven ‘t previously stated. Please note that we cannot guarantee any rooming requests after arrival.

Players are welcome to bring electrical items at their own risk, (see our Terms & Conditions for further details), Wi-Fi will be available in set social areas, allowing players to connect during their free time.

All residential players will be provided with four meals per day (Continental Breakfast, hot buffet Lunch, light afternoon Snack & hot buffet Dinner). Each meal has many options to cater for any dietary requirements, however, should your player have any specific medical related nutritional requirements please contact our team.

Non residential players have a hot buffet lunch and afternoon snack included within their package.

PSA Academies has partnered with Endsleigh Insurance to provide invaluable cover specifically designed for PSA Academies players. You should have received a summary of insurance cover after booking, however key benefits include:

• Cover for over 90 sports and activities are included as standard (full details are available within policy documentation).
• Cancellation and curtailment of the trip due to accident, illness or sickness.
• If taken ill or have an accident, Endsleigh will pay emergency medical bills and hospital costs that are not covered by the National Health Service.
• Additional costs incurred to repatriate, if medically necessary.
• Reasonable costs to return home if a close relative is seriously ill.
• Reimbursement if luggage is lost, stolen or accidentally damaged.
• Endsleigh will help replace passports, or visas if they are lost or stolen.
• Money stolen either from your person or while locked away, will be replaced.
• If a student accidentally injures someone or damage their property, Endsleigh will cover legal liability.
• Advice and assistance to take legal action is covered.
• Cover for unavoidable or necessary cancellation or curtailment of course before completion due to, death, bodily injury or illness.

We provide return transfers from Lyon (LYS) International Airport on both arrival and departure dates for players traveling from outside of France.

Upon arrival pass through passport control and collect your luggage before heading to the arrival’s hall, where we will be waiting with an arrivals board with your name clearly printed.

(Transfers for Geneva International airport can be arranged at an additional charge, please contact a member of our team for further information).

ARRIVAL TRANSFER: Please ensure all arrival at LYS are between 13:00 – 16:00hrs as the transfer coach will depart at 16:30

DEPARTURE TRANSFER: Please ensure departures from LYS between 15:00 – 17:00hrs as the transfer coach will depart UCPA in Tignes at 9:00

Unfortunately, arrivals outside of these times or to/from a different airport will incur an additional cost.

Many of our young players travel from all parts of France, so to make planning easier We have included return transfers from Bourg St Maurice (BSM) train station to our training venue in Tignes on both arrival and departure dates.

ARRIVAL TRANSFER: Please ensure all arrival at BSM are between 16:00 – 17:30hrs as the transfer coach will depart at 18:00

DEPARTURE TRANSFER: Please ensure departures from BSM between 16:00 – 18:00hrs as the transfer coach will depart UCPA in Tignes at 14:30

(Transfer from Chambery and other local stations around Tignes can be arranged at an additional charge, please contact a member of our team for further information)

The following list will give you some useful advice on items that your player will probably need during his/her stay at the PSA Rugby Academy, Tignes. Of course, this is only meant as a guide for a 1 week stay. Experience has shown it is useful to provide your player with a list of all belongings taken to camp, which will enable him/her to remember what needs to be packed at the end of the stay. Furthermore, each item should be name-tagged. This will avoid confusion around ownership of items and will make it much easier for us to identify lost property.

As part of the booking process you automatically subscribe to our WhatsApp programme updates. All you need to do it save our number to your contacts list when we send you our welcome message. Once this number is saved you will receive updates in the led up to the programme starting and while your young player(s) are with us. Please note, if you do not save our number correctly you may not receive these updates.

Feel free to reply to our updates with any questions and or comments, as these are private messages and are not part of a group.