Best Rugby Academy – An independant review of the best youth rugby Academies

Our top pick

Elite Youth Rugby

The UK’s first under-12s rugby academy

Most academy pathways begin around age 15. Elite Youth Rugby starts at under-12s, giving players structured, high-quality coaching years earlier than the traditional route. The academy reports into Sport England as part of its work to modernise how young players are developed.

Trains at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre

Sessions take place at Bisham Abbey, one of Sport England’s national centres. According to the academy, it is one of only three rugby teams training there, alongside the England Red Roses and England Under-18s.

Fully funded for families

There is no fee to take part. Selection is based on ability and potential, so cost is never the barrier between a talented child and top-level coaching.

22+ staff and coaches, led by recognised names

The coaching team includes former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips and age-group head coaches from 16 different clubs. Bringing those coaches together also means ideas and good practice spread across the clubs they return to.

First academy admitted to the National Schools Allcomers league

Elite Youth Rugby is the first academy to compete in the league, and reports an unbeaten record against some of the strongest school rugby programmes in the country.

Opening doors to school scholarships

Twelve of the academy’s players have now been offered school scholarships, a clear sign that schools are watching the programme closely.

Led by Tony Baxter

Tony Baxter has played contracted and representative rugby and is CEO of a multi-million-pound company that manages programmes for more than 300 leading professional sports bodies worldwide. Few people know the school and academy rugby landscape as well.

Visit Elite Youth Rugby Ages: under-12s upward · Base: Bisham Abbey, Berkshire · Cost: fully funded

How we judged

FreeAcademies are free. You are not an Academy if you charge people. You are a business

CoachingDepth, experience and pedigree of the coaching staff.

FacilitiesQuality of the training environment.

CompetitionMeaningful fixtures against strong opposition.

OutcomesScholarships, selections and progression for players.

The rest of the field

The Premiership clubs run RFU-licensed regional pathways with outstanding records of producing internationals. They are an excellent route for teenage players, though entry typically begins at under-14 or under-15, and players need to live, study or play within each club’s catchment.

Saracens Academy

One of the most productive pathways in English rugby, Saracens works through county programmes across its region with support from full-time club staff. The club is clear that only a handful of academy players earn a professional contract at 18, so it puts real weight on character, coachability and life beyond rugby.

Pathway: Developing Player Programme (ages 13–16) → County Player Development Group (14–16) → Saracens Player Development Group (15–18) → Senior Academy (18–23)
Catchment: Hertfordshire, plus parts of Essex and Kent
Getting in: Anyone can nominate a player to the academy. Repeated independent nominations can lead to an invitation and assessment days.
Notable graduates: Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, Jamie George

Harlequins Academy

The Harlequins pathway draws on a large south of England catchment. Its Developing Player Programme is the entry point, with the strongest long-term prospects moving up into the Harlequins Player Development Group.

Pathway: Developing Player Programme (U14–U16) → Harlequins Player Development Group (U16–U18) → full-time Academy
Catchment: Surrey, Sussex and the south-west London boroughs of Lambeth, Wandsworth, Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond (south of the river) and Sutton
Getting in: Each September, clubs and schools nominate under-14 players for assessment. Further nomination windows and club scouts cover U14 to U16, with U16s assessed in December.
Notable graduate: Marcus Smith, who came through the club’s development group while on a scholarship at Brighton College

Leicester Tigers Academy

Founded in 1998 and awarded RFU Academy status in 2002, the Tigers academy has produced more than 100 age-grade internationals. Players stay with their own clubs and schools while training with the Junior Academy, then combine education with full training at Oval Park.

Pathway: Junior Academy (U15–U16) → Academy (U17–U18) → Senior Academy (18–23)
Catchment: Junior Academy centres in Staffordshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Norfolk
Partners: Denstone College, Oakham, Stamford and Uppingham schools, plus the ACE programme at Brooksby, which combines BTEC study with 12 hours of rugby a week
Getting in: Nomination by school or club, with assessment dates issued at the start of each season. Players outside the catchment can email the academy with their record and footage.
Notable graduates: Lions Manu Tuilagi, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Tom Croft, and more recently Freddie Steward, Ollie Chessum and Jack van Poortvliet

Bath Rugby Academy

Bath has built a strong dual-career model. Its Senior Academy players study at the University of Bath and play in BUCS Super Rugby alongside training at the club’s Farleigh House headquarters.

Pathway: School-age player development → Senior Academy combined with university study
Base: Farleigh House, Bath
Partners: University of Bath, and the ACE Rugby Programme at Beechen Cliff School
Notable graduates: Orlando Bailey, Max Ojomoh and Tom Carr-Smith, with Charlie Griffin, Tyler Offiah and Kepu Tuipulotu among recent first-team debutants

Northampton Saints Academy

Saints have built much of their recent success on home-grown players. The academy also has a record of spotting late developers, signing Tommy Freeman from Moulton College part-way through his final school year.

Pathway: Junior Academy → under-18s → Senior Academy → first team
Catchment: Northamptonshire and the wider East Midlands and East of England
Notable graduates: Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Fraser Dingwall and George Furbank