JACK STEARMAN lauded further improvements in schools rugby league in the York region following the final of the Marston Moor Cup for Year 11 teams.

This was the first year in which Year 11s took part in the Marston Moor competition – a nine-a-side tournament which began with the York International 9s back in 2002 and was then played by primary schools.

Now, there are competitions for Years 7 to 11, with finals day for Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 set to take place on Saturday, July 2 at Heworth ARLC.

The Year 11 final was played at Huntington Stadium as a curtain-raiser to York City Knights’ match against Leigh and saw Knaresborough’s King James School beat Burnholme Community College.

Stearman, a Knights first-team player and community coach, said: “It’s a real good standard now.

“It’s the first Year 11 competition we’ve had in the Marston Moor, and it’s good to have a look at these lads when it comes to our (the Knights) under-16s development squads.

“Many of them will be going to college next year and some of them will have a chance to play for the York College development centre team as well, which Chris (Knights star Chris Thorman) coaches. They will also be eligible for the Knights’ U18s extended scholarship next year.”

York High and Canon Lee School were also due to play in the Year 11 Marston Moor semi-finals but were unable to field teams on the day so King James and Burnholme met in the final.

Burnholme had got through to the Yorkshire regional quarter-final stage in the nationwide Carnegie Champion Schools tournament earlier in the year, having won the York area finals last November.

Stearman added: “It was good to get a team from York through to that stage in the tough Champion Schools, which shows the standard we’ve got here, and King James’ victory over them shows how far they have come.”