Leicester Tigers Academy

[Coops]

Was listening to the EggChasers Rugby Podcast this morning and they commented on the recent England U20 squad announcement.

14 clubs supply into the U20 squad - 12 premiership plus London Irish and Leeds Carnegie (I believe)

The only club NOT represented in the latest squad is Leicester Tigers. With our slow demise over the years, has the lack of development and progression by Academy players contributed to this?

I was genuinely surprised by the U20 squad having no Leicester players in it.

[RagingBull]

Was listening to the EggChasers Rugby Podcast this morning and they commented on the recent England U20 squad announcement.

14 clubs supply into the U20 squad - 12 premiership plus London Irish and Leeds Carnegie (I believe)

The only club NOT represented in the latest squad is Leicester Tigers. With our slow demise over the years, has the lack of development and progression by Academy players contributed to this?

I was genuinely surprised by the U20 squad having no Leicester players in it.

Will Evans fits into the U20 age group this year still.

A couple of the clubs with one player in it also pinched their players from other academics as well (notably Saints and Wasps both have one each and both where product of other systems.

It might have contributed to some extent but I think it is marginal at best IMO.

[Noddy555]

Yes our academy seems to favour youngsters from the Southern hemisphere who are not qualified to play for England whilst ignoring good local talent. I know of a 14 year old who has recently been poached by Wasps for their development squad.

[LE18]

I thought the academy started from age 16? 14 year old

[h's dad]

I thought the academy started from age 16? 14 year old

Everybody under 40 looks the same to Noddy and he doesn't know the difference between the senior, development and academy squads and epdg. Alternatively he may have got the age or the sport wrong. To be fair I have the same trouble now with policemen.

[ellis9]

It starts at under 14 level. It was called the EPDC. I'm not sure if it is still called that. I was in it at under 14 level. Dusty Hare was the man in total charge but training was looked after by a group of coaches led by Troy Thacker.

[drc_007]

Yes our academy seems to favour youngsters from the Southern hemisphere who are not qualified to play for England.

Which players in the academy would that be?

[Iain]

Yes our academy seems to favour youngsters from the Southern hemisphere who are not qualified to play for England whilst ignoring good local talent.

Let's be fair Noddy, you just made that up didn't you?

[Noddy555]

No Iain I don't make things up and Ellis9 is quite right our Player Development squad also starts at the age of 14 progressing hopefully onto the academy at 16
until they are 21. Unless of course that's changed since September of last year.
On top of all this there is the schools development programme which has now rolled
out beyond Leicestershire and now covers most of the East Midlands.

[Iain]

Humour me Noddy.

http://www.leicestertigers.com/rugby/le ... _squad.php

Which of these are from the Southern Hemisphere?

Also as an aside. Harry Garforth.... is he mini-Darren?

[Noddy555]

I think 4 or 5 of them Iain hail from the Southern Hemisphere some might be second generation I do know 2 of them but I'm not going to name them as pressure of that kind shouldn't be visited on 15 year olds.

[Iain]

So then. Two conclusions:

1. If it's only 4 or 5 then they don't favour Southern Hemisphere players over English ones.

2. You don't actually know do you?

[dunks43]

Why would naming them pressure them ?

[Noddy555]

Dunks 43 if you don't know the answer to that, then you must be a very young man or childless.

[Skin_and_Muscle]

Dunks 43 if you don't know the answer to that, then you must be a very young man or childless.

But, surely the parents aren't going to mind their kids hailing from the same place as them?

And what sort of additional pressure would be invited on these youngsters who have their faces and names published on the internet, anyway? Will the Daily Mail be camped on their front lawns if you reveal their nationalities?