John Charles Centre for Sport provided a fitting backdrop for the year 7, 8 and 9 Leeds and Hunslet schools finals organised by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, to establish the best rugby league schools in the city last week attended by Rhinos stars Mitch Garbutt and Liam Sutcliffe
To kick off the evening, the year 7 sides from Brigshaw High School and Corpus Christi played out the first final of the night at John Charles Centre for Sport in front of fantastic crowd in South Leeds.
Both schools had already been represented in a Leeds and Hunslet Schools final in the year 10 finals in late November, with Brigshaw winning 12-8 to line up a possible treble with the year 7 and 9 Brigshaw teams playing in the finals just two weeks later.
Corpus Christi started strongly in the year 7 final, taking a 4-0 lead before surrendering the advantage close to the half time interval to leave the scores 4-4.
The second half proved to be Brigshaw’s best period with an unanswered run of points that saw them run away to a 24-4 victory to secure the Llewellyn Cup and win the second trophy for the school following the year 10s success in November.
The year 8 final featured Corpus Christi for the third time in the two final events with the school looking to get their first trophy of the year.
After another promising start and a 12-4 lead against Temple Moor High School, Corpus almost threw away their half time lead in another tight game but eventually held on to beat Temple Moor by 18-16 to take home the Gilston Cup.
To end the night, Brigshaw year 9s proved to too strong for Morley Academy and edged out their opponents with a 14-10 win after the scores were deadlocked at 10-10 at the break to win the historic Harrison Shield and a treble of trophies for the school in the Leeds and Hunslet Competition to end 2015.
The event organised by Leeds Rhinos Foundation in cooperation with Leeds Schools Partnership was attended by Leeds Rhinos first team players Mitch Garbutt and Liam Sutcliffe, who were on hand to present medals and trophies to the sides.
Mitch Garbutt commented:
“It was a great game in the year 7s final and we saw some really talented players on show, so hopefully we can see some of them in the future. I know I got excited by these games when I was young, it was always good for school rugby to play in these big occasions.
“I commented to one of the coaches out there that there is some excellent skill and talent on show, players were really good with the football in hand, so it’s been really good to see.”
The new format for the Leeds and Hunslet Schools Champions of Champions competition was devised by Leeds Rhinos Foundation Competitions Coordinator Lois Forsell, with the aim of providing more fixtures and opportunity for development through playing more competitive matches in the school year.
The format also allows schools who failed to succeed in the qualifying rounds of the RFL’s National Champion Schools knockouts to continue playing in the Leeds and Hunslet Schools competition for the chance to play in a local final.
P.E. Teacher at Brigshaw High School Mr Parkinson, who has benefited from coaching delivered by East Leeds Development Officer for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation Ian Hardman this year commented on the new format:
“It’s worked really well as it’s given the boys a lot of games early in the season, so rather them having a few games and a big gap, it’s given them loads of tournaments, a chance to play four or five games on a single evening and a chance for the teams that have succeeded in the Champion Schools to go back and have another go in the Leeds and Hunslet Plate competition and try and get through into the final.
“I think having a floodlit match in a stadium with announcements and hearing your name called out its very exciting when your 12 is that, very exciting.”
“Ian came down and has done about 12 sessions with our year 7s in PE lessons and has been coming down after school and working with our year 7 team in the champion schools and building up towards today’s finals. The kids have really loved it having a professional coach and a professional player in Ian coming in and working with them on their skills and put them on the right path to do well.”
A video of the finals is available to view below: