IN A friendly schools’ rugby league match on March 29, the Year 7 boys at both Carlton Bolling and Eden Boys Leadership Academy Bradford, demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, comradery, and resilience.

While Eden Boys won 24-20, it was a close game and both teams put-up strong and solid performances.

Head of the Community Cougars Foundation (CCF), Saima Hussain, who trains both schools’ rugby league teams, hopes this will be one of many local derbies played in and beyond the local area.

She said: "For many of the boys involved, it is a real achievement – playing a full-contact competitive match – having only begun training for the sport in September 2021.

"Their involvement is also worth celebrating as boys from predominantly South Asian backgrounds, with little to no familial connection to this otherwise popular northern sport.

"The skills, competencies, and talents demonstrated in the game are hopefully a sign of things to come, moving from a school set-up to a door-step community sport provider."

Hussain recognises the hard work has just begun, but more still needs to be done to facilitate the wider sporting, career, and personal ambitions of the boys.

As part of delivering a National Lottery Community Foundation funded project, Inspiring Others, she will continue to run weekly sport and education programmes at several secondary schools in the Bradford and Keighley district, including at Carlton Bolling and Eden Boys.

As well as raising awareness about the dangers of crime, the work is also about stretching young people’s personal, social, and emotional capacities to make them ready for the world of work and, also, to become future ambassadors of their local communities.

As part of this work, the friendly matches organised by Community Cougars Foundation (CCF) are possible because of the support of secondary school partners, inspirational staff such as Intikhab Alam and Ross Falloon (Eden Boys Leadership Academy) and Stephen Monaghan (Carlton Bolling).

Keighley News: The victorious Eden Boys team beat Carlton Bolling 24-20.The victorious Eden Boys team beat Carlton Bolling 24-20.

Other community organisations such as Bradford Bulls Foundation were also involved.

In this respect, Community Cougars Foundation (CCF) said they especially value the passion and strategic vision of principals such as Mr Azum (Carlton Bolling) and Miss Naznine (Eden Boys Leadership Academy, Bradford).

Through continued partnership work, the next step for the Community Cougars Foundation’s project is to further set up friendly matches with other secondary schools, across the Yorkshire region, and to prepare the boys for an upcoming Bradford Bulls’ Schools’ Rugby League tournament.

The Foundation added: "Playing against other school teams also presents new and exciting opportunities: that is, travelling to places beyond their immediate neighbourhood, developing strong bonds of friendship with their teammates and, also, seeing themselves achieve (in sport and at school) has been confidence boosting for them.

"We are grateful to the schools who have played us so far, which all have also demonstrated the virtues of sportsmanship.

"Irrespective of the racial and ethnic backgrounds of those involved in the matches, the nature, behaviours, and respectful manner of all the young people involved, has been heart-warming to witness.

"More than anything, it makes all of us proud to be from Yorkshire."