Rugby League: Merseyside’s school rugby lions set for Carnegie Challenge cup cracker

Oct 19 2007 by Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYSIDE youngsters are set for the start of the North West Stage of the Carnegie Champion Schools Tournament.

The event is a full contact knock-out Rugby League competition open to every secondary school in the UK, Years 7 to 11, aimed at promoting and increasing participation in the sport amongst the nation’s youngsters.

Last year 25,000 youngsters from more than 1,500 schools took part, with the Year 7 boys’ finalists playing the curtain raiser at Wembley ahead of the Carnegie Challenge Cup final.

Matt Birkett, the RFL’s North West regional development officer, said: "Carnegie Champion Schools is a national competition open to boys and girls teams. Each year it keeps getting bigger and better and this year will be no different.

"With the regional stage of the tournament due to get underway at the end of October, schools will be starting to dream about making the prestigious trip down to Wembley. The North West part of the competition is traditionally very competitive and I am sure the 2008 tournament will not let us down."

The national finals of the 2008 tournament will again be played in London on the weekend of the Carnegie Challenge Cup and all finalists will be involved in a lap of honour at Wembley Stadium on cup final day.

This academic year will also see the launch of the inaugural Carnegie Champion Colleges Competition for Years 12- 13. The tournament will begin in January 2008 with regionally based knock-out matches.