As part of a series of announcements marking the return to training of our Centre of Excellence, hullfc.com takes a look at some of the success stories to have already come out of the club’s new-look youth pathway.
The Hull FC Centre of Excellence is the club’s rugby development and education pathway, including academy, scholarship and development college squads, as well as extending to female and disability rugby league.
The Centre of Excellence also offers an exclusive, in-house education programme for aspiring rugby league players, talented athletes and those interested in a career in sport, aged 16-19.
And while only being just over a year old, the Centre of Excellence already boasts over 110 players in four separate squads, with students and young players already experiencing plenty of success both on and off the field.
You can find out more about the Centre of Excellence and how to enrol by clicking here
Hullfc.com takes a look at some of the many success stories to have already come out of the Centre of Excellence in its short history…
Student Davy Litten Earns Academy Contract
17-year old Hull FC College student, and now Academy player Davy Litten, is perhaps the brightest story of the club’s educational programme so far.
The young half-back, cousin of former Black & White hooker Jez, has had a whirlwind year – having attended a Hull FC college open day just 15 months ago, Davy has spent the last three months training with the first-team having been rewarded for his hard-work both on and off the field, showing the possibilities of the Centre of Excellence’s pathway.
“I’d say to anybody who is just leaving school and are wondering what to do next, if you want to continue your education but still be involved in sport, it is the best place to be.
“The coaches make it a really professional environment, and they make it a real possibility for you to push on and earn an Academy contract. Or if that’s not for you and you want to follow a different path in sport, they support you to do that just as much.”
Development Squad Wins 2020 College League
Hull FC’s Centre of Excellence Development Squad were crowned winners of the 2019/20 College League Premier Division.
With the league postponed in last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black & White side were officially crowned league winners having been sat at the top of the table, impressively winning 10 out of 11 games played.
Winning game after game, taking on sides including those representing Salford Red Devils and Huddersfield Giants, as well as colleges including Leeds City College and Wakefield College, the side is made up of players currently attending the Hull FC Centre of Excellence education programme.
Boasting the best attack in the league, scoring 344 points and averaging 32 points scored per game, FC were the team to beat throughout the campaign.
Top Of The Class Off The Field
Hull FC’s Centre of Excellence students celebrated their best ever education results on Results Day back in August 2020, the club’s best ever grades since launching an education programme several years ago.
All students surpassed their target grade, with a third of all learners achieving a ‘Distinction’’, the highest grade attainable.
Meanwhile, all learners ensured they had their immediate futures secure thanks to their positive results, with 66% progressing into higher education and 34% having secured full-time employment thanks to their results – plus a number continuing on the club’s rugby pathway.
The club work with a number of Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rated partners, who also work with the likes of West Ham, Leeds United and Leicester Tigers.
Experienced & Highly Qualified Tutors
Hull FC’s Centre of Excellence boasts some of the sport’s most highly experienced and qualified youth coaches and tutors, made up predominantly of current or former professional sportsmen who understand the system first-hand.
Staff includes England Academy head coach Danny Wilson, who is the pathway’s Head of Rugby Development.
Danny works closely with the club’s Chief Executive, James Clark, and Head Coach, Brett Hodgson, with the club’s long-term strategy for youth defined from the very top of the club.
Other key members in staff include club legend Lee Crooks, who is the Centre of Excellence’s Rugby Development Manager, and former player Rob Wilson, one of the highest rated youth coaches in the country, is also involved in the setup as our Scholarship side’s head coach, while England Universities head coach Richard Tate, a key member of our Hull FC Community Foundation team, coaches the Hull University time – a key extended exit route through the Centre of Excellence.
To find out more about the key members of staff involved in the Centre of Excellence – click here
Over 110 Of The City’s Brightest Rugby League Talents
The Category 1 ‘Outstanding’ rated Centre of Excellence now boasts four squads – scholarship squad, development squad, elite squad and academy squad – as well as a Rising Stars programme for players on the cusp of breaking into the first-team.
The roster for the new season includes 112 players aged between 14 and 19, including some of the brightest young talent from the region and further afield – including new recruits from across Yorkshire, Lancashire and as far afield as Wales.
The group includes nine players who have already represented their country (England 7, Wales 2), with eight players currently spending pre-season with the first-team squad.
Academy Players Training With First-Team
The club’s Centre of Excellence players are already showing the fruits of their labour, and showing off the capabilities of the club’s pathway towards the first-team.
Eight members of the club’s Academy squad have spent the last three months training with the first-team squad, having been promoted up to the elite setup thanks to their tireless efforts throughout the lockdown period.
“I’m really happy with the progression of those boys and we’ll see how that progresses from now,” head coach Brett Hodgson commented.
“One of the strong messages at the start of the season with James (Clark) and Adam (Pearson) was that we want to develop the academy kids to show that there is a genuine pathway to play first-grade here and we are keen to embrace that at all levels of the club.”
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