THE Jersey Rugby Academy is to receive a massive cash injection of well over £50,000 over the next three years

The sponsorship deal, one of the largest ever in Island youth sport, is with Jersey fund administration company Moore Management.

The partnership will be cemented tomorrow during the Jersey RFC’s 125th anniversary matches against Victoria College at St Peter, which celebrate the club’s first known fixture in 1870s.

The Academy, the new name for the youth and minis section of Jersey RFC, will benefit to the tune of £18,000 for this season alone.

It is a tremendous deal, which underlines the increased interest in the game at national and Island level, which has seen the Academy, encompassing six to 18-year-olds, dramatically expand their membership.

Hundreds of children and youths now use the club’s superb facilities, on several days of the week.

But with competition at a premium in the Channel Islands, cash to help develop the youngsters’ fixture list, home and away, is absolutely vital.

Speaking from the club’s headquarters in St Peter, Ian Moore, managing director of the new sponsors, was clearly delighted with the rugby tie-up: ‘We’ve been looking around for a while now, wanting to support Island youngsters.

My own children have a wide range of interests, including rugby, but the set-up here struck a chord.

‘The company passionately believes in developing local talent and this is an obvious way to lift our profile with the youth of the Island.

This is an Island-wide organisation and their objectives sit well with our own – developing young people.

‘We believe very strongly in investing in young people and giving talent the time and opportunity to develop.

We were struck by how closely our values are aligned with those of the Jersey Rugby Academy, which must be congratulated for their fantastic set-up.

‘We are delighted to be able to support the further evolution of rugby in the Island and I’m sure with the coaching set-up in place now that someone trained in the Jersey Rugby Academy will one day represent their country.’