Wigan Warriors Youth Development

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Wigan Warriors Youth Development
Emblem: Wigan Coat of Arms
Colours: Cherry & White
Sport: Rugby League
Stadium: Edge Hall Road
Capacity: 6500
Senior Academy
Coach: Stuart Wilkinson
Junior Academy
Coach: John Pendlebury

The Wigan Warriors Youth Development is the youth system of the rugby league club Wigan Warriors. It is one of the most famous and successful youth system for rugby league and has produced some of the best players in both rugby league and rugby union. The Wigan Warriors Youth Development consists of three main teams, the Senior Academy, the Junior Academy and the Service Area team. Youth Development system also includes scouting for the local area and education for the players in the academy teams. In recent years the Wigan Warriors Academy sides have worked with the The Parachute Regiment to improve players mental and physical toughness.

Contents 1 Senior Academy 2 Junior Academy 3 Service Area Team 4 Past Academy Players 5 See also 6 External links

[edit] Senior Academy

The Senior Academy is the highest tier in the Youth Development system. Any players under the age of 21 years are eligible to play for the senior academy, the rules also permit three players over the age of 21 to play in academy matches. Most of the team is made up of fringe squad players and those first team player recovering from injury but also some of the best players from the junior academy are given experience in the senior academy. The Wigan Warriors Senior Academy is one of the best in the country and has produce more professional Rugby League players than any other Academy in the country. The success of the Wigan Academy has decreased in recent years, many Senior Academy players are promoted to the first team squad at quiet a young age and either secure a first team places or are release to other clubs. This means that players from the junior academy players have been drafted into the senior academy but are often playing against opposition much older then themselves.

Staff

	Staff Name	Position	Previous Club
	<Vacant>

Players

Player Name Position Ross Bradley Centre Thomas Brindle Prop Thomas Coyle Scrum Half Mark Flanagan Loose Forward Neil Holland Prop Ben Kavanagh Second Row Lee Mossop Second Row Eamon O'Carroll Prop Paul Prescott Prop Mike Priest Wing

Player Name Position Sam Reay Full Back Luke Rhoden Prop David Small Winger Nicky Stanton Winger Andrew Thornley Centre Joel Tompkins Loose Forward Sam Tompkins Stand Off Andrew Thornley Winger John Walker Centre

Fixtures/Results 2007

Round	Opponent	Result	Wigan	Oppo	Date	Venue	Competition
N	Whitehaven RLFC	Lose	0	30	04/02/07	Recreation Ground	Friendly
1	Bradford Bulls U21	Lose	14	28	26/02/07	Odsal Stadium	Senior Academy Championship
2	Hull Kingston Rovers U21	Win	52	10	03/03/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
3	Harlequins RL U21	Win	40	16	10/03/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
4	Hull FC U21	Win	28	26	24/03/07	KC Stadium	Senior Academy Championship
5	St Helens U21	Win	18	12	29/03/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
6	Huddersfield Giants U21	Win	36	18	14/04/07	Galpharm Stadium	Senior Academy Championship
7	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats U21	Win	46	6	22/04/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
8	Salford City Reds U21	Win	24	14	27/04/07	The Willows	Senior Academy Championship
N	Leigh Centurions U21	Win	60	0	10/05/07	Edge Hall Road	Friendly
9	Hull Kingston Rovers U21	Win	30	8	19/05/07	Craven Park	Senior Academy Championship
10	Hull FC U21	Win	36	28	26/05/07	Craven Park	Senior Academy Championship
11	Harlequins RL U21	Win	42	24	02/06/07	Twickenham Stoop	Senior Academy Championship
12	Leeds Rhinos U21	Win	37	20	10/06/07	Headingley Stadium	Senior Academy Championship
13	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats U21	Win	40	34	01/07/07	Belle Vue	Senior Academy Championship
14	Bradford Bulls U21	Win	46	36	07/07/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
15	Leeds Rhinos U21	Win	34	28	14/07/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
16	St Helens U21	Win	50	16	20/07/07	Knowsley Road	Senior Academy Championship
17	Warrington Wolves U21	Win	44	12	04/08/07	Halliwell Jones Stadium	Senior Academy Championship
18	Huddersfield Giants U21	Win	48	28	11/08/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
19	Warrington Wolves U21	Win	50	16	11/08/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship
20	Salford City Reds U21				01/09/07	Edge Hall Road	Senior Academy Championship

