BEES DEVELOPMENT XV

By THe Bee HIve
December 12 2011

At present the club as a competitive professional outfit is on a downward slope. The last five seasons, exlcuding 2008-2009, have been dismal. Clearly avoiding relegation this season is the priority but that is not enough. I am urging the club and Mr Earnshaw to follow our local rivals Coventry's example and begin to develop a Bees "A" team or Development XV, similar to their Nighthawks side.

The benefits of such a side are clear. Not only have Coventry now got several young players that featured for the Nighthawks last year involved in their senior squad, such a side would also help us deepen our roots into the community - something we have clearly struggled with over recent years. As players would be local there would be a great incentive for family and friends to come and watch the fixtures, generating increased interest in the club which would hopefully be reflected in our 1st XV attendances.

As opposed to the academies of Premiership clubs I believe the side would be most effectively run in the style of an amateur representitive team with friendly fixtures against other development or university opposition. This way local club coaches should not worry their players are being "pinched" and for the younger players selected should create a feeling of achievement. Clearly this also means the cost of running the side would be kept to a minimum with perhaps only the squad kit being a notable expense.

I believe that initially heads of rugby at the local schools and clubs in the area should be contacted and invited to pass on details of an "open training session" to their best 18 year olds that aren't currently involved in an academy but are looking to further their rugby careers. These training sessions should continue, perhaps led by senior players, to create a pool of young players available for selection. There are plenty of excellent young rugby players in the area, some capped school boy internationals, that have been discarded from the academy system and currently we are not making use of this talent whatsoever. Solihull School, King Edwards Birmingham and Bishop Veseys all field competitive 1st XVs but there are also talented players at the lesser rugby playing schools and perhaps within our colts.

As has proved successful at Coventry, the matchday squad should be a mixture of senior players in need of game time or returning from injury and younger players from the development training squad. The ratio of this mix would of course vary depending on the strength of opposition.

This is an extremely cost and time effective way of not only generating a pool of potential future 1st team members but crucially a renewed interest in the club and I really hope such a suggestion will be taken on board.