DOUBLE CHAMPIONS - A Week Skirlaugh U14s Will Never Forget

BARLA National Cup Champions. Hull Cup Winners. Two trophies in the space of a few days. For Skirlaugh U14s, an extraordinary season has produced a week that players, coaches and families will remember for the rest of their lives.

At the beginning of the season, Skirlaugh U14s set themselves a goal.

They wanted to win the BARLA National Cup.

It was an ambitious target. To achieve it they would have to overcome some of the strongest youth sides from Hull, Yorkshire and Lancashire.

They did exactly that.

But even when the National Cup was secured, this remarkable group wasn't finished.

Just days after becoming National Champions, Skirlaugh had another final to prepare for. This time the Hull Cup was at stake.

The celebrations had to stop. The emotions had to be parked. And a group of 13 and 14-year-olds had to somehow reset and go again.

They didn't just go again.

They won 32–6.

Two finals. Two victories. Two trophies.

Skirlaugh U14s are Double Champions.

Under 14s Barla National Champions

For Head Coach Sean Wildbore and Assistant Coaches Shaun Hill,Jamie Bovill and Matt Dass, even putting the achievement into words isn't easy.

“To win a BARLA National Cup is a massive achievement on its own, but then to back that up just a few days later by winning the Hull Cup is something really special.

“I'm just incredibly proud of the lads. They've worked hard all season, they're a brilliant group to coach and they've got a real togetherness about them.

“They probably won't fully appreciate what they've achieved until they're a bit older, but hopefully they'll look back on this week for the rest of their lives.”

A Dream They Set Themselves

This wasn't a cup run that simply gathered momentum as the rounds progressed.

Winning the National Cup had been the ambition from the beginning.

“The lads set a goal to win it at the beginning of the season,” explained the coaches.

“They've gone out and achieved it by taking each game at a time.”

And Skirlaugh certainly weren't handed an easy route.

“We've done it the hard way, playing top teams from Hull, Yorkshire and Lancashire along the way before we'd even reached the final.

“Every time these players step onto the field they show why they deserve to be champions, working hard for each other week in, week out and putting in the extra work on the training ground and in their own time.

“Most of them are now hitting the gym together as well.”

There was one performance in particular that strengthened the belief that this group could go all the way.

Away at Orrell St James, against a side coached by former professional Kevin Brown and competing at the top end of the Lancashire competition alongside Leigh Miners, Skirlaugh produced some of their finest rugby of the season.

“We played some of the best rugby we've played this season during that game.

“As coaches we'd always believed we had a team capable of going all the way, but from that moment on I think they believed they could do it too.”

Eight Points Down. Backs Against the Wall.

Then came the National Cup Final.

On the coach journey, Wildbore and Hill spoke individually to every member of their squad.

There were nerves. There was excitement. And there was an understanding of just how significant the occasion was.

“They handled it really well. We had a chat with each player individually on the coach and there was a mixture of excitement and nerves.

“As coaches we'd done everything we could. It was in their hands then, which makes it even harder to handle the nerves on the touchline!

“Some of us are worse than others, but we help keep each other relaxed and grounded when we're on the edge, just like the lads do for each other on the field.”

Those nerves weren't about to disappear.

At half-time, Skirlaugh were 8–0 behind.

Their backs were against the wall and the National Cup they had targeted months earlier suddenly looked a long way away.

What happened next told you everything about this team.

“The attitude of every one of the players was what pleased us.

“To be 8–0 down at half-time with their backs against the wall and still believe they could turn it around showed their character.”

And then came a passage of rugby that changed the entire complexion of the final.

“The first set after the break was fantastic.

“That's when we believed we would go on and win. We changed the momentum of the game.”

They did.

The comeback was completed.

The dream became reality.

Skirlaugh were BARLA National Cup Champions.

Somehow, They Had to Go Again

Normally, that would have been the ending.

A National Cup trophy, celebrations and the opportunity to finally take in what they'd achieved.

Except Skirlaugh had another date in the diary.

The Hull Cup Final.

And for the coaching staff, what happened between those two finals was almost as impressive as the results themselves.

“Winning the National Cup was a huge occasion and rightly the lads enjoyed it.

“There was a lot of excitement and emotion around the team, so asking 13 and 14-year-old lads to switch all that off and get themselves ready for another final just a few days later isn't easy.

“But their attitude was outstanding.

“Once it was time to prepare for the Hull Cup, they were focused and ready to go again.

“That says a lot about their character and the standards they've developed as a group.

“They weren't satisfied with one trophy — they wanted to finish the job and win another one together.”

One More Final. One More Trophy.

There was no dramatic comeback required this time.

Skirlaugh produced a performance befitting a side that had arrived at the final as newly crowned National Champions.

32–6.

An emphatic Hull Cup Final victory.

