Hope you dont mind me posting this here but i think we have exhursted all possibilites in and around feartherstone. we are trying to exend our search for new players

Having competed in the Yorkshire Premier league and contested numerous finals over the past 6 years my Sons team Featherstone Lions u14s are suddenly struggling for players.

This week was the first time they have ever called off a game unable to raise a team. It's usually case when lads get to 14/15 and start finding other interests or friends from school start convincing them to go to other teams .

We still have the nucleus of a good team with 13 players and there's only a couple of games left of the season before they change to u15's

If any year 10s reading this or if anyone's sons are that age and are interested in giving rugby league a go then please pm me for more details

Games are usually around 11am Sunday morning

Doesn't matter if you have played before or not, players of any ability are welcome. Always a club policy not to turn away any players. The 14's season is ending so there's plenty of time to train before the new season.

Thanks

Have you got a under 13s team that's in the same position or with more players? The reason I ask is I've watched a lot of U14s games this year and been surprised by the amount of players who are playing a year above and wondered if they could move up.Good look, hope you keep going as the U14s are the start of Pro clubs scholarship scouting age and we need as many teams from our area as possible .

been some time since we had posts on a weekly basis on here about junior rugby, keep posting on here I'm sure you might pick a few up, I used to love going to the lions and would hate to see you disband, have you thought asking local schools for any interested players bet place to find them

When I was involved, we had a really good link with our local school - I forget the name, but there is actually an RFL scheme for community clubs partnered with schools; we did a bit of reciprocal work with them and picked up some fantastic players - 4 or 5 of whom went on to get contracts with SL clubs. We also benefited from their 4G pitch and indoor gym when the weather was too nasty to train at our usual venue. Well worth looking into.

Hope you get things sorted soon mate not nice for the lads who are still there.my lad plays at same age group just down rd at normy and currently turn up with about 13 or 14 players every week.i see players leaving all time but there at the age where other things come first

We have been told Normanton have folded in this age group. if thats true your son and any other players are welcome at lions. were still hoping to have a team next season

if Normy have had to fold a team at that age then there's a massive problem at youth level

Correct Snowie, as I’ve said before, U14s is the age that clubs start to look for future scholarship potential so very worrying that local teams are folding at this age group.

I think this is where the clubs should come in and have teams within the junior league, just might turn a kids eye playing for a professional club name rather than a village team,
there's nothing wrong helping village/town teams too, there's enough players to give aid in training once a week to help build relations up and might also build up the supporter base even if its for a oppositions team

Deffo not folded no played last week and play next week and having a team fun day tomorrow.also entered into barla cup.

Unfortunately I blame the professional clubs for the failure and mass exedous at U14/15's. They are getting involved with players at too young an age, if a lad is playing for a community club they shouldn't be allowed to touch them until they are 16 IMO, the professional teams scouts are making contact with these lads as young as 11/12 and "inviting" them to come along and experience the professional club. They are hitting this en-mass and then 2-3 years later letting 90/95% of these lads down, who then lose faith in the game, rather than grabbing a load of lads at that age, they would be better picking out the cream of players at 16-17 are a lot closer to their full development so their true potential can be more accurately assessed.
You should know this all to well Steve