South Wales Scorpions partner with RFL Academy at Coleg Y Cymoedd

South Wales Scorpions are delighted to announce a new partnership with Coleg Y Cymoedd’s Rugby League Academy based at the Ystrad Mynach campus.

The Rugby Football League accredited Category 3 Academy opened its doors for the first time in September 2015 as a result of a partnership between the college and Wales Rugby League. The Academy offers talented Rugby League players the opportunity to receive educational qualifications and the highest standard of training. Students are able to study BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 Sports qualification as part of the programme.

The Ystrad Mynach campus boasts some of the finest facilities of its type anywhere in the UK with training facilities including gymnasiums, all weather pitches and grass pitches.

Scorpions director Marc Lovering is delighted with the new partnership.

He said: “Wales Rugby League did a great job in working with Coleg Y Cymoedd to establish the Academy. Such Category 3 Academies need to be linked with a professional club and at the time it effectively was as WRL owned the Scorpions.

“That is obviously no longer the case so all parties felt now was the time for the Scorpions to become involved and reinforce the pathway to professional Rugby League.

“This is not something we are merely putting our name to. We will be actively involved in supporting Mark Jones as he continues to deliver a high quality programme. We will be involved in monitoring the performance of the players who will also be able to access the Scorpions player development pathways should they chose to do so.

“Paul Emanuelli who heads up our youth development programme and is the head coach of our under 20s side has already taken a number of sessions at the college and will be taking a keen interest in the boys’ development. We also of course have a number of boys from Coleg Y Cymoedd playing for our under 20s.

“Giving players, the vast majority of whom probably came to the game late, daily exposure to Rugby League is vital. The Academy at Coleg Y Cymoedd is a great opportunity for us to build our educational pathways but it is only the start.

“We have just begun implementing a strategy which will transform the pathways into the professional game in school college and university settings. We are also speaking to Coleg Y Cymoedd about widening the offer and have begun discussions about additional academies at other sites.

“There is a great deal of work ahead of us but our partnership with Coleg Y Cymoedd and the other partnerships that will follow are not only a key part of our pathway but will also benefit the wider game producing more players for the community game and Welsh internationals of the future.”

Mark Jones, Head of Rugby League at Coleg Y Cymoedd, said: “Coleg Y Cymoedd are thrilled to form a new partnership with the South Wales Scorpions, which is the natural progression to promote the Academy to a wider audience. We hope this will build the profile of Rugby League at the College and ensure we retain the players from Champion Schools and the Community Junior game.

“The college rugby league programme will now replicate the Scorpions programme which will allow a smoother transition.

“This year, the Coleg Y Cymoedd Rugby League Academy Students will be able to study BTEC Level 1, BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 Sports qualification and also A Levels alongside a rigid Rugby League programme. The partnership with the Scorpions will also allow us to offer an ASSE which is a vocational apprenticeship were the players will be on a paid contract to study at the College.”

If you are interested in any of the educational programmes at Coleg Y Cymoedd please contact Mark Jones on 07886 654933 or email mark.jones01@cymoedd.ac.uk

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