Record Nine Harlequins Players in England Squad

Posted on May 10, 2012 in Harlequins

A record nine Harlequins players have been named in the England squad announced by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) this morning for next month’s tour to South Africa.

Mike Brown, Danny Care, Joe Gray, George Lowe, Joe Marler, Ugo Monye, Chris Robshaw, George Robson and Jordan Turner-Hall are included in 42 man squad and Robshaw has been named as captain.

The selection of the nine players reflects their performances this season.  Harlequins finished top of the Aviva Premiership last weekend and have a home semi-final play-off match with Northampton Saints on Saturday.

Seven of the nine players are products of the club’s Academy which was recently assessed by the RFU and Premiership Rugby as being one of the best in the country.

Commenting on the players’ selection, Harlequins Director of Rugby Conor O’Shea said, “I’m pleased on two levels.  First of all for the club as the selection of so many players reflects our ambition and is fantastic recognition of the efforts of our squad this season.  Second, from the players’ perspective, their selection is reward for the hard work they’ve put in.                          

“Given the fact that seven of the nine players are products of the club’s Academy, I am sure they would all want to recognise the work that Collin Osborne put in with them initially in setting up the Academy and this has been continued by Tony Diprose, Howard Graham and Jim Evans,” O’Shea added.

Three Emerging Talents Join Harlequins Academy

Posted on May 1, 2012 in emb, English Rugby, Harlequins, Premiership

Another three of England’s emerging young players have joined the Harlequins Academy.  Jordan Burns, Harry Sloan and Henry Taylor will become full time members of one of the country’s leading Academies on 1stJuly.

Last week the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby confirmed that the Harlequins Academy had been assessed as one of best of the 14 Academies in England.

Jordan Burns (pictured), an 18-year-old who can play at scrum half or on the wing, joins from Epsom College. He originally joined the club’s Academy programme when he was 13. He represented England at Under 16 level and played at scrum half and on the wing for England Under 18 Clubs and Schools earlier this season.

Harry Sloan is a 17-year-old centre from Skinners School and first joined the club’s programme when he was 15. He has played for England Under 18 Clubs and Schools for the past two seasons.

Henry Taylor is an 18-year-old scrum half from Cranleigh School.  He joined the club’s Academy programme last year.  He has represented England Under 18 Clubs and Schools at scrum half for the past two years.

(more…)

Connacht Academy stars included in line-up to face the Scarlets

Posted on Mar 2, 2012 in Connacht, Irish Rugby

Connacht Rugby have announced the team that will face the Scarlets this Friday (Parc y Scarlets 19.30)

There are a number of personnel changes to the starting team with Brett Wilkinson and Mike McCarthy unavailable due to their involvement with the National side.

This gives Peter Borlase his first taste of Connacht Rugby at tighthead prop while Ronan Loughney, earning his 100th cap for the province, moves back to loosehead prop.

There is a first cap for Academy back rower Dave Heffernan. The 6’1, 104kg former Ireland U20 has played in all of Connacht’s ‘A’ games this season and has impressed with outstanding performances for Buccaneers RFC in the Ulster Bank All Ireland League. 20 year old Ballina born Heffernan joined the Connacht Academy this season having transferred his studies from UCD to NUIG and is known for his ferocious ball-carrying and work rate across the park.

Dave joins fellow year one Academy star Mick Kearney in the forwards. Mick has featured in nine of Connacht’s matches so far and the versatile Irish Colleges second row has certainly made an impression this season with big performances including those against Leinster, the Ospreys and 3 appearances in the Heineken Cup.

Eoin Griffin and Dave McSharry renew the centre partnership last seen in action in Connacht’s Heineken Cup match against Gloucester while Miah Nikora replaces this injured Niall O’Connor at outside half.

Speaking about the inclusion of three academy players (Heffernan, Kearney and Buckley) Academy Manager Nigel Carolan said:

"It’s great to see the guys getting the reward for their hard work and dedication. Eric (Elwood) has always said that if players are good enough and patient enough they’ll get their chances so it’s great to see these opportunities open up for them."

Connacht v Scarlets (Par y Scarlets, Friday 27th February – KO 19.30)

15 Gavin Duffy (C)

14 Fetu’u Vainikolo

13 Eoin Griffin

12 Dave McSharry

11 Tiernan O’Halloran

10 Miah Nikora

09 Frank Murphy

01 Ronan Loughney

02 Adrian Flavin

03 Peter Borlase

04 Michael Swift

05 Mick Kearney

06 Dave Heffernan

07 Ray Ofisa

08 George Naoupu

16 Ethienne Reynecke

17 Denis Buckley

18 Stewart Maguire

19 John Muldoon

20 Eoghan Grace

21 Dave Moore

22 Matthew Jarvis

23 Kyle Tonetti

Bath announce academy squad

Posted on Jul 26, 2011 in Bath, Premiership

Bath Rugby have announced their Academy squad for the 2011/12 season.

