Over the last 2 weeks, the best school Rugby League teams came together at the John Charles Centre for Sport to battle it out in front of their family, friends and schools.
Schools’ Rugby League in Leeds has a long and proud history, with competitions having been played for 120 years. The Goldthorpe Cup was first presented in 1904 and is thought to be the oldest trophy still being competed for in the school game.
Recent years have seen a growth in the regional and national competitions, alongside the introduction of plate competitions and nine-a-side-festivals. However, Leeds and Hunslet schools’ rugby league is proud that the tradition of the city-wide knock-out competitions is still being maintained.
This year the finals were split over two evenings and saw 10 teams, consisting of 163 players, battling it out for the silverware on offer.
The fixtures and results were as follows:
Monday 26th February
Year 8 final –Bruntcliffe Academy 32-14 Cockburn School (Goldthorpe Cup)
Year 10 final –Brigshaw High 40-0 Cockburn School (Harrison Shield)
Monday 4th March
Year 7 final – Brigshaw High 38-0 Cockburn School (Gilston Cup)
Year 9 final – Cockburn School 22-14 Allerton Grange (Lee Trophy)
Year 11 final – Crawshaw Academy 22-20 Ralph Thoresby (Wilson Cup)
Extra recognition was given to those who performed exceptionally well in their fixtures, showing great teamwork and skill on the field. The Player of The Match awards were chosen by the Leeds Players’ Association and were awarded to the following pupils:
Year 7 – Rob Burrow Award – Jayden Handforth
Year 8 – Ken Eyre Award – Archie Murrell
Year 9 – David Ward Award – Lennon Kelly
Year 10 – David Heron Award – Noah White
Year 11 – John Holmes Award – Harvey Butterworth
Our Schools Competition Co-ordinator, Ellis Pascall, commented on the nights: “The Leeds and Hunslet School Finals are always a key night in both the Foundation and competing school’s calendars”.
“As always, the night was a huge success, with some amazing skill and sportsmanship on show. Each team that competed are a credit to their school and each and every one should be proud of their performance!”
“This event would not be possible without the continued support we receive year on year from the Leeds Players Association and a massive thank you to the Leeds Rhinos Players who gave up their time to come and show their support.”