Huddersfield YMCA to launch rugby league section at Laund Hill complex

Huddersfield YMCA are to  re-launch a rugby league section.

And the move has been made at the same  time officials at the Laund Hill complex have  announced plans to provide insurance cover  for all the sportsmen registered under the  YMCA banner.

The YMCA’s success over recent years has  centred on the rugby union section, with the  first team having just been promoted to  North I East for the first time.

But with a flourishing football section and  plans to field a rugby league team from next  summer, the club are keen to attract even  more players to their organisation – with  YMCA director of rugby Damon Scholes  believing the new insurance scheme will  prove the trump card.

“We believe offering insurance to all the  players who are registered to take part in  sport at the YMCA complex is the only  scheme of its kind in the area,” said  Scholes.

“I think this move is a real sign of intent by  everyone up at Laund Hill. It’s our wish to be  as strong as we possibly can as a sporting  organisation, and providing insurance for all  our players will prove a major pull to attract  new sportsmen.

“Our senior rugby union side will next  season be playing at the highest level in the  club’s history, while the football section is  growing stronger and stronger.

“So we thought the next natural step  would be to introduce a summer rugby league  side so our rugby facilities can be used for 12  months of the year.

“We have an excellent first-team pitch, top  changing facilities and a fantastic clubhouse,  and now is the time to make sure we use all  these to their maximum.

“These are really exciting times.”

Rugby league is already fairly well  established at the YMCA, with Huddersfield  Giants staging their Academy fixtures at the  venue, while this season’s Huddersfield  Amateur Rugby League Association’s  showpiece Holliday Cup final was staged at  Laund Hill two months ago.

The YMCA did have a rugby league  section a decade ago, which moved to  Syngenta just as it was becoming more  established.

But Scholes feels there will be no repeat  this time around.

“The problem back then was that the  rugby league and rugby union sections were  run separately, and they were obviously keen  to protect their own particular interests,”  added former Fartown player Scholes.

“But this time it’s different.

“For a start, just one organisation will be  running both sections, and because the rugby  league side will be playing in the summer, we  should be able to avoid any potential fixture  clashes.

“The new league side will have to start in  next year’s Yorkshire League summer  competition, but we’ll then be aiming for the  National Conference League.

“At this stage, we don’t have any players or  any coaches. We’ve just got the green light to  set the wheels in motion.

“But over the next few months we’ll start  to put things in place and plan a recruitment  drive, but with the facilities we’ve have we’re  confident we’ll prove an attractive  proposition to any potential players.”

Huddersfield YMCA to launch rugby league section at Laund Hill complex