Around 30 children are putting their ball skills to the test at Tauranga Domain as part of Tauranga Sports' Little Raptor Rugby.

Little Raptors Rugby founder Ati Aaifou-Olive formulated the concept after discovering a gap in Saturday sport here in the Bay of Plenty whilst searching for a side for his son, three-year-old Salesa.

Eli Fraser, 3, charging down the field. Photos by Tracy Hardy.

'They play Rippa Rugby at five-years-old but there is nothing before that here,” says Ati, who moved to Tauranga from Wellington in the off-season.

'In Wellington and Auckland they have seen the benefits, where kids are learning the skills a bit younger so when they play rippa rugby they know the game.”

For the next 15 weeks, children will be taught the basics of catching and passing as well as drills that top-level players use.

The training is free of charge to those interested – which, judging by Ati's phone calls, are quite a few.

'We have 30 kids registered already and I've been getting plenty phone calls,” says Ati.

'We have kids coming from the Mount and Papamoa. I don't want it just to stop at Tauranga Sports - I'd love to share this idea with other clubs.”

Each week four premier players will oversee the budding young rugby players channel their inner Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu or Israel Dagg through drills as well as light-hearted games.

Ati says the emphasis is on learning, but having fun is also a key part of the programme.

He hopes to use the 15-week programme as a pilot study to take to the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in the hope of integrating it across the region.

'Rugby is not a scary sport,” he adds, 'it's just about having fun.”

Little Raptors Rugby runs from 8.30am-9.30am at the Tauranga Domain every Saturday for the next 15 weeks.

For more information contact Ati on 021 590 080.

Cyrus Te Puke, 3, going in for a try.