England's #1 Youth Rugby Academy
Welcome to the Elite Youth Rugby Academy – a pioneering programme for England’s most promising young players. Open to children currently playing U11s rugby, this fully funded three-year journey is designed to fast-track talent towards top scholarships and professional pathways.
🏉 SHAPING THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH RUGBY
Players will train at the National Sports Centre, competing in major youth tournaments across Europe and the USA. The Academy will soon expand to more age groups and regions, marking the start of an international pathway for the next generation of England rugby stars.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD IS ONE OF THE BEST IN THE TEAM, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD SCORES ALL THE TRIES, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD MAKES ALL THE TACKLES, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO PLAY WITH THE BEST PLAYERS, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO BE TRAINED BY THE BEST COACHES, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO PLAY IN GLOBAL TOURNAMENTS, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO EARN A SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
🏉 IF YOUR CHILD WANTS TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND, ELITE YOUTH RUGBY WANTS THEM.
A launchpad for England's future stars.
We don’t just train players; we build pathways. Through our extensive network, athletes gain access to scholarships, academy placements, and professional opportunities as we shape a world-class squad ready to compete—and succeed—on the global stage.
CALENDAR
BE TRAINED BY THE BEST
This works for 90% of the children. However, this does not work for the 10% who are the exceptional talents and possess higher ability levels and demonstrate faster rates of development. Our objective is to identify this 10% and provide these exceptional players with additional coaching in an elite environment.
We strongly believe that when the most outstanding players train together, it not only accelerates their personal growth, but also benefits their clubs and contributes to the overall expansion of grassroots rugby nationwide.
Here at Elite Youth Rugby, our coaches possess firsthand experience in wearing the prestigious England shirt, running out in front of massive crowds, standing on the field at Twickenham for the national anthem, and even winning Olympic medals.
Our coaching team comprises of England players, Olympians, and highly regarded age group head coaches handpicked from various rugby teams across the home counties. They have walked the very path they are here to educate and guide your children along.
To further support our coaches, we have assembled a team of Sport Scientists, Medical and Nutrition experts, business professionals, and mentors who are also on their own personal journeys of professional growth.
This comprehensive support network ensures that our coaches can offer the best training and guidance to your children, with a greater number of resources available to a select group of young players than most clubs have across their entire junior setup.
TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN
Each athlete is equipped with cutting-edge tools that track performance and physical condition in real time, enabling us to analyse data, monitor development, and create personalised training programmes that drive progress. This insight is strengthened by a dedicated team of sports scientists specialising in youth performance, ensuring your child receives the knowledge and foundation needed to excel as an athlete.
FEEDBACK
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NO
For international matches and tournaments, costs remain heavily subsidised, with 50% funded by our sponsors.
JULY - AUG '26
Eight trial sessions will run on Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:30–8:00 PM, throughout July and August. While attendance at every session isn’t required, we ask each participant to attend at least four to ensure a fair and thorough assessment.
By spreading trials over several weeks, we’re able to properly evaluate every player—while also giving them the chance to bond with potential teammates, meet players from other clubs, and experience world-class coaching and facilities.
BISHAM ABBEY
Bisham Abbey has a proud history as the training base for world-class athletes and teams, including England’s senior men’s football and rugby squads, Barcelona FC, England Hockey, the English Institute of Sport, and the WIN Tennis Academy. You can read more at: https://www.bishamabbeynsc.co.uk/nsc/
SETUP
FIRST SEASON
Rugby Training
Our focus is on developing players who can truly think on the field. By running longer sessions, we have the time to explain key principles, reinforce understanding, and analyse performance in detail.
Each session is structured as follows:
⚬ Warm-up drills
⚬ Theme introduction – exploring the day’s focus, the science behind it, and why it matters
⚬ Skills training – applying the theme in practical drills
⚬ Mini matches – putting new skills into real-game scenarios
⚬ Debrief & analysis – ensuring players understand the how and why behind their performance
Team building
Players will lern to row together on the Thames, tackle assault courses with the Army, conquer Tough Mudder challenges, and camp in the wilderness.