“The biggest thing was how composed we were.

“Cup finals can sometimes get to players, especially at this age, because everyone wants to do well and there are obviously a few nerves beforehand.

“But once we settled into the game, I thought the lads controlled it really well.

“To win a final 32–6 shows how well they performed both with and without the ball. We played some really good rugby, but I was equally pleased with the effort, work rate and commitment defensively.

“Even when we got ourselves into a strong position, the lads kept working for each other and didn't drop their standards.

“That was probably the most pleasing thing as a coach.”

The final whistle brought another celebration.

Another trophy.

And confirmation of an achievement that will now forever belong to this group.

BARLA National Cup Champions and Hull Cup Winners in the same season.

Under 14s Hull Cup Champions

From Skirlaugh Shrimps to Double Champions

What makes the story even more special is just how far back it goes.

For many of these players, their journey together didn't begin at U14s.

It began as Skirlaugh Shrimps.

“Most of these lads have been together since Skirlaugh Shrimps, although we've had some additions along the way.

“We're a tight-knit group, not just on the field but away from it too.

“They all want to be there, they've got a willingness to improve and they've bought into everything we've implemented.

“It's a pleasure for us coaches to coach them.”

That longevity has also allowed the coaches to watch the players develop from youngsters learning rugby league into a team increasingly beginning to understand the game.

“We've been lucky to have a great group of players from the start who eat, breathe and sleep rugby league.

“They're all now starting to understand the game, which has helped them improve both individually and as a team this season, not to mention their commitment and willingness to learn and improve.”

A Commitment That Goes Far Beyond the Field

The bond doesn't stop with the players.

Behind this team is a group of parents and families whose commitment has been extraordinary.

Training sessions. Matchdays. Fundraising. Team bonding. Travelling across the country.

And when the biggest occasions arrived, families went even further to make sure their lads could be there.

One family rearranged their holiday.

Another cut their holiday short and booked an earlier flight home.

And another arranged for dad and son to fly home early while mum remained abroad with their other two children — all so their son could play.

For the coaches, it perfectly demonstrates what has been created around this team.

“Without their backing, time and effort, whether that's training, game day, fundraising or bonding sessions, I don't think we'd have achieved what we have.

“Everyone is behind us and what we're trying to create.

“When you put those stories into context, that is something special.

“It shows the dedication and just how tight this group is.”

More Than Trophies

For all the success, there is something Sean and Shaun have consistently tried to give this group that can't be placed in a trophy cabinet.

Memories.

“We talk about that all the time.

“Obviously winning makes better memories — nobody wants to remember the losses!

“But we're hoping that in 10 or 20 years' time, whether they're still playing or not, they'll always remember these experiences, the friends and what being part of a team gave them.”

Those experiences have already stretched far beyond Eastside.

The group travelled to Catalans in 2024, creating memories that the coaches wanted to build upon.

So they came up with something even bigger.

For three years, players, coaches and families have been fundraising towards a dream.

Now that dream is becoming reality.

Australia 2027.

“We're set to take them on tour to Australia in 2027.

“We've been fundraising for the last three years and now that dream is a reality.

“It's something most people will never experience, but these lads will.

“And they'll never forget it.”

Whatever Comes Next...

There is still a long way to go in the rugby league journeys of these young players.

Some may eventually get opportunities within the professional game.

Others may progress through the Skirlaugh pathway and one day pull on the black and gold at Open Age level.

Some may even go on to represent their country in the amateur game.

That is all for another day.

Because right now, this group deserves to enjoy what it has achieved.

When Sean and Shaun were asked where this extraordinary week ranks among everything they've experienced with the players, the answer was immediate.

“Right at the top.”

“Trophies are brilliant and winning two cups in the space of a few days is something these lads should be incredibly proud of, but for me it's also about everything that comes with it.

“It's seeing them celebrating together, seeing their families enjoying it, the coaches and volunteers who put so much into the team and everyone around Skirlaugh sharing those moments.

“These lads have grown up playing rugby together and they're mates away from rugby as well.

“That's what makes it special.”

Whatever happens next, there is now one chapter in their story that can never be changed.

The week they took on the biggest occasions and delivered.

The week they came from 8–0 down to become National Champions.

The week they somehow found the focus to go again just days later.

The week they produced a 32–6 Hull Cup Final victory.

The week they lifted not one trophy...

but two.

“Whatever happens in their rugby careers from here, nobody can ever take this week away from them.

“They'll always be able to say they won the BARLA National Cup and the Hull Cup together in the same season.

“As a coach, you can't ask for much more than that. We're unbelievably proud of every single one of them.”

SKIRLAUGH U14s

BARLA National Cup Champions 🏆
Hull Cup Winners 🏆
2026 Double Champions.

From Skirlaugh Shrimps to Double Champions — and a week they will never forget.