Bringing you
joy this season
St Helens
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RUGBY CLUB MAGAZINE’S RUGBY LEAGUE CLUB OF THE YEAR 2019
It has been a year to remember for St Helens RFC which culminated in them being
crowned Betfred Super League Champions following a 23-6 victory over Salford
at Old Trafford. The side have played fantastic rugby throughout the season,
establishing themselves as the team to beat and the victory was a just reward for all
of the hard work that has gone into making them a success.
Speaking after the victory, Centre
Mark Percival said, “It’s still sinking
in but I’m glad the group got what
we deserved. It’s one of the best
feelings I’ve ever had. People have
spoken about us not being able to
win big games and to finally get it off
our backs is one of the best feelings
I’ve had in my life.
“We wanted to make sure that
all the hard work we’ve put in
through the year paid off and we
got our rewards. You could see in
the celebrations, it was more of a
relief for everyone. We just couldn’t
believe we won and I still can’t now.”
The women’s section at the club
has also made fantastic progress
in 2019 as they explained, “There
was a clear progression in playing
standards and culture with our
• HR and Legal Services
for employers.
• Sports sector expertise
• Unrivalled response times
• Dedicated HR consultant
new head coach Derek Hardman
in his first season. We also added
several new members into the squad
including three young players who
were promoted from our newly
launched Saints Women’s Under 19s
programme.
Though we finished second in
the table we lost both the Challenge
Cup Semi-Final and Betfred Super
League Grand Finale to the eventual
winners Leeds Rhinos. This year
we have seen two additional
community clubs form girls teams
and we are hopeful of doubling that
number whilst strengthening the
great programme we already have
with Thatto Heath.
The foundation also leads on our
Girls growth programme which has
seen over 90 girls aged 12-16 access a
skills development programme with
the aim of developing female players
capable of progressing to our Betfred
Super League squad. We currently
mentor several coaches to ensure
information on our philosophy of
the Saints way is disseminated to
coaches working within the female
game.
We have also had eight players
represent England both in France,
Australia and PNG which included
England Captain Emily Rudge who
also became the first player to score
four try’s in a game for England
women, a total of 12 represented
Betfred Super League Lancashire at
Origin level. The close season will
see increased contact with the girls
as we look to further build a squad
capable of winning major honours.
• Tribunal representation
• Contracts of employment
and bespoke documentation
• 24 hour advice
• Project driven consultancy
Elcons Employment Law Consultants, Unit 2-4, Ripponden Business
Park Oldham Road, Ripponden, West Yorkshire, HX6 4FF
t 01422 822842 e [email protected] w elcons.co.uk
50 Issue 88
Elcons Employment Law Consultants Office, Unit G1A,
Pall Mall Court, 61-67 King Street, Manchester, M2 4PD
t 0161 711 0939 e [email protected] w elcons.co.uk
@elconsltd
elconsemploymentlawconsultants
www.rugbyclubmag.com
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