Wakefield Trinity are thrilled to announce two exciting new additions to our Youth department, with John Bastian joining as Head of Youth and Simon Bell taking on the role of Head of Talent, Recruitment & Operations.
Both John and Simon join from Leeds Rhinos and bring with them huge experience in developing and supporting young players, and their arrival marks another big step forward in strengthening our player pathway and building for the future.
John joins Trinity with an outstanding reputation across rugby league and over the years he’s helped shape some of the brightest players in the game through his work at Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves, Bradford Bulls, and Hull KR, as well as a spell as Head Coach at Featherstone Rovers.
Most recently, over four years with the Rhinos, John progressed from his initial role as Player Pathway Development Manager to become Head of Youth, overseeing Leeds’ academy and scholarship programmes and helping countless young players make the step up to professional rugby.
Upon taking the new challenge at Trinity, John Bastian said: “I want to say a big thank you to Wakefield Trinity for giving us this opportunity. When we got the option to come I didn’t hesitate in accepting the role. Our goal is to make a huge difference here at the club when it comes to Youth Development.”
Simon also joins from Leeds Rhinos, where he spent 20 years working within the club’s academy recruitment and talent ID. He’s been behind the discovery and development of a long list of players who’ve gone on to shine in Super League.
At Trinity, Simon will head up our recruitment and scouting operations, working closely with community clubs, schools, and regional programmes to find and support promising players across Yorkshire and beyond.
Excited to take on a new challenge, Simon Bell said: “Thank you to the Ellis Family and the coaching staff here at Wakefield for this opportunity. It’s exciting to be a part of this club with what is currently going on at the club with everything building. I know myself and John are looking forward to getting started and are going to work our damnedest to make sure Wakefield Trinity have a bright future with Youth players coming through into the First Team.”
With two exciting new members of our Youth team, Director of Rugby Ste Mills is looking forward to the future: “Securing the services of John and Simon is huge for Wakefield Trinity and we’re extremely happy to have them both on board. We feel that they are the best in the business at Youth Identification and Development and their track records back that up. We’re building something long-term here at Wakefield Trinity and investing in Youth Development is a big part of that. Having John and Simon in the club now give these young talented players the best support and opportunity to succeed.”