Hull FC Player Performance Manager Richard Tate is pleased with early proceedings at the club’s Sports College in the 2023/24 academic year.

On the approach to the festive break, students have worked hard both on and off the field in the first half of the academic year, with both male and female teams in action.

What has pleased Tate so much with the college programme in particular this academic year is the sheer number of people playing Rugby League in 2023.

“From a development point of view, things at the Sports College are going really well at the moment,” he said.

“To have thirteen, genuine Rugby League players that sit outside of the club’s Academy is fantastic. A lot of them have come through our development programme, so they sat outside of the Scholarship system last year.

“To see that they want to develop their sporting ability, as well as their educational understanding of becoming an athlete, is really pleasing.

“The baptism of fire that our students have been given this year is the physical contest in most of the games. The majority of our players are first years. You can play up to third year in college rugby league, so it’s been a challenge for us meeting the physical demands, but I certainly can’t fault the effort and application that has been shown.”

The Sports College has produced some young talents in recent years, most notably Davy Litten, who has gone on to make over 25 appearances for the Black & Whites’ first team.

Matty Laidlaw and Zach Jebson have also made promising inroads within the first-team set-up, with their roots in the club’s College programme.

And Tate believes the impact of the trio is still being felt, with their pathways offering inspiration to fellow youngsters currently in the college system.

“I think one of the biggest attractions for young people wanting to come to play Rugby League for our Sports College is the link to a professional club, because there is a path to the first-team, as Davy, Matty and Zach have demonstrated,” he explained.

“Because those players have come through, it shows that the pathway is working.

“We’ve got lads like Jordon Baker, who came through our college programme last year, having gone through the development programme the year before. He’s been training with the Academy and recently earned himself an Academy contract. So that shows the programme is continuing to bear fruit.”

Not only is it males that study at Hull FC’s Sports College, but it also welcomes a number of female students.

Alisha Roper was a trailblazer – the first female student at the sports college. A player for Hull FC’s Women’s team, she is now joined by a host of female students, also playing in Hull FC’s Rugby League system.

“The hard work that people like Lorien Pettit and Jack Coates have done with the female Rugby League pathway at Hull FC has really helped increase the number of females coming to our Sports College,” he explained.

“Especially with Lorien, the girls can really relate to her. They really get a lot out of her because she’s not only coaching them at girl’s Rugby League, but she’s also teaching them in a classroom at the college and that’s a really good thing to have.

“We currently have nine girls studying with us this academic year, but as always, we are looking to grow that number.”

Interested in applying to be a part of Hull FC’s Sports College for the 2024/25 academic year? Please email jack.lazenby@hullfc.com for more information.