Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club are please to share the exciting news and you can hear from the team below
Ed Armstrong- B.R.U.F.C Youth Development Officer
This is an exciting partnership for the Rugby Club and School, but more importantly the Town. This will provide more competitive playing opportunities for Boys & Girls who are experienced rugby players while also providing opportunities for inexperienced players to try a new sport before hopefully joining a local Rugby Club. Not only benefiting the players but the parents and teachers as well to help with the coaching of the school and club teams creating a sporting family at the Rugby Club and School. While Developing Rugby players is one of the main goals, another big aim is to create opportunities and memories for all involved competing in big school tournaments, win or loose enjoying the experience and learning valuable lessons that will help them in life away from the Rugby field guided by the great values of Rugby Union. Last years cohort gave a glimpse into what is possible competing against local schools such as Bridlington, Driffield, Longcroft and Hornsea. Some year groups achieved notable victories, year 11 beating St Peter’s School York u16B and the year 8 & year 9 teams winning competitive games against Filey School. In recent years Headlands have also experienced success in Mixed Touch Rugby tournaments seeing both boys and girls from all year groups representing the school. Some students also received offers of sporting scholarships at local private schools, which shows the talent in Bridlington. A team effort from all involved at the Club & School to make this happen, look forward to seeing what can be achieved in the next 12 months and beyond.
Mrs Bone- Head Teacher
I am delighted to share the exciting news of the development of our Rugby Academy in partnership with Bridlington Rugby Club.
This collaboration represents a significant step forward in the sporting opportunities available to our students. By working alongside an established and ambitious rugby club, we are creating a pathway that will allow young players to develop their skills, receive high-quality coaching, and experience the values that rugby instils: teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline, sportsmanship.
The Rugby Academy will provide students with access to expert coaching, enhanced training opportunities, competitive fixtures, and valuable links to the wider rugby community. Our shared vision is to support students in reaching their full potential, both on and off the field, while maintaining the highest standards of academic achievement in the classroom.
We are particularly excited about the opportunities this partnership will create for aspiring rugby players, enabling them to develop their talents within a supportive environment that combines educational excellence with sporting ambition.
I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing this initiative to life. We look forward to working closely with Bridlington Rugby Club and seeing our students benefit from this outstanding opportunity in the years ahead.
This partnership reflects our commitment to providing enriching experiences that inspire young people, build confidence, and prepare them for future success. I am confident that the Rugby Academy will become a source of pride for our school and the wider community.
Mr Hoult- Head of PE
I am delighted at the official launch of the Headlands School Rugby Academy, set to open its doors in September 2026. This landmark initiative follows an extraordinary resurgence in our school’s rugby programme, marking a complete transformation in student participation and performance level success over the past year.
The foundations for this exciting next chapter were laid in the summer of 2025. Recognising a significant drop in sports participation following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, I sat down with Callam Sanderson (Bridlington RUFC Head Coach) to map out a bold, shared vision. The goal was simple yet ambitious: establish a powerful partnership with Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club to reignite a passion for the sport among students and rebuild engagement from the ground up.
That vision rapidly turned into reality with the introduction of youth development officer Ed Armstrong, who came into Headlands to support core PE lessons and launch a dedicated after-school rugby club. The impact was immediate and widespread, attracting over 60 enthusiastic students from across Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 over the academic year.
This newfound momentum allowed the school to restart its vibrant rugby festivals at the Bridlington Rugby Club ground, successfully introducing Year 7 and Year 8 students to the thrill of competitive rugby. Concurrently, older students in Year 9 and Year 10 thrived as regular fixtures were re-established. Further highlighting this growth, the school's U13 and U15 mixed teams traveled to Harrogate to compete in a thrilling end-of-season tag tournament, bringing competitive school rugby firmly back to the local community.
The undisputed highlight of this stellar year came when the Year 11 team secured a historic, hard-fought victory against St Peter’s School York u16B team in their flagship competitive fixture. This standout performance caught the attention of regional talent scouts, directly resulting in multiple Headlands students being offered prestigious rugby scholarships at Scarborough College.
Looking ahead to September 2026, the launch of the Headlands School Rugby Academy represents a formal pathway dedicated to producing the next generation of rugby talent. By focusing intensively on player development, the academy aims to drive up standards at Bridlington Rugby Club while firmly establishing Headlands as one of the premier state schools for rugby in the country.
The ultimate dream for the academy is to see multiple Headlands students representing Yorkshire and pushing for national squad call-ups in the near future. In order to achieve this we are taking deliberate, small steps, putting in place the right people, facilities and wider community support to build the foundations required for such an ambitious project. With the unwavering support and shared dedication of Mrs Bone, Mr Wilson, Miss Hood, Ed Armstrong, and everyone at Bridlington Rugby Union Football Club I am confident that the perfect team is in place to make this dream a reality.
Mr Wilson- Head of Rugby
I am very pleased to be involved in the recent collaboration Headlands School and Bridlington rugby club have made to develop a new school rugby academy programme.
By working alongside a club like Bridlington RUFC it brings a link from school rugby to community rugby that will help support the development of young aspiring rugby players to further improve their skills as well as experience the values that rugby holds.
This programme will give the opportunity for students to gain more rugby specific coaching (both team and individual), more regular sessions and fixtures. The goal for the academy is to support students with their overall development both within rugby and outside of the sport, whilst doing this we will continue to facilitate an environment that holds high standards of achievement within their academics all the way from year 7 through to year 11 and to further destinations.
We are already aware of the excellent aspiring rugby players Bridlington already has as a community. We wish to create an experience that develops these young players to ensure they achieve their maximum potential both through Rugby and academically.
The work that has already gone into making this idea become that little bit closer to reality is a credit to the passion and support the wider community holds for Bridlington as a town.
I look forward to seeing how this can progress and benefit the students throughout the years to come as well as Headlands in partnership with Bridlington RUFC becoming the home of aspiring rugby players.
Miss Hood- Girls Rugby Lead
I am really honoured to be asked to be a part of the Headlands Rugby Academy partnered with Bridlington Rugby Club.
An especially exciting aspect of this programme is the opportunity it creates for the continued growth and development of girls' rugby within our school and local community. The women's and girls' game has seen significant growth in recent years, and we are committed to ensuring that female students have access to the same high-quality coaching, playing opportunities, and development pathways as their male counterparts.
By strengthening the link between Headlands School and Bridlington RUFC, we hope to inspire more girls to become involved in rugby, whether they are completely new to the sport or looking to take their game to the next level. Creating an inclusive environment where every student feels valued, supported, and able to achieve their potential will be a key part of the academy.
We also recognise the talented female players already representing both school and club rugby in the area. The academy will provide a platform to nurture this talent, raise aspirations, and encourage even greater participation in girls' rugby across Bridlington and the surrounding communities.
We are particularly proud of former Headlands student Rianna Manson, whose journey to representing Yorkshire and England U20's highlights her hard work and dedication to the sport. Her achievements are inspirational to our current students. We hope the academy will help create similar opportunities for future generations of players.
Through this partnership, we hope to create a space that is recognised not only for developing talented players, but also for championing opportunities for girls and boys alike, ensuring that every young person with a passion for rugby has the opportunity to succeed.
