Last weekend, in partnership with ESF Events, the Foundation hosted the first weekend of the Rhinos Challenge, as an outstanding 163 teams from across the region made the journey to Skegness.
Year on year, community clubs around the country mark the Rhinos Challenge weekend in their calendar, the ultimate rugby league tour. This festival is the biggest of its kind in the UK, staged by Leeds Rhinos and ESF Events, this is the event that brings families, coaches and teams together, for a fantastic weekend of fun.
The three-day event saw over 2000 players from 163 teams, play in 650 games across the weekend ranging from Under 7s to Under 13s. Areas represented included Yorkshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire and Cumbria.
This year we were honoured to be joined by a whole host of famous faces from across the club, including Leon Ruan and Zane Tetevano, Assistant Coach, Chev Walker, World Cup Winners and Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair Players, Nathan Collins and Tom Halliwell and of course, Ronnie the Rhino.
There were some other well-known faces from the sporting world that joined us over the weekend including PDC World Darts Champion, Michael Smith, who was there supporting his son who plays for Pilkington Recs ARLFC. Another one being Leeds Rhinos legend, Danny McGuire, whose son plays for Kippax Welfare ARLFC.
Our spectacular presentations are always a tour highlight and are a perfect way to end the festival in style. This year the teams were lucky enough to experience the brand-new laser show ahead of the awards, which went down a treat with each and every age group! To celebrate the achievements of all the players, each team was invited onto the main stage to receive their Rhinos Challenge medal.
This was followed by individual awards including the:
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Fair Play Award
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Magic Moment Award
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Player Of Steel Award
The Fair Play Award was given to the team in each age group that showed great sportsmanship over the weekend, both on the pitch and the sideline. The teams who won this award included Skirlaugh RLFC, Holderness Vikings, Kippax Welfare ARLFC, Golborne Parkside ARLFC, Blackbrook Royals and West Bowling ARLFC.
The Magic Moment Award was given to one player from each age group who performed a standout act. This award was awarded to the following individuals:
Under 7s – Evie Mather from Blackbrook Royals
Under 8s – Deacon Basford from Hull Dockers ARLFC
Under 9s – Hogarth Ward from Wigan St Judes
Under 10s – Oliver Coates from Milford ARLFC
Under 11s – Charlie Dearlove from Skirlaugh RLFC
Under 12s – Tom Boden from Crossfields ARLFC
Under 13s – Alfie Sharples from Heworth ARLFC
The Player Of Steel award was given to those players who gave outstanding performances across the weekend and was awarded to the following individuals:
Under 7s – Ashton Sutcliffe from Holderness Vikings
Under 8s – Ethan Weedon from Ryland Sharks ARLFC
Under 9s – Troy Shepherdson from Beverley Braves ARLFC
Under 10s – Rohan Power from Blackbrook Royals ARLFC
Under 11s – Adaline Metcalfe from Stanningley SARLFC
Under 12s – Jacob Beedle from Myton Warriors
Under 13s – Leo Gaskell from Blackbrook Royals
We would like to say a huge congratulations to all the players who won individual awards and those clubs who won the Fair Play Award.
Alongside the individual awards, there were also trophies up for grabs for the overall Main Cup Champions of the two oldest age groups. In the under 12s category, it was Pilkington Recs ARLFC Ambers that came away champions, beating Myton Warriors on goal difference. In the Under 13s age group, winning all 3 of their games and bringing home the Main Cup were West Hull ARLFC Lions, closely followed by runners-up, Blackbrook Royals ARLFC.
This weekend, the Foundation return to Butlins for the second weekend of Rhinos Challenge, where after the inaugural event in 2022, netball will return to the weekender alongside rugby league.
For our full gallery full of over 200 free photos from last weekend’s action, please CLICK HERE.