Ambitious coaches wanting to take that first step on the road to a high-level rugby league career are being urged to count themselves in to the new York City Knights scholarship team.

Those that make the grade will be part of the historic inaugural scholarship scheme at York, which it is hoped will grow into a programme to rival the best in the country.

September has been pencilled in for the first intake of players at two age groups, but the staff need to be in place before that can happen.

Knights chief executive Steve Ferres said: "It's a fantastic opportunity for us to not lose the talent that's available to us in the York area and it's also an opportunity for any aspiring coaches, ex-players or potential coaches to get on the first rung of the ladder.

"Our aim really is to make it the best scholarship outside Super League.

"For us to do that, we have got to set ourselves a very high standard when it comes to the quality of coaches so we will be looking very closely at the applicants to make sure we get the right ones."

The Knights are recruiting two team managers, two head coaches, four assistant coaches, talent scouts and other administration staff.

And the heat is on to find the right people in time for the scheduled mid-September launch, with a deadline for all applications by August 20.

And if the Knights are deluged by high-quality applications, they have vowed not to turn people away.

Development officer Jason Ramshaw said: "We are looking for the best people for the job. Ideally, the coaches need to be senior coach qualified but club coaches can apply as well.

"It doesn't matter what age group they have experience with, either."

With funding at this early stage of the scholarship only hitting the £1,000 mark, none of the positions will be salaried, although expenses will be covered by the club.

But Ramshaw added: "It's a stepping stone for the coaches if they want to progress in the game.

"Working with a professional club looks good on your CV if you are looking elsewhere in the future."

To find out more, call Jason Ramshaw at the club on 01904 656105.

Updated: 10:55 Friday, August 06, 2004