Wakefield Trinity’s England Talent Pathway programme supporting the development of all participants may be rated as ‘Outstanding’ but until recently was only located in the Wakefield District with sessions throughout the year spanning youths aged 11 to 16 years of age.
Following on from the relationship with Campsmount Academy, Trinity have helped Armthorpe Academy become accredited as an England Rugby League Player Development School whilst also committing to utilising Armthorpe Academy as their ‘Hub’ for development sessions in Doncaster.
“Doncaster is a hotbed for local talent and if we can help develop Rugby players through our England Talent Pathway sessions then it stands to benefit the local schools and, of course, the sport itself, “ explained Craig Shepherd, General Manager, Wakefield Trinity Community Trust.
“Mr Petrie has been very engaging and it’s a pleasure to work with him and his team at Armthorpe Academy. They were very keen on putting themselves forward as the Hub for Doncaster and have utilised the branding on their new Year 6 Pupil Prospectus which is a statement of intent. Our intention is to work in tandem with Doncaster RLFC to boost the number of Community players in Doncaster and share the best practice from our ‘Outstanding’ England Talent Pathway graded programme.”
Now an accredited England Rugby League Player Development School, Armthorpe Academy will be engaging in a number of fixtures against other schools participating in the programme.
Mr Petrie, PE Teacher at Armthorpe Academy said, “The support offered by Wakefield Trinity was something we didn’t want to turn down and it allows us to provide further opportunities for our students. It’s an exciting project and becoming the England Rugby League Player Development Hub for Doncaster is something we are proud of achieving.”