PLAYMAKER U INC. 120 Portage Close #20-30 Sherwood Park, AB

T (780) 464-1444 www.playmakeru.ca [email protected]

Playmaker U Launches New Rugby Program In Edmonton Area

July 9, 2015

Sherwood Park, AB - Playmaker U (PMU), a privately owned high performance training center based in Sherwood Park, was designed to make a difference. It is both the proving grounds for a future generation of athletes as well as a community who understands the meaning of commitment. Founded in 2008 by CFL All-star Kamau Peterson, PMU began with one passing camp in Edmonton. From that one camp and 50 kids, it has grown into one of the most cutting edge and elite training facilities in the country.

Located at 120 Portage close in Sherwood Park, PMU has over 20,000 sq. ft. of training space including over 8000 sq. ft. of turf, Woodway speed treadmills, 2 Fusion Smartspeed timing protocol systems, Elevator plyo boxes, 2 sprint tracks, 2 designated agility areas, and 2200 sq. ft. of weight training space.

PMU is already home to a number of sport academies such as Football, , Soccer, Hockey and will now become the home of a Rugby academy starting in October 2015.

Athletic Director and CEO Kamau Peterson is excited to launch the new program: “I’m very excited to bring what I feel to be one of the fastest rising sports in the world to PMU. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of dynamic athletic development in this country, and rugby is by far one of the most dynamic sports on the planet. We look forward to developing some of the best players in the country!” Peterson is a former CFL All Star wide receiver, a veteran of 5 CFL teams and knows what it takes to develop athletic high performance.

The rugby program will be directed by Aaron Takel, a local coach with extensive experience of the game, a semi professional player from Wales, who has made Edmonton his home. Takel’s credentials include a degree in Sports Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University, former Director of Rugby for Rugby , and recent member of the coaching staff that won the Canadian Rugby Championship with the Prairie Wolf Pack. His experience will be valuable to the new program and he is excited about the challenge, “PMU is the first facility in the Edmonton region to offer a program which meets the needs of a high performance athlete all under one roof. By developing the areas of rugby specific individual skills, strength and conditioning we are confident that our program will have a significant 2 Playmaker U Rugby Academy

impact on the game of rugby in Edmonton and our players will achieve substantial improvements in their rugby performance. We have no club or union affiliations, our program is open to everyone to ensure players from all clubs and teams have the same opportunities to achieve their rugby goals”.

The impressive facility and staff have not gone un-noticed by local players such as current Prairie Wolf Pack and Rugby winger Duncan Maguire who has visited the facility and affirmed, “Having the Playmaker U Rugby Academy in the Edmonton region will be a massive benefit to developing players who want to take their skills to the next level. With top of the line coaching and fitness training resources, it provides an environment that is comparable to professional rugby training facilities around the world. With rugby becoming more physically and technically demanding, Playmaker U provides a state of the art one-stop shop where athletes can develop year round. The program suits the needs of high performance athletes, and is a great opportunity for local rugby players to reach their full potential. I highly recommend Playmaker U Rugby Academy to players of all levels, as it is the only program of its kind”.

To learn more about the program visit the Facebook page (Playmaker U Rugby Academy) or contact Aaron Takel ([email protected]) or visit the website (www.playmakeru.ca)