England National Rugby League team new base at Hopwood Hall College

The England National Rugby League team move training base at Hopwood Hall College

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The England National Rugby League team has moved to a new training base at Hopwood Hall College.

Currently ranked as the third best international team, England will be based at the college’s top class rugby facilities, which are also used for Hopwood Hall’s BTEC and Diploma rugby courses.

Players will have full access to the Sports Arena’s gym and fitness suites, as well as the multiple pitches at the Middleton Campus; ideally placed in the middle of rugby league’s northern heartland.

St Helens Prop Forward Kyle Amor described his first impressions of the new Hopwood Hall training base, he said: “The facilities really are top. Prehab has been spot on and although the facilities haven’t been specifically built for a rugby club to train at, any top team could come here and train at the high level they would anywhere else.”

Amor also emphasised the important impact an international club training may have locally, he added: “Part of our role as players is definitely to inspire the next generation of fans. We’re here first and foremost to train, but encouraging a new fan base or setting an example to the rugby students who watched us today is really important to all the players.

“Being realistic, we’re unlikely to overtake football in terms of popularity, but growing up in Whitehaven, I know what kind of an impact an international club coming to your town can create. If we can inspire just a few kids to get involved in the sport, then that’s a few more than there were before.”

During the team’s outdoor training session, students enrolled on the college’s rugby courses flocked to watch an international training session for the first time.

Lee Registe, a BTEC Level Three Sport and Rugby League academy student at the college, recounted his excitement at seeing his sporting idols in the flesh, he said: "It was unbelievable being able to see the England rugby players up close and personal like that.

“We watched them train and it was amazing to see how well they do the simple things and how they focussed on the core skills for pretty much all of their session. It was really inspiring seeing them, an unforgettable morning."

England will now be focusing their efforts for the start of Rugby League World Cup in October, where they will take on reigning champions and tournament hosts Australia in their first game.