Hull FC have unveiled their new intake of U15s Scholarship players for the 2023 season!
The club are delighted to welcome 12 new players from community clubs across the city and further afield, who will officially join the club’s Centre of Excellence programme in the autumn.
The club’s Centre of Excellence, the overarching pathway for the club’s development programmes, was introduced ahead of the 2021 season, and combines top-class coaching and facilities with tailored education and mentorship, strengthening the route from grassroots rugby to first-team.
This season, the programme features over 100 of regions most promising young players, including Rising Stars who have gone on to feature for the first-team this campaign; Charlie Severs and Matty Laidlaw, with the Centre of Excellence set to continue to go from strength to strength with its latest intake of players for next season, with the aim of developing local players to become stars for the Black & Whites’ first-team.
Alongside our Scholarship sides (U15s & U16s), the programme also features our Academy (U17s & U18s), Reserves (U19s), Hull FC Sports College (Elite & Development), Girls (U12s, U14s & U16s), Women, and Disability sides (LDRL, Wheelchair) – all of which will be based at a new £1.5 facility from next year.
The club announced the ground-breaking partnership with the University of Hull earlier this month, which will see the entire Category 1 ‘Outstanding’ rated Centre of Excellence programme based alongside the first-team at a brand-new rugby league performance, education, and community hub and training base from the Autumn. To find out more – click here
It’s an incredibly exciting time for our new Scholarship players to be linking up with the Centre of Excellence – the 12 new U15s players will combine with this year’s first-year players, who will move into their second year (U16s) in 2023, creating a 30-player Scholarship squad next season.
The new intake of U15s players includes the first player to join the club through our West Cumbria Development Academy programme, with Jackson Smith linking up with the Black & Whites from community club Hensingham.
Meanwhile, a famous name returns to the club’s ranks next season, with son of club icon Richard Horne, Joshua, also taking his place within the new intake.
In total, nine community clubs will be represented throughout the club’s Scholarship programme next season: Hull Wyke (8), Skirlaugh Bulls (6), West Hull (5), East Hull (5), Hull Dockers (2), Cottingham Tigers (1), Beverley ARLFC (1), York Acorn (1), and Hensingham (1).
The new Scholarship players signed their contracts on Friday evening at the MKM Stadium ahead of our fixture against Castleford, before being unveiled at half-time, taking part in a parade around the pitch alongside their second-year counterparts.
Head of Youth, Pete Riding, Said: “I’m thrilled to welcome such a talented group of young scholars to Hull FC for the 2023 season.
“All of these young players have already shown a tremendous work ethic and a real desire to become the best that they can be, so myself and all the scholarship staff are excited to be working with the group going forward.
“Since I arrived at the club less than a year ago, I have been liaising with our outstanding Talent ID team to ensure we can secure the services of some of the best local young talent, as well as a couple from further afield that we feel will be valuable assets for our Scholarship team next year.”
The club would like to congratulate their new intake of Scholarship players, and wish them the very best of luck with their time at the Black & Whites!
Hull FC U15s Scholarship Players 2023
Leon Hayward (Cottingham Tigers / Cottingham High School)
Andrew McCracken (East Hull / Marvell College)
Ellis Chapman (East Hull / Archbishop Sentamu Academy)
Finley Wilson (East Hull / Winifred Holtby Academy)
Spencer George (East Hull / Archbishop Sentamu Academy)
Jackson Smith (Hensingham / Energy Coast UTC)
Finlay Davies (Hull Dockers / Malet Lambert School)
Rhys Yorke (Hull Dockers / Malet Lambert School)
Joshua Horne (Skirlaugh Bulls / Kingswood Academy)
Zak Nelson-Hewitt (Skirlaugh Bulls / Malet Lambert School)
Cohen Cass (West Hull / Sirius Academy West)
Tyler Wyrill (York Acorn / York High School)
Hull FC U16s Scholarship Players 2023
Max Nutbrown (Beverley / Beverley Grammar School)
Mitchell McIntyre (East Hull / Malet Lambert School)
Callum Kemp (Hull Wyke / St Mary’s College)
Corey Voakes (Hull Wyke / Wolfreton School)
Freddie Watts (Hull Wyke / Marvell College)
Jon Turner (Hull Wyke / Beverley Grammar School)
Joseph Thompson (Hull Wyke / Howden School)
Lennon Nicholson (Hull Wyke / Kingswood Academy)
Lloyd Kemp (Hull Wyke / St Mary’s College)
Mason Tempest (Hull Wyke / Howden School)
Ellis Opie (Hull Wyke / Sirius Academy North)
Alistair Swyer (Skirlaugh Bulls / Holderness Academy)
Callum Smith (Skirlaugh Bulls / Marvell College)
Ethan Render (Skirlaugh Bulls / Marvell College)
Toby Matson (Skirlaugh Bulls / Hull Trinity House Academy)
Finley Mainprize (West Hull / Sirius Academy West)
Harvey O’Brien (West Hull / Malet Lambert School)
Henry Watkinson (West Hull / Withernsea High School)
Mason Walker (West Hull / Ron Dearing UTC)
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