The Leeds Rhinos Foundation recently ran the finals of the Sky Try 9s Tournament at Lawnswood School supported by the Sky Try initiative aimed at increasing participation in Rugby League.
The finals day saw a total of 17 teams taking part from the year 7 and 8 age groups in the modified 9s format, playing in four groups to establish the overall Cup and Plate competition finalists on the day.
After three regional festivals each for the year 7 and 8 year groups from the month of April onwards, the finals gave all teams the chance to playoff for a trophy to cap off a successful developmental programme for Rugby League as part of the Sky Initiative.
In the Year 7s age group, Temple Moor ended another solid year of tournament rugby league by finishing winners of the cup competition with a win against Abbey Grange, ending a year with few tournament losses to their name and appearances in the National Schools and Yorkshire Cup finals competitions.
In the year 7s plate competition, Woodkirk were eventual winners with a well-deserved victory over Allerton High in the final. Woodkirk have been a proactive school this year in entering a range of tournaments and have worked with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation in receiving coaching delivery from tournament organiser and Schools coordinator Russell Parker during the year.
For the under 8s Cup competition, it was success for Mount St Mary’s school who through a very physical and uncompromising defensive effort throughout the tournament beat a good Temple Moor side in the final.
Mount St Mary’s Rugby League programme has been overseen by PC Ian Dearing with success at the event testament to the hard work that has gone on at the school in preparation for the school tournaments they have entered this year.
The year 8 plate trophy went to the Cockburn High School with a hard fought win against Swallow Hill Community College. Cockburn were another success story from the programme having only come together from an after school club started only in February.
The Sky Try 9s programme also offered a chance for traditional Rugby Union schools Benton Park and Tadcaster Grammar School to take part in the small sided Rugby League format, with both schools progressing to a semi-final and after developing brilliantly through the tournament stages.
High School Development Officer Russell Parker commented on the success of the festivals as a development platform for high school Rugby League:
“It’s been a very useful programme for the schools as many of them have had the chance to play fixtures against their Leeds area counterparts on three occasions in the build up to the final and then again today and it’s been clear that they have all developed during that time by adapting their games to come back stronger each week.
“It’s been great to have a finals day to give the players a chance to compete in either a plate or cup competition and by organising it in that way, it has kept all teams involved right to the end with something to play for. We’ve been able to cap off the tournament with a bit of a presentation with Ashton Golding at the event and some of the schools will be joining us at the game later on so hopefully the schools have all really got something out of the programme.”
A video of the Sky Try 9s Festival is available to view below: