Pioneering Lions now planning to form their own academy

Football clubs in the area are doing it left, right and centre . . . now Peterborough Lions have followed suit.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th May 2017, 08:00 BST
Updated 4th Jun 2017, 21:30 BST
Pictured are the main trophy winners at the Peterborough Lions presentation night. From the left they are Vice-Presidents Player of the Year  Ben Howard, Coaches Player of the Year  Nico Defeo, Players Player of the Year  Chris Humphrey and Most Improved Player of the Year - Conor Crown. Picture: Mick SutterbyPictured are the main trophy winners at the Peterborough Lions presentation night. From the left they are Vice-Presidents Player of the Year  Ben Howard, Coaches Player of the Year  Nico Defeo, Players Player of the Year  Chris Humphrey and Most Improved Player of the Year - Conor Crown. Picture: Mick Sutterby
Pictured are the main trophy winners at the Peterborough Lions presentation night. From the left they are Vice-Presidents Player of the Year  Ben Howard, Coaches Player of the Year  Nico Defeo, Players Player of the Year  Chris Humphrey and Most Improved Player of the Year - Conor Crown. Picture: Mick Sutterby

The ambitious Bretton-based club, who boast a National League Division Three side, have decided to form their own academy.

They’re looking for recruits aged 16-18 years-old for the Peterborough Lions Rugby Academy to start in September.

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The two-year course will see students receive specialist coaching every day from RFU accredited staff - some with international and Premiership experience - while at the same time studying for a BTEC in Sports Science.

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All the education and training will be delivered within the club’s facility at Bretton Park and the course is being run in conjunction with Loughborough University.

“We appreciate that we are a bit late putting this news out as lots of children have already made plans for when they leave school in July,” said chairman Andy Moore.

“But it took us a while to get all the coaches and teachers on board. Now that’s all sorted we’re ready to give it a shot. As long as we get 15 students it will go ahead.

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“And it’s really exciting news for us. We are one of the first rugby clubs in the country to try it. We are pioneering, as you’d expect from the Peterborough Lions.

“We will arrange fixtures for the academy team every Wednesday with the players free to go and play for their clubs on a Saturday.

“And the one great thing about our academy is that you don’t have to have playing experience. It will obviously help but so long as the applicant has got athletic ability and wants to learn to play the game, then that’s fine. Our coaches will do the rest.

“With daily coaching you’d be surprised what can be achieved. A player who starts at 16 could be a very fine player indeed by the time he’s 18.

“And if some of them turn into Lions players then all well and good.”

A deadline of June 30, 2017 has been set for those wishing to apply and further details are available from [email protected]

Related topics:Peterborough LionsPremiership