Bradford Bulls Academy

Full name

Bradford Bulls Academy Rugby League Football Club

Nickname(s)

Bulls

Founded

1996

Region

Bradford, Yorkshire, England

Ground(s)

Grattan Stadium (Capacity: 27,000)

Coach(es)

Basil Richards

1st kit

2nd kit

Official website

www.bradfordbulls.co.uk

The Bradford Bulls Youth Development is the youth system of the rugby league club Bradford Bulls. It is one of the most famous and successful youth systems for rugby league and has produced some of the best players in both rugby league and rugby union. The Bradford Bulls 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.

The Academy

The Senior Academy (from 2013 the Under 19's) is the highest tier in the Youth Development system. Any players under the age of 19 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 players recovering from injury but also some of the best players from the junior academy are given experience in the senior academy. The Bradford Bulls 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 Bradford Bulls Academy has decreased in recent years, many Senior Academy players are promoted to the first team squad at quite 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 than themselves.

2013 U19 Players

	Player	Position
	Oliver Roberts	Back Rower
	Sam Wood (Captain)	Centre
	Curtis Naughton	Full Back
	Alex Mellor	Back Rower
	Nathan Conroy	Hooker
	Connor Nolan	Prop
	Emmerson Whittel	Loose Forward
	Jarrod Ward	Wing
	Isaac Pollard	Loose Forward
	Daniel Gregory	Hooker
	Josh Halliday	Back Rower
	Kyle Moore	Wing
	Jordan Hargreaves	Loose Forward
	Jacob Farrel	Centre
	Jordan Gale	Stand Off
	Josh Greenwood-MacDonald	Stand Off
	Steve Copeland	Prop
	Josh Casey	Centre
	Adam Brook	Scrum Half
	Todd Binns	Wing
	Sam Bates	Prop
	Jake Dearden	Utility Back
	Brad Adams	Back Rower
	Nick Gomersall	Centre

2013 Scholarships

When the RFL re-organised the youth system at the end of 2012, it was announced that at Super League level there would only be an under 19's league. Therefore the Junior Academy was effectively made into the scholarship system. 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 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.

2013 Junior Players

	Player	Position
	Ellis Akhurst	Wing
	Reece Bradshaw	Hooker, Half Back
	Karl Cassar	Centre, Second Row
	Brandon Douglas	Second Row, Prop
	Matthew Dyson	Full Back, Wing
	Ben Fisher	Second Row, Prop
	Jack Georgiou	Prop
	Alex Greenwood-MacDonald	Hooker, Half Back
	Harry Godfrey	Hooker, Half Back
	Jake Hrintchuk	Centre, Loose Forward
	Jamie Kerr	Centre, Second Row
	Liam Kirk	Second Row, Prop
	Conner MacCallum	Second Row, Prop
	Ross Oakes	Centre, Loose Forward
	Callum Ogden	Hooker
	Michael Paul	Loose Forward, Second Row
	Joel Pearson	Prop
	Isaac Riley	Centre, Second Row
	Faham Shahzad	Prop
	James Tetlow	Full Back, Wing
	Chris Unsworth	Full Back, Wing
	James Pickering	Centre, Wing

Notable Former players

Player	Position	Current Club
Mark Woods	Prop	Retired
Chris Bridge	Centre	Warrington Wolves
Brett Ferres	Second Row	Huddersfield Giants
Stuart Fielden	Prop	Retired
Stuart Reardon	Full Back	North Wales Crusaders
Paul Sykes	Stand Off	Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Karl Pryce	Wing	Dewsbury Rams
Leon Pryce	Stand Off	Catalans Dragons
Robbie Paul	Scrum Half	Retired
Robert Parker	Prop	Retired
Jamie Peacock	Prop	Leeds Rhinos
Andy Smith	Wing	Retired
Richard Moore	Prop	Leeds Rhinos
Jamie Langley	Loose Forward	Hull Kingston Rovers
Sam Burgess	Prop	South Sydney Rabbitohs
Matt James	Prop	Featherstone Rovers
Matt Cook	Second Rower	London Broncos
Craig Kopczak	Prop	Huddersfield Giants
Richard Hawkyard	Full Back	Swinton Lions
Keale Carlile	Hooker	Hull Kingston Rovers
Vinnie Finigan	Winger	Batley Bulldogs
Paul Mennell	Scrum Half	Batley Bulldogs
Steve Crossley	Prop	Featherstone Rovers
Neil Cherryholme	Prop	Halifax RLFC
David Clayton	Winger	Hunslet Hawks
Larne Patrick	Second Rower	Huddersfield Giants
Alex Szostak	Loose Forward	Sheffield Eagles
Adam Walker	Prop	Hull Kingston Rovers
Elliott Whitehead	Second Rower	Catalans Dragons
Kieran Hyde	Scrum Half	Dewsbury Rams

Current Staff

Lee St Hilaire

Basil Richards

Paul Medley

Richard Tunningley

External links

Bradford Bulls

Est. 1907 in Bradford, West Yorkshire

The Club	History Records Super League Honours Coaches Internationals Statistics Players Academy

Home grounds	Birch Lane Greenfield Athletic Ground Odsal Stadium Valley Parade

People	Trevor Foster Peter Hood Omar Khan

League	RFL SL

Championships	1979–80 1980–81 1997 2001 2003 2005

World Club Challenges	2002 2004 2006

Challenge Cups	1946–47 1948–49 2000 2003

Bradford Bulls seasons	1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

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