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When people think about a future in rugby, the first image that comes to mind is usually a professional player. But for most students who love the game, the more realistic question is not how to make it as a player. It is how to build a life where rugby still plays a role.

That is exactly what the RugbyWA Sports Development Program at SEDA College WA is designed to answer.

Rugby as a learning environment, not just a sport

At SEDA, the approach is built on a simple but powerful idea: use a student’s passion for sport to drive how they learn. Sport is more than physical activity or competition. In an educational setting, it becomes a platform for developing valuable life and workplace skills.

The RugbyWA program connects students directly to RugbyWA and the Western Force across Years 11 and 12, creating authentic industry experiences while they complete their WACE. Students are placed in real situations where they communicate, collaborate, problem-solve and take responsibility. These are skills that are directly transferable to the workplace, and they are built through doing, not just listening.

The skills that follow you out of school

One of the most practical things about this program is what students actually walk away with.

Across two years, students develop transferable skills through a curriculum that goes well beyond the game. They learn to coach, officiate, respond to first aid situations, design training programs, and present to fellow students. They explore how sport shapes culture and communities. They build a personal brand, create a LinkedIn profile, and practise business pitches through an area of study called The Professional.

These are not theoretical exercises. They are the same capabilities employers across sport, health, education, and business look for when hiring.

And the qualifications that back them up are real. Students graduate with a WACE qualification and the SIS30122 Certificate III in Sport, Aquatics and Recreation, along with First Aid, CPR, and Coaching Accreditation and Officiating Accreditation. A set of credentials that gives graduates a genuine head start, whether they go into sport or somewhere else entirely.

Two years inside the rugby industry

What separates this program from any other Year 11 and 12 experience is the access.

RugbyWA and the Western Force are directly involved , bringing industry knowledge into the classroom and opening up real opportunities for students. These include work placements with either RugbyWA or the Western Force. Students are also connected with both organisations through meetings with their teachers, helping them explore future career pathways. The exposure is genuine, and it starts from the beginning of Year 11, not at the end of school when most students are only just starting to figure out what comes next.

A head start, not a head scratcher

The question most students face when Year 12 ends is what to do now. For students in the RugbyWA program, that question arrives with a lot more clarity.

They have industry experience. They have qualifications. Through work placements, they have explored different career pathways while working alongside professionals in industries that interest them, developing practical, real-world skills along the way. Whether the next step is further study, employment in sport, or a career in a completely different field, they leave school with the confidence, experience and skills to take the next step.

Sport is a powerful learning environment. The hands-on, industry-focused approach at SEDA is built on exactly that idea, and the RugbyWA program puts it into practice every day across Years 11 and 12.

For students based outside Perth, the program is also available through SEDA’s Bunbury MultiSport campus, where students are still connected with the program partners in the South West.

To find out more or speak with the admissions team, contact SEDA College WA at info@seda.wa.edu.au or (08) 9486 6230, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm AWST.