The Academy will comprise 17 fulltime members, some of whom made their Bath Rugby debut recently in the first round of the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Premiership Rugby 7s series at the Recreation Ground.

Six new faces have been contracted for next season, with fresh talent across the field coming into the Academy. Local players Richard Lane (wing) and JJ Kilmartin (full-back) (both from Millfield School) and Joe Buckle (flanker) and Will Clemesha (scrum-half) (both Bryanston) join two from slightly further afield, with Will Tanner (hooker, Hartpury) and Tom Baldwin (flanker, Stowe) making the move to the South West.

The current Academy members who have been retained for this season are scrum-halves Chris Cook and Matt Keyte (dual registered with Bristol), fly-halves Paul Roberts and Tom Heathcote, centres Nick Scott and Ben Mosses, wing Ollie Woodburn (dual registered with Bristol), tight-head prop Kane Palma-Newport, lock Will Spencer, backrow Will Skuse and flanker James Stephenson.

Guy Mercer has graduated to the first team squad for next season, having entered the Academy at Bath in 2004 as an U15. He is to be congratulated on several years of hard work that has led to him securing a first team contract.

Ted Stagg, who has also been with the Academy since 2004, has signed a new contract with Championship side Rotherham Titans. We hope he has enjoyed his time at Bath and wish him all the best at his new club.

In addition to seven of the fulltime Academy squad combining training at the Club with studies at Bath University, the squad will be supplemented for training and United matches by a number of University Scholars.

Current Uni. Scholars include hooker Max Anderson, back rowers James Tyas and Joe Ellyatt, props Max Maidment and Max Ashcroft and locks Nick Morris and Jamie Collins. Depending on A-Level results they will be joined by wings Alex Brown and James Downing, fly-half Freddie Gabbitas and prop Tom Dunn, with one or two more yet to be finalised.

A very promising, talented crop of young players, the current Academy members have a host of representative honours between them, with Joe Buckle and Freddie Gabbitas in the England U18 squad, Will Skuse, Will Tanner, Will Spencer and Tom Heathcote in the England U19 squad and Paul Roberts with England Students. In addition to this both Chris Cook and James Tyas have just returned to the Club following successful summers with England U20s and Scotland U20s respectively.

With household names such as Matt Banahan, Olly Barkley and Nick Abendanon, and rising talents such as Ben Williams and Nathan Catt all having come through the Bath Rugby Academy, this current squad have some big boots to fill.

Academy Manager, Frank Butler, is looking forward to seeing what the new boys are made of. “They are a very exciting and promising group of young players, so we are looking forward to helping them develop their game further, and enabling them to vie for inclusion in the first team squad.”

Wasps announce academy players

Posted on Jul 19, 2011 in Premiership

London Wasps today announce their Academy for the 2011/12 season.

After successful seasons last year Christian Wade and Jack Wallace graduate from last year’s Academy and take up their place in the first team squad.

Jonah Holmes, Chris Elder, Sam Jones and Joe Launchbury will all enjoy their second year in the Academy, retaining their places.

Elliot Daly, Billy Vunipola and Nathan Morris become full time members of the Academy this year, having finished their studies at Whitgift, Harrow and Sedburgh respectively.

The Academy, supported by Causeway Technologies, will welcome Will Robinson and Mitchel Tamiau, who both graduate from the AASE scheme, along with Lewis Thiede who signs from Doncaster.

Sam Northcote Green becomes a part-time member of the Academy, taking the option to start his studies at University. Sam will train at the club during University holiday periods and will be dual-registered with Blaydon RFC.

In recent years Wasps have formed a close partnerships with local clubs London Scottish and Rosslyn Park. London Scottish gained promotion to the Championship in season 2010/11 and Rosslyn Park continue in National 1 after strong performances throughout last season. The relationship between Wasps and Scottish continues this year with seven of the Academy squad dual registered with the two clubs. Elliot Daly, Jonah Holmes, Sam Jones, Joe Launchbury, Mitchel Tamiau, Lewis Thiede and Billy Vunipola will all be dual registered, allowing them to train and play with Wasps with further match time options at London Scottish

At Rosslyn Park, Will Robinson and Nathan Morris are dual registered, with Chris Elder dual registered with Henley Hawks providing all these young developing players with good opportunities for quality match time outside of Wasps.

The club also hopes to retain Joe Burton within the Academy squad and are currently discussing loan-club options with various clubs.

Academy 2011/12
Joe Burton
Elliot Daly
Chris Elder
Alec Hepburn
Jonah Holmes
Sam Jones
Joe Launchbury
Nathan Morris
Sam Northcote Green (part time)
Will Robinson
Mitchell Tamiau
Lewis Thiede
Billy Vunipola