War of the Roses in Year 11 Boys’ and Girls’ inspiresport Champion Schools Finals

The finalists for the Year 11 Boys’ and Girls’ inspiresport Champion Schools finals have been confirmed following a thrilling week of action – and the stage is set for a St Peter’s Catholic High School versus Castleford Academy double header at Wakefield’s DIY Kitchens Stadium on Wednesday 24 April.

St Peter’s reached their very first Year 11 Girls’ Finals Day following an outstanding set of results at the National Festival at Leigh Miners Rangers last Thursday. The team won three out of four matches, with their only loss on the day a 4-0 defeat to their finals day opponents. And St Peter’s produced arguably the performance of the day when they faced West Lakes Academy, with two tries from Brown and a score apiece from McCarthy and Whittle settling the score at 20-4 in St Peter’s favour.

There was a familiar face in the dugout for Castleford, with York Valkyrie star and England Women international Lacey Owen coaching their side to yet another Champion Schools final. The Yorkshire side were the only team on the day to win all four of their fixtures without conceding a single point, including a 10-0 win against local rivals St Wilfrid’s which featured tries from Sant and Rycroft. 

For the Year 11 Boys, St Peter’s enjoyed a dominant Semi-Final against Winifred Holtby and booked their place at the DIY Kitchens Stadium following a 28-14 defeat of their Hull counterparts with Castleford celebrating a 28-20 victory against Saints Peter and Paul to progress to Finals Day. 

Wakefield will also play host to the 2024 Champion Schools Finals Day on Friday 5 July which will feature the Year 7, 8 and 9 Girls alongside the Year 8, 9 and 10 Boys’. The Year 10 Girls’ teams will begin their campaigns at the National Festival on Thursday 9 May with the Final to be confirmed in due course. 

Supported by inspiresport, Champion Schools is the RFL’s flagship schools competition for girls and boys at Years 7 to 11 and is the world’s biggest schools Rugby League tournament. 

The Year 7 Boys Champion Schools Final takes place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8 June, alongside the finals of both the Men’s and Women’s Challenge Cup and the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final. Tickets are available online now from only £15 Adults and £7.50 Under 16s, with family packages also available starting from just £18.75 for one Adult and two Under 16s.