Hull FC are pleased to confirm that eight of the club’s academy prospects will make the step up to the first-team for the 2024 season.
Kye Armstrong, Lennon Bursell, Jack Charles, Mackenzie Harman, Jeylan Hodgson, Sully Medforth, Logan Moy, and Cobie Wainhouse have all put pen to paper on their first senior contracts.
All eight players are products of the club’s ever-growing Centre of Excellence programme, which in the last fortnight has been graded ‘Outstanding’ by the RFL, citing the ‘high quality facilities’ and the positive addition of a new Strategic Board, and praised by Patron of the Rugby Football League, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales on her visit to the club’s campus at the University of Hull.
Having all impressed during their time with the club’s Academy and Reserves sides, the group will link up with the senior squad for pre-season training next month under the guidance of head coach Tony Smith – a squad that will feature an unprecedented 22 players who have come through the Black & Whites’ system.
Seven of the youngsters stepping up represented the Yorkshire Academy during the 2023 Academy Origin Series, with a total of twelve players across the U18s side receiving call-ups.
Loose-forward Armstrong and half-back Harman’s efforts for the Academy and Reserves sides have already been rewarded during the 2023 season, with both players called-up to train within the first-team setup earlier in the year.
Charles, who can operate as both a full-back or a half-back, jetted off to France alongside FC Academy team mate Wainhouse (prop) in the summer as they both represented England Academy in Saint-Gaudens for the first time, with Charles only in his first year of academy rugby league in 2023.
Nephew of former England international Josh Hodgson, Jeylan, has also received a call-up to the first-team squad in 2024, having impressed in his debut season with the Black & Whites since returning to the country from playing junior Rugby League in Australia.
Bursell, who captained the Academy side throughout 2023, will link up with Tony Smith’s squad for the start of pre-season, alongside promising half-back Sully Medforth.
Finally, 2023 Academy Player of the Year Logan Moy will complete the line-up of Under 18s graduates for the Black & Whites first-team squad next year, with the versatile back having scored eight times in 20 appearances in Hull’s Academy and Reserves squads.
Hull FC can also confirm that former academy graduate Manoa Wacokecoke has left the club – the club would like to wish Manoa the very best in his future endeavours in the sport and beyond.
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