This week see’s the launch of London Skolars reserve grade Academy. After much discussion and planning the club has now come up with a performance pathway that will see the Academy become an integral part of the club’s pathway from Mini’s to First Grade rugby.
The Academy will provide Skolars with the opportunity to give some of London’s most talented young players the chance to experience an adult playing environment for the first time, against some tough opposition in the London Premier Men’s League.
Community Development Manager Matt Cuss spoke of the impact that the Academy will have:
‘Over the past year we have been looking at our pathway and trying to piece together some missing parts of the jigsaw, we have a strong Mini’s section now, our Juniors are some of the most consistent teams in the Junior League and we have a growing College Academy at Barnet & Southgate. Where we felt we needed to really improve and develop was our post Junior League offer to players, and this is where the Academy Team will serve its purpose, by providing a quality environment to develop those players who leave our U17’s and College system. It will also give our Head Coach Jermaine Coleman a chance to give his non playing members from the League One squad a really competitive environment through which to regain their selection into the First Team. We have some genuinely exciting players who have either left our Juniors or are leaving the Juniors and are not quite ready for League One yet, turning out for the Academy will enable them to continue their develop and enable us to manage and monitor their progress.
The new Academy Team will be headed up by Paul Quill, who currently coaches our U13’s and has shadowed Jermaine and the 1st team staff since the start of pre-season. His work will be closely linked with First Team to ensure absolute synergy between the two squads. All the Academy’s home games will be played as curtain raisers to 1st team home fixtures and it gives fans a chance to get down early and watch 2 games of Rugby League for the price of one.
Paul brings his own special brand of enthusiasm and rugby league knowledge to the role, he has been developing his experience in Rugby League, has been Head Coach of the North U13’s, was named Coach of the Year at the recent Haringey Celebrating Sport Awards and has spent time with the SE Universities Squad. He is passionate about his own personal development and fully understands the purpose of the Academy. Paul turned down offers from other London Men’s Teams and is is really passionate about playing a major part in developing the next generation of London Skolars 1st team stars. Quill will get the chance to run his eye over his squad for the first time next weekend as the Academy face off against Oxford’s Reserve grade in a pre-season friendly before they start London Premier League action on the 23rd April against the Eastern Rhinos, in what will be the first of many double header’s of Rugby League throughout the season as the 1st Team play Coventry Bears at New River.
Quill will take charge of his first training session this week, with information being sent out to all those players who have been in touch within the next few days.
Skolars welcome applications of interest from local Rugby Union players who may want to compete in another sport during the summer and any other London based Rugby League players who want to play regular competitive Rugby League and give themselves a chance of a professional contract.
Anyone interested in training and playing with the Skolars Academy are invited to contact the club through Matt Cuss via email on the details below:
020 8888 8488
