Three Hull FC youngsters will get the opportunity to play for their country this evening, but for one of them, they have had to go the long way around to get there.
After being called into the England Academy squad just over a week ago, Ryan Westerman knew that he would be joining Hull FC Under 18 team mates Jack Charles and Will Hutchinson in Paul Anderson’s camp.
But for 17-year-old Will Hutchinson, this has not been a straightforward journey.
The hooker was not initially selected in Hull FC’s Scholarship team for the 2022 campaign. The disappointment of missing out was a crushing blow for the youngster, but he was determined to prove a point.
He trained with Hull FC’s Development squad once a week, a programme run by Hull FC’s youth department in a bid to prevent any hidden gems slipping through the net.
“I remember the disappointment of missing out on the Scholarship squad at the time, but reflecting on that, I think it was the right thing and it made me think differently about how I played and how I trained,” Hutchinson said.
“Some of the lads who missed out on selection for the Scholarship squad initially got asked to go down to train with the Development squad once a week.
“As part of that programme, we were scheduled to play against a team in Whitehaven. But that got cancelled. So we decided to have an in-house game, and after I played in that, I got a call to say that I had been selected to be a part of the Scholarship squad.
“I think development programmes like that give young ones a chance to build on their game. They might not be ready for scholarship straight away, but if you offer them the chance to train with the Development squad once a week, it gives them a great chance to really work hard on their game and you might end up finding somebody who is worthy of a place at scholarship level eventually.”
Hutchinson made a strong start to his Scholarship journey, scoring two key tries in the opening match of the 2022 season, in a Hull Derby, no less.
FC’s Under 16s went on to win that game in dramatic style. They won 29-28 on the night with a drop-goal in the final play of the game. The player to kick the winning point – Hutchinson’s best pal, Jack Charles.
Along with fellow England Academy team mate, Ryan Westerman, both Hutchinson and Charles graduated from the Black & Whites’ Scholarship programme at the end of the 2022 season and contributed significantly to the club’s strong 2023 campaign in the Academy Championship, which took them all the way to the play-off semi-finals.
All three have represented their county, Yorkshire, in the Academy War of the Roses series. Whilst Charles was called-up for England duty last year, this will be a significant milestone in the fledgling careers of Westerman and Hutchinson, who both stand a real chance of pulling on their country’s colours this evening.
“It’s a dream come true. You grow up dreaming of the opportunity to play for your country, so to have the chance to play for England on Tuesday night will be an honour,” he said.
“I couldn’t really ask for anyone better to go into England camp with. Jack is my best mate and I would say he has been a big part of my career. He’s changed my game and my work ethic a lot and he’s played a big part in why I’m where I am now.
“When I got the call I didn’t know what to say! I was actually driving at the time and my phone was ringing. So I parked up and it was Paul Anderson to tell me that I’ve been selected in the 21-man squad, and that was an amazing feeling – I was just a bit lost for words.”
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Hull FC’s Development squad, which was run by the club’s recently-appointed Head of Youth, Richard Tate, who has played a key role in the Scholarship programme over a number of years.
“Our Development squad is effectively an extension of our Scholarship – players who aren’t in our U16s system as such, but an opportunity for those players to show what they can do alongside players of their ability away from their community clubs.
“It’s something a bit different for them players, and it’s an opportunity to represent the club against some different oppositions too.
“We’re seeing the benefits of that programme now with the likes of Will Hutchinson coming through that system.”
Tate continued: “For Will, it was about having the mental strength – he wasn’t selected for Scholarship at the end of his U14s season, where it might be quite easy for kids to think that their time in the game is done, but he had that positive mental attitutde to keep going and back himself. He showed some real resilience and he rightly got his opportunity.”
To watch our full interview with Will Hutchinson and Richard Tate – click here
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