Leeds schools Corpus Christi and Brigshaw will be looking to make history this year with two semi finals taking place in May for a place in the final of the RFL’s Champion Schools national knock out competition
The schools, who have worked with Leeds Rhinos Foundation's East Leeds Rugby League Development Officer Ian Hardman this year through curriculum delivery and after school sessions have already had stellar campaigns this school year, seeing success in Leeds school competitions and will be hoping to go one step further and represent the city in the national finals.
Open to every secondary school in England, Wales and Scotland for girls and boys – the Champions Schools is Rugby League's most prestigious competition and has provided the curtain raiser to the Challenge Cup final since 2002, when the tournament was re-launched by the RFL and the English Schools Rugby League.
Corpus Christi Year 7, who won the Leeds and Hunslet schools competition against Brigshaw in December, will play their Champions Schools semi final on the 10th May against Castleford Academy at Chorley Panthers ground having beaten Finborough School from 26-24 after extra-time in the quarter final.
As year 7s in their first year of the competition, the school would play at Wembley as a pre-cursor for the Challenge Cup Final on 26th August.
James Endersby head of PE at Corpus Christi commented on the season so far:
"Our year 7 boys rugby team beat a very good Finborough School 26-24 after extra-time. The lads dug in deep against a very physical team and thanks to a sucessful conversion from Kieran Blan came away with a narrow victory. Other try scorers were Lucas Green with four in a man of the match performance and one from Rocco Eaton.
"The squad have been training hard and will now step in preparations for their semi-final at Chorley Panthers against Castelford Academy. Mr James Endersby and Mr Tom Wandless are thankful for the Leeds Rhinos Foundation supporting the team with training sessions throughout the last few months."
The second semi finalists, Brigshaw Year 10, also reached the finals of the Leeds and Hunslet schools competition in December, losing out narrowly to Corpus Christi, but have maintained their form in the Champion Schools competition to safely navigate through to the national semi finals.
Brigshaw beat St Edmund Arrowsmith from Wigan in the quarter finals last week 44-16 and will play at Chorley Panthers home ground in the semi final on the 17th May with their opposition still to be decided.
Coaching support from the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, which is funded by Mears, has helped see the school make positive strides in the last two years working with Featherstone Rovers player and Level 2 Coach Ian Hardman as P.E Teacher at Brigshaw Paul Brennan explained earlier in the year:
"Support from the Foundation has been fantastic! Ian worked with us all day on a Monday and Tuesday Period five for the first seven weeks of term. His expertise and knowledge has been invaluable."