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Junior Section For almost twenty years, Sunderland RFC has devoted a great deal of time and effort to its youth policy. The results have been such that a large number of young men playing rugby at a high standard can look back with pride to their sporting roots. Sadly, such is the nature of modern life that few of those young men play with the club on a regular basis. The call away to university life, the structure of school rugby and the nature of the professional game are all, in their own ways, responsible for what is, basically, a disappointing turn of events. From the ranks there have come many boys who have played at county schoolboy and clubs level - mostly for Durham although one or two have opted for Northumberland schools. James Lofthouse, one of the early minis and juniors, captained England youth sides, which contained many of the modern England side, including Jonny Wilkinson. He recently led the full Northumberland county side, which won the national plate this year.
Alan Ross, a current first team regular, was in the North of England squad as a schoolboy. Ben Simpson, Peter Phelan and David Cullen, all from the same Sunderland junior side, have all played representative rugby for their country. Nick Hooper, a fine cricketer also, is involved in Newcastle Falcons plans, as is Peter Phelan. The National Schoolboy Daily Mail Trophy semi-final in 2001 featured seven boys, (at Durham school and RGS Newcastle), who had played junior rugby at Sunderland. Thankfully a number who have come through the mini and junior ranks have managed to stay the course and represent the senior teams. When the Harrison brothers play, the front row is one entirely made up of players who started off at Ashbrooke at the tender age of seven or eight. There are also a handful of other players who can trace their roots back a similar distance. A number of promising teenagers, including Luke Robinson, Brian Finlay and James Kyle, have made the transition also from junior to senior rugby.
The players who formed the basis of 2002/2003 seasons’ successful under 17s have managed to play little for the club since that season. A significant number played for the Newcastle RGS 1st XV, which has already defeated local rivals at Ampleforth and Durham school. Others, without a full colts side to play for, have moved on elsewhere. This is a frustrating feature of modern rugby and a disappointment at a time when the world cup means the game is very much in the public spotlight. Let us hope the lads who wear the Sunderland shirt today aspire and togo on to even greater honours for club, county & country. Junior Section
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