With the sudden stop to last season and the Academy U18 rugby not being able to be completed due to the pandemic it is refreshing that the Premiership Rugby Academy is back.
Berkshire players are represented in the London Irish Under 18 squad and so congratulations to the following players;
Berkshire clubs are represented
The Southern Conference will see the likes of Bath, Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester Rugby, Harlequins, London Irish and Saracens battling it out.
We look forward to reporting on the success of the squad and the players as the schedule gets underway this weekend.
Premiership Rugby’s Head of Player Development, Neil McCarthy believes it is fantastic news the competition is back, as it is so critical to young players’ progress at the elite level.
“Everyone is delighted we can firstly get this competition on, but also provide a big opportunity for these players to demonstrate their worth,” he said.
“After a difficult period of time for everybody, it will be nice to see these young players given the opportunity to represent their clubs in a competitive environment.
“There is no doubt, the young players have had a difficult period of time, with lots of disruption.
“The schools programme that a lot have played in has come to an end. This gives them a real high-level competition to test their capacities.
“It is part of a wider talent development process, and competition is obviously really important to that and how players react, adapt and play under pressure against the other best players in the country.”
Not only do the under-18 elite players get some high-quality game time, the competition also provides the chance for those involved to carve out a potential pathway to the senior game.
McCarthy added: “So many have played in this league and gone on to perform well at a higher level.
