John Cartwright has challenged every young Hull FC player and indeed those in the wider community game to keep pushing and earn a spot on the club’s academy trip to Australia.
The Black and Whites will head out Down Under for a three-week tour of Australia in February/March 2027, with the club set to play three games against NRL youth opposition. One of those clubs could be Penrith Panthers – the side which Cartwright grew up following and played for during his professional playing career.
Laying out his views, Cartwright sees the tour as an opportunity for every young player in the region, whether at Hull now or still playing in the community game, to keep improving with an incentive given.
And while the club’s current scholarship players are expected to make the lion’s share of the academy side for 2027, there’s every chance that community club players could still be looked at and signed up – as was the case for hooker Will Hutchinson, who wasn’t originally picked for scholarship but who debuted for the first team earlier this year.
For Cartwright, that serves as motivation, with the Hull coach buoyed by the tour – something he believes could be done on a regular basis.
“It’s fantastic exposure for our club and a great opportunity for every kid in our catchment area,” the Hull head coach told Hull Live. “It gives them something to aim for, and hopefully it’s something they can do either annually or biannually.
“We could even bring clubs over here and facilitate them, but it’s a great experience for the kids to see the very best of the best and see what they’re up against and how good they’ve got to be.
“It’s also a life experience. It’s fantastic, and it will put Hull on the map as far as rugby league is concerned. I’d imagine every 16- to 18-year-old kid within our region would be aspiring to make that trip.”
The club will also use the three weeks in Australia to forge partnerships and relationships with NRL clubs, something that could help the club in other aspects, namely recruitment, with quota signings – in tandem with youth development – essential to the success of a Super League team.
“It certainly does,” Cartwright replied when asked about recruitment benefits. “The more links you can create, the easier it is. There’s nothing negative about the whole concept.
“I’d have loved to have had that opportunity when I was coming through at that age. It’s good for the families, and they’ll be families that will follow their kids and see what it’s like on the other side of the world.
“It’s something we spoke about when I first came here; there are other clubs who have done it. St Helens had a bit of a relationship with Penrith, and for me, it’s great to see. We’re looking to get involved with Penrith now; it’s a heartland of rugby league over there, and there’ll be plenty for the kids to do as well as play some good, tough footy.”