North East Rugby League scholarships launched
Forty eight Rugby League players in the North East took their first steps towards becoming professionals this week with the start of the North East scholarships.
The scholarships will run at Under 15s and Under 16s age groups and the players will attend two training sessions per week, improving their all-round capabilities as Rugby League players ahead of testing games against the country's other scholarships played in the Spring and Summer of 2012, including Super League and Championship scholarship sides.
Andy Kelly, the RFL's Regional Talent & Coaching Manager who is leading on the delivery of the scheme in the region said: "The launch of the scholarships is very exciting for everyone in the North East.
"The immediate benefits are for those players, but in turn this raises the standards of playing within the clubs. In addition, the coaches on the scholarship programme will also take their increased abilities back to their clubs, which improves the environments back at club level."
The North East scholarship is underpinned by the Regional Player Development Centre which continues to run for players in the Under 14s age group, whilst a Service Area Player Development Centre programme will also be introduced during 2012 for players at Under 13s and Under 14s.
Jo Drapier, the RFL's North East Regional Manager said: "This is a massive boost for the development of Rugby League in the North East, we are delighted with the progress that some of the region's players have made in recent years.
"There are now players who have played in the North East at all levels of the professional game, however for some of the younger players they have been unable to follow their dreams because of constraints such as travel times and costs.
"Now those constraints have been reduced by the scholarship being much closer to home, professional clubs will still be able to monitor high performing players in the same environment that they do their own scholarship players, which should ensure that young players in the North East have the same opportunities as those everywhere else in the country."
Under 15s scholarship players
Matthew Andrew (Gateshead Storm)
Charlie Atkinson (Cramlington Rockets)
Alex Bielby (Durham Tigers)
Kory Bradley (Wallsend Eagles)
Tyler Claydon (Durham Tigers)
John Cain (Gateshead Storm)
James Cooney (Gateshead Storm)
Ryan Cooper (Durham Tigers)
Jonny Cox (Cramlington Rockets)
Will Doyle (Wallsend Eagles)
Alex Duke (Durham Tigers)
Kieran Drape (Wallsend Eagles)
Cameron Fisher-Naylor (Wallsend Eagles)
Sean Forbes (Wallsend Eagles)
Josh Maslen (Peterlee Pumas)
Aidan Mounsey (Durham Tigers)
James Pirie (Durham Tigers)
Lloyd Purser (Durham Tigers)
Liam O'Halleron (Gateshead Storm)
Jamie Taylor (Cramlington Rockets)
Lewis Thompson (Cramlington Rockets)
Joseph Thubron (Peterlee Pumas)
Michael Walton (Durham Tigers)
Kane Young (Durham Tigers)
Under 16 scholarship players
Daniel Bleek (St Bede's RC Comprehensive)
Ian Chapman (Peterlee Pumas)
Luke Chapman (Peterlee Pumas)
Zach Clark (Mortimer Community College)
Owen Clemett (Cramlington Rockets)
Lewis Davey (Cramlington Rockets)
Andrew Daglish (Durham Tigers)
Josh Dewhurst (St John's RC Comprehensive)
Matthew Dockray (Durham Tigers)
Jonathan Foster (Durham Tigers)
Joe Glacken (Whitley Bay Barbarians)
Connor Hardy-Lye (Cramlington Rockets)
Patrick Hargreaves (Whitley Bay Barbarians)
George Hedgley (Peterlee Pumas)
Rasih Hitchins (Durham Tigers)
Rhys Jary (St John's RC Comprehensive)
Sam Luckley (Wallsend Eagles)
Robbie Metson (Durham Tigers)
Andy Robinson (Gateshead Storm)
Nathan Rowland (Kenton School)
Elliott Pratt (Peterlee Pumas)
Boawe Rankin (Peterlee Pumas)
Michael Searle (Cramlington Rockets)
Declan Swan (Whitley Bay Barbarians)
Scholarship Coaches:
Andy Kelly, Andy Stanton, Lee Carbutt, Karl Stephenson & Gavin Houston
For more information on Rugby League in the North East Click here
Jo Drapier
North East Regional Manager
Development
RFL
Gateshead International Stadium, Neilson Road, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, NE10 0EF
Phone - 0191 490 2359
Mobile - 07775 022792
jo.drapier@rfl.uk.com
http://www.therfl.co.uk