We’ll also visit specialist clubs and schools to refine key skills—like sprint training at athletics clubs—ensuring every player develops both on and off the pitch.
HEAD COACHES
ENGLAND PLAYERS
These are headed up by Ollie Phillips - the most successful England Rugby Sevens captain leading his team to three World Series Cup victories - including in New Zealand - and six finals. In 2009, he was voted World Rugby Seven’s player of the year. In 2022 Ollie Phillips was appointed the role as Head Coach of the China Rugby Sevens team.
MENTORS
SPECIAL
We also provide a full support team—player chaperones, medics, commercial staff, and liaison officers—to ensure every aspect of the programme runs smoothly.
SAFE GUARDING
YES
These sessions are non-compulsory, recognising that players have other commitments during holiday periods.
MATCHES
The first tour will be to Wales in 2026, followed by our debut international tournament at the 2027 Tropical 7s in Florida, USA.
BOYS & GIRLS
NO
None of our sessions are on Sundays, and all are scheduled to minimise any impact on existing club commitments.
SINCURA
), a company that works with over 130 professional teams across sports including Premiership football, rugby, NBA, and NFL franchises. They also represent individual stars, such as boxing world champion Amir Khan.
Sincura’s events team is involved in major global sporting events like the Olympics and Rugby World Cup. Committed to supporting youth, they partner with charities including Grassroots Rugby, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and British Fencing, and have pledged £250,000 to help develop England’s future rugby stars.
A NEW APPROACH
Around the world, elite youth pathways are already well established:
⚪ In the USA, 60 million children play sport—the size of our entire population.
⚪ By age 8, children are often considered too old to start sports like tennis, football, and gymnastics.
⚪ By age 9, scouts begin identifying talent.
⚪ By age 10, the top 1% enter funded elite programmes.
⚪ By age 11, over 90% of future national stars have been scouted.
⚪ By age 12, college scholarships are being awarded.
In the UK, football has pre-academy programmes for players as young as 6 or 7, with official academy entry from age 9.
Rugby has never followed this model. At age 12, most players are still training in mixed-ability groups at the pace of the slowest in the team.
We are changing that.
YES
NO
PLAYER STREAMING
However, science shows that children progress most effectively when training with peers at a similar level. Private schools, Welsh junior rugby, New Zealand rugby, and football academies all use ability-based grouping—and it works.
From our experience as head coaches, we often see players naturally fall into three categories:
⚬ Category A: Top 10%
⚬ Category B: Middle 80%
⚬ Category C: Bottom 10%
When Category A children constantly play against Category C, they dominate the game, which benefits neither group. Coaching often ends up focused on Category B/C players, limiting the potential of Category A.
This programme is not for everyone, but it is run with full transparency alongside the RFU and operates alongside regular, non-streamed club rugby.
PHONE
When you are selected for the team you will be given access to the team phone numbers and WhatsApp group.
You will also be given the contact number for your mentor
OFFICE
We have staff in during core business hours should you wish to pop in an discuss the programme with us
INVITE YOUR STUDENTS
⚬ Elevate your sports programme and inspire students to reach the next level
⚬ Access professional rugby training and sports science insights
⚬ Create opportunities for future England rugby stars from your school
If one of your students is selected, your school will receive:
⚬ Feature on our website and a digital promotion pack to share the achievement
⚬ Academy and student photos in kit
⚬ Regular updates on your students’ progress
⚬ Invitations to watch training during open sessions
⚬ Invitations to the end-of-year awards
⚬ Support for future scholarship applications for your students
Please contact us to be sent a school pack or to arrange a meeting
JOIN US
We still have spaces available for coaches to join our roster. If you believe you are among the best and are ready to make an impact, we want to hear from you.
YOU
⚪ Have played rugby at a respectable senior level
⚪ Hold a senior coaching position within their age group
⚪ Be fully qualified through the RFU, ideally holding an England Rugby Coaching Award (ERCA)
REWARDS
You will also receive your coaching kit.
