The Investec International Rugby Academy based at the University of Pretoria has kicked off its first high performance course in Pretoria under the guidance of Springbok assistant coach Dick Muir.

The Investec International Rugby Academy based at the University of Pretoria has kicked off its first high performance course in Pretoria under the guidance of Springbok assistant coach Dick Muir.

Coaches who will assist Muir include Sean Fitzpatrick, Ian McDonald, Garth Wright, Hugh Reece-Edwards, Christian Cullen, Nick Farr-Jones, Naas Botha, Bobby Skinstad, John McFarland and Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.

Muir said: "It's going extremely well." Muir said. "The players are loving every minute of it and are just taking everything in.

"But you can just see them responding positively to aspects of the game they've never been exposed to."

Murray Mexted, the managing director of the International Rugby Academy New Zealand on which this academy is based said: "This is a very talented nation and the talent should be harnessed right here and ploughed back into local rugby."

The first course will feature a match against a Tuks Barbarians team on Wednesday where the positional coaches will be able to evaluate their players and provide on-field guidance with practical advice after each 20-minute period of play. - Sapa