There was good news for Yorkshire Carnegie fans this week as two of their brightest young prospects agreed two year contracts with the club before then departing for South Africa with England U18 ahead of their three game tour, which begins on Friday against South Africa U18 A.

The two players, centre Max Wright and prop Charlie Capps, are both former pupils of Yorkshire Carnegie’s AASE feeder College, Prince Henry’s Grammar School, with Wright having previously been at Silcoates School.

Commenting on their capture, Yorkshire Carnegie Academy Director, Andy Rock, said:

“Max and Charlie are both home-grown players, who we have seen develop within the club for a number of years already. The opportunity for them both to embark on the South Africa tour is great news for them, and comes at a good time, with the first phase of pre-season with the senior Academy having provided them with great preparation.”

“These opportunities are a big part of their wider development as young players, and they follow in the footsteps of a number of other Academy products like Taylor Prell and Lewis Boyce in going away on this tour, which really provides a level challenge competitively that they won’t have experienced before.”

“To have seen both players recently commit to the club and sign contracts to secure their future here is fantastic, and clearly supports the vision that the club want to achieve of developing and promoting players from within the system, and from across the Yorkshire region. The long-term potential that both players have is exciting, and the support that we can put around them with the group of Academy staff that we now have within the club provides a real platform for them to realise that potential in the coming years.”

Their capture is a welcome boost for Carnegie, who last year promoted Taylor Prell and Lewis Boyce, and also boosted two of England’s three mainstays in the U20 side that reached the World Rugby U20 Championship final this year, Jack Walker and Paul Hill. With Hill moving to Northampton Saints though, Carnegie will be delighted to have secured another young prop in Capps.

You can see the England U18 squad for their South Africa tour, as well as the full tour schedule, here: England U18 in South Africa.