Throughout the year, coaches will take part in team-building activities, starting with an Outward Bounds weekend in Wales at the end of May with the British Army. During this session, we will also collectively discuss and select the Academy players.
EliteyouthRugby
A groundbreaking opportunity for young rugby talent is coming this summer, as the Elite Youth Rugby Academy opens its doors to under-11 players for a series of high-performance, free-to-attend national trials.
Talent Alone Isn’t Enough: The Importance of Standards in Youth Rugby. At the Elite Youth Rugby Academy, we echo the message recently shared by experienced youth football coach Myles Cooper. He highlighted a common misconception among young athletes — believing that talent alone determines success. Too often, players overlook the qualities that truly shape a successful athlete and person: punctuality, effective communication, positive body language, respectful behaviour, and the ability to respond constructively to feedback.
From Cooper’s experience, the athletes who successfully progress to the professional level are those who understand the value of professionalism in their daily lives. They embrace the hard, often unseen work that builds character, rather than relying solely on natural ability.
At Elite Youth Rugby, we emphasise that ability opens doors, but standards keep them open. Our coaching approach not only develops rugby skills but also instils the mindset, discipline, and values that enable young players to thrive both on and off the pitch.
#EliteYouthRugby #YouthRugby #RugbyDevelopment #FutureRugbyStars #EliteRugby #RugbyAcademy #YouthAthletes #AthleteMindset #DisciplineInSports #CharacterDevelopment #LifeSkillsThroughSport #ProfessionalismMatters #StandardsAndSuccess
The Relative Age Effect (RAE) remains a significant factor in youth sports, including rugby. Recent analyses of youth football, such as the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, illustrate this bias: nearly 40% of players were born in the first quarter of the year (January–March), while only 15% were born in the last quarter (October–December). Early-born players often benefit from greater physical maturity, giving them an advantage over their younger peers.
At Elite Youth Rugby, we are committed to raising awareness of the Relative Age Effect and ensuring that selection and development processes give every young athlete a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of their birth month. By understanding and addressing these biases, coaches can foster equitable development pathways and help all players reach their full potential.
#youthrugby #rugbydevelopment #FutureRugbyStars #rugbyacademy #youthathletes #eliterugby #eliteyouthrugby #RelativeAgeEffect #youthrugby #fairplay #playerdevelopment #RugbyCoaching
Finn Russell, one of Scotland’s most dazzling playmakers, is a perfect example of how early exposure to structured rugby can shape a world-class career.
From his school days at Glenalmond College, Finn was already demonstrating a rare combination of vision, creativity, and skill. At school, he developed the fundamentals — passing, kicking, spatial awareness — but it was his involvement with his local club, Aberdeen Grammar, that allowed him to test these skills in competitive matches and build a love for the game in a team environment.
What truly accelerated Finn’s development, however, was his entry into the Glasgow Warriors Academy at just 13 years old. Being part of an elite academy at such a young age was transformative:
Technical Mastery: Finn had years to refine his passing, kicking, and tactical decision-making under professional coaching.
Physical Development: The academy provided age-appropriate strength and conditioning, preparing him for the physical demands of senior rugby.
Tactical Intelligence: Exposure to professional game plans and older, more experienced players taught him how to read the game and make split-second decisions under pressure.
Pathway to Professional Rugby: Early academy training gave Finn the foundation to debut for Glasgow Warriors at just 19, and eventually represent Scotland and the British & Irish Lions.
Finn Russell’s journey highlights the critical importance of youth academies. Entering a professional setup at 12 or 13 does more than develop skills — it shapes mental resilience, game intelligence, and physical readiness, providing a springboard to elite rugby.
#EliteYouthRugby #YouthRugbyDevelopment #RugbyAcademyLife #FutureStarsOfRugby #RugbyPathway #RugbyTalent #RugbyJourney #NextGenRugby #RugbyProspects #YouthRugbySuccess #DevelopingChampions #RugbyExcellence #RisingRugbyStars #RugbyEducation #GrassrootsToElite #RugbySkills #YoungRugbyStars #RugbyDevelopment
