Cambridge Rugby are very proud to announce the exciting addition of a Junior Academy to their 1923 development programme. Following the success of both the Academy side and the 1923s, Academy Lead Josh Sharp is looking to build on the pathway that has already seen Clark and Preston Macfarlane, Mark Miska-Alvarez, Caleb Reeves, Harry Bellamy and Ethan Thorne – along with Jimmy Thompson and Jake Barry – make their debuts in the Champ Rugby squad. The 1923 Academy’s mission is to identify, develop and nurture talented rugby players within the Eastern Counties and beyond, providing them the opportunity to be exposed to high level coaching and a clear pathway into professional rugby. This is designed to help rugby players at a variety of different ages still feel as though they can make steps towards their goals.
“We’re already having a tremendous season. We’re building on our programme with an Under 18s side to enable us to grow the talent available to the Club. It’s for players in their final year of Sixth Form or college – Year 13 – and it’s designed to bridge the gap to the 1923s, identify talent and flood it through as they become of age for the Academy side. Obviously, we draw from our own Club players in the Junior section here at Cambridge – but players who want to come to us for our sessions on a Wednesday night from elsewhere are very welcome and encouraged to do so. As with the Academy and the 1923s, this is designed to be an additional programme to anything players are involved with at their clubs or their schools, another academy or representative sides. Some schools and some clubs have already had a nomination form sent to them – they can nominate up to five players to come along to us. There’ll be an online link as well.
“We’re inviting players to a talent identification session on Wednesday 26th November – and we have games scheduled for December. We’ve got fixtures lined up against the likes of Lambs, Ealing, Ampthill and Coventry so it’s going to be a very exciting place to be involved. To reiterate, if you feel the game of rugby has overlooked you or you want to see how far you can go, please sign up for the initial identification sessions and we can have a look at you. And you never know – you might just have a future at a high level!”
If you would like to get involved in the 1923 programme, at any level, please contact Academy Lead Josh Sharp josh.sharp@crufc.co.uk in the first instance.
You can read all about the 1923 programme and send your application here: https://cambridgerugby.co.uk/cambridge-1923s/