Wakefield Trinity’s DIY Kitchens Stadium welcomed school Rugby League teams from across the country for the Inspiresport Champion Schools Finals on Wednesday, July 2.
Teams from the North West, Yorkshire, and Wales battled through numerous matches to reach the final stage of the national school's tournament. Participating schools included:
- Airedale Academy
- Archbishop Sentamu Academy
- St Bede’s and St Joseph’s Catholic College
- Bedford High School
- St Peter’s Catholic High School
- Ysgol Glantaf
- Sirius Academy West
- Castleford Academy
The first win of the Finals Day went to Archbishop Sentamu Academy of Yorkshire, who triumphed over Airedale Academy in an attritional Year 7 Girls Final.
Next came an all-Yorkshire clash in the Year 8 Girls Final, where St Bede’s and St Joseph’s secured a high-scoring victory against Archbishop Sentamu Academy.
The final girls’ fixture saw a thrilling North West vs Yorkshire battle between Bedford High School and Archbishop Sentamu Academy, culminating in a dramatic Golden Point finale!
The boys’ finals kicked off with Bedford High School taking on Archbishop Sentamu Academy in the only North West vs Yorkshire match-up among the boys. Bedford clinched the win with a game-saving tackle in a tightly fought contest.
The Year 8 Boys Final featured Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, who travelled all the way from Wales to face a resilient St Peter’s Catholic High School in a physical encounter. The two teams previously met in last year’s final at Wembley, where St Peter’s came out on top. However, this time, it was Glantaf who turned the tables, securing a well-earned victory in a fiercely contested rematch.
Capping off the day were the Year 10 boys from Castleford Academy, who delivered a dominant performance against Sirius Academy West.
Inspiresport RFL Champion Schools 2024 – Roll of Honour:
Year 7 Girls’ Final
Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Yorkshire) 24 Airedale Academy (Yorkshire) 6
Year 8 Girls’ Final
St Bede’s and St Joseph’s (Yorkshire) 40 Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Yorkshire) 10
Year 9 Girls’ Final
Bedford High School (North West) 26 Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Yorkshire) 22
Year 9 Boys’ Final
Bedford High School (North West) 12 Archbishop Sentamu Academy (Yorkshire) 10
Year 8 Boys’ Final
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf (Wales) 30 St Peter’s Catholic High School (North West) 22
Year 10 Boys’ Final
Castleford Academy (Yorkshire) 32 Sirius Academy West 6
Andrea Murray, National Education Manager, said:
“On behalf of everyone at the RFL, our congratulations go to all the winners, the finalists and the dozens of schools and players who have competed in the 2025 Champion Schools competitions.
“We are grateful to the DIY Kitchens Stadium as our dedicated venue for Inspiresport Finals Days, and to inspiresport, who have been outstanding sponsors of the competition over the last three years.
“It has been brilliant to see the fantastic talent on show and we wholeheartedly would like to thank all schools competing for representing the game respectfully, to a high quality and remarkable standard."
