England"s rising stars tune up at The Bay

The England under-24 rugby league world cup squad, coached by Filey’s Gary Owram, have been warming up for the competition with a tuning-up visit to The Bay.

The village, one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations, was chosen as the venue for what was described as “a chill-out visit” by the England squad.

The players spent time at The Bay using the swimming pool, steam room and sauna before heading back to Leeds to compete in a rugby league festival.

As one onlooker said: “There were a few raised eyebrows to say the least when the bunch of muscle-bound lads turned up but it’s good to see The Bay used in this way. Let’s hope we get more national teams here in the future”.

Wayne Low, a director at The Bay, said: “The rugby lads enjoyed their stay with us and there’s no reason why we should not open our doors and our leisure facilities to other sporting groups for similar ‘chill out’ weekends as part of their preparation for major tournaments.”

The squad has been taking part in the 2013 Festival of World Cups, which also includes competitions for students, police, women, the armed forces and wheelchair teams.

England"s rising stars tune up at The Bay