[edit] Junior Academy

The Junior Academy is the second tier in the Youth Development system. Any players under the age of 18 years are eligible to play for the senior academy unlike the Senior Academy no players over the age limit are allowed to play. Like the Senior Academy the Junior Academy has been one of the most successful academy sides in British Rugby League but have also suffered the effects of Senior Academy players being called up into the first team as Junior Academy players move up to the Senior Academy they are replaced by 15 and 16 year old players. Some of the better Junior Academy players are given experience in the Senior Academy and it is not uncommon for some players to play regularly in both Junior and Senior Academy if eligible.

Staff

	Staff Name	Position	Previous Club
	John Pendlebury	Head Coach	Oldham Roughyeds

Players

Player Name Position Shaun Ainscough Winger Ross Bradley Centre Gerry Bridge Second Row Ben Davies Liam Farrell Second Row Chris Gerrard Stand Off Neil Holland Prop Winger Stuart Howarth Loose Forward Matty Lowe Stefan Marsh

Player Name Position Kyle Massam Joe Mellor Mike Priest Winger Brett Robinson Hooker Tom Smith Ben Spencer Andrew Thornley Centre Sam Tomkins Scrum Half Josh Veivers Full Back

[edit] Service Area Team

This is the first stage of the Youth Development Program and is used to scout local teams to find the best players and bring them together into one team before they move on to the Junior Academy. The players in the service area are between 13 and 16 and usually come from local clubs such as Wigan St Partricks ARLFC, Wigan St Judes ARLFC, Orrell St James' ARLFC among others.

[edit] Past Academy Players

	Player	Position	Current Club
	David Allen	Second Row	Widnes Vikings
	Chris Ashton	Full Back	Northampton Saints
	Martin Aspinwall	Centre/Winger	Huddersfield Giants
	Bob Beswick	Hooker/Second Row	Widnes Vikings
	Rickey Bibey	Prop	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
	Shaun Briscoe	Full Back	Hull Kingston Rovers
	Kevin Brown	Stand Off	Huddersfield Giants
	Jon Clarke	Hooker	Warrington Wolves
	James Coyle	Scrum Half	Oldham Roughyeds
	Wes Davies	Full Back	Doncaster Knights
	Andrew Farrell	Loose Forward	Saracens F.C.
	Harrison Hansen	Second Row	Wigan Warriors
	Bryn Hargreaves	Prop	St Helens
	Gareth Hock	Second Row	Wigan Warriors
	Lee Jewitt	Second Row	Salford City Reds
	Chris Melling	Full Back	Harlequins RFLC
	Sean O'Loughlin	Loose Forward	Wigan Warriors
	Kris Radlinski	Full Back	Retired
	Luke Robinson	Scrum Half	Salford City Reds
	Mark Smith	Hooker	Widnes Vikings
	Steven Wild	Loose Forward	Huddersfield Giants

[edit] See also

• Wigan Warriors
• BARLA

[edit] External links

• Official site
• Wigan-Warriors fan site

Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club
Wigan Warriors
History • Records • Stadium • Players • Honours
Seasons
2006 • 2007 • 2008
Stadiums
Folly Field (1872-1877) • Prescott Street (1877-1901) • Springfield Park (1901-1902) • Central Park (1902-1999) • JJB Stadium (1999-)
Captains
Andrew Farrell (1998-2005) • Sean O'Loughlin (2006-)
Coaches
Andy Goodway • John Monie (1995-1997) • Frank Endacott (1999-2001) • Stuart Raper (2001-2003) • Mike Gregory (2003-2005) Denis Betts (2004-2005) • Ian Millward (2005-2006) • Brian Noble (2006-present)