KEIGHLEY’S premier community rugby league club, Keighley Albion, are currently registering players ahead of the new season, following the disjointed 2020 campaign as a result of Covid-19.

Registrations for the club opened last week, and club officials were overwhelmed at the early response.

In recent years, Albion have been recognised as the biggest club in the entire Yorkshire Junior League, based on the number of participants.

In 2019, 322 players across the club signed on - a feat the club would love to achieve once again in 2021. This also made Keighley Albion one of the United Kingdom's most attractive community clubs.

The club has experienced a huge surge in players for their open age men’s section in 2021, with over 30 players registering in the first five days.

The club is now approaching the season with a view to expanding even further, planning to introduce a second team should more players continue to sign up.

The early influx and interest is no surprise as the club has worked extremely hard over the past 12 months.

Big achievements include:

• The recruitment of an experienced open age coaching team of Dean Buckler (former Sheffield Eagles academy coach), Jy-Mel Coleman (current Hunslet and Jamaica international) and Rob Spencer (former Salford, Oldham and Keighley Cougars academy player).

• A stronger affiliation to the Cougars, which will include working closely with Rhys Lovegrove and his coaching team.

Lovegrove will deliver conditioning sessions at Cougar Park for the club's players, while coaches and players will have opportunities to observe and participate in training sessions.

• Albion have confirmed an exclusive gym partnership with Workouts Health clubs for players over 16, with strength and conditioning support from specialists Paul Royston (Batley Bulldogs) and Toby Williams (Nottingham RU).

• The Under-18s academy and girls section will be led by former Albion players and current Super League stars Jack Croft and Emma Templeton, both of Wakefield Trinity.

The club continues to be supported by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Bradford Bulls Foundation and Cougars Foundation - who provide support, matchday experiences, exclusive development training sessions and a pathway into elite sport for ambitious youngsters.

Seven players (Max Hassan, Logan Ingham, Jacob Haigh, Charlie Savage, Cobi Denton, Isaac Denton and Kyle Horne) in the U15s and U16s are currently signed on to the Bradford Bulls scholarship programme, making Albion one of the Bulls' biggest feeder clubs.

Albion also hope some rugby union players will be tempted into playing competitive rugby league while their code is on hold until September due to the pandemic.

There are many transitional core skills which can be developed and improved from participating in both codes.

A great example of this is former Albion Junior and cross-code star James Whitcombe, who made his Leicester Tigers debut prior to the national lockdown.

The club is also working hard to strengthen its community relationships, recently announcing a groundbreaking partnership to promote inclusivity in grassroots sports, in association with LGBT+ organisation, Just a Ball Game?

This is a way of ensuring community rugby league is a game where all are welcome, and all forms of discrimination are not accepted.

The club is welcoming new players of all experiences, and all abilities.

Albion have a full offering of age groups too, starting with their Albion Antz (three to six year olds), U7s-U11s mixed gender age groups, U12-U16 boys, U12s-U18 girls, U18s men’s academy, and open age men’s teams.

For more information on the club and registering for 2021, please visit or message the club's Facebook page @keighleyalbion, or go to the club's website, www.keighleyalbionarlfc.com