The last week in August sees the final of Rugby League’s oldest competition, the Carnegie Challenge Cup take place at Wembley Stadium but that week also sees the final stages of the sport’s biggest knock out competition, the Carnegie Champion Schools tournament.

Open to every secondary school in England, Wales and Scotland – the Champion Schools tournament was re-launched back in 2002 when the RFL joined with the English Schools Rugby League.

Since then it has exploded and the competition has helped launch the careers of a whole host of Super League players including internationals Sam Tomkins, Joe Westerman and Richie Myler.

The Carnegie Champion Schools Finals will take place at the Twickenham Stoop on Friday August 26 with the exception of the Year 7 Boys Final which is played at Wembley Stadium a day later as a curtain raiser ahead of the Challenge Cup Final.

As national competitions manager for the community game, Andy Harland has witnessed firsthand the incredible growth of the competition.

He said: “When the RFL took control of it, in partnership with English Schools Rugby League, it just raised the profile and the whole thing rocketed.

“In the first year of the partnership we went down to Wales to the Millennium Stadium, which was a big thing for us. Finals have been played at the Millennium Stadium, Twickenham and Wembley over the last nine years.

“The big one is Year 7, where the winners get to play at Wembley, which is phenomenal and it does have a profound effect on the kids. I’ve been involved in the curtain raiser for the last 25 years. The standard and quality has improved immensely over that time.”

“The competition is well funded by the RFL and sponsors Carnegie. Our officers go out there nationally and sell the concept, which has been the big plus; the school organisations also help us to do that.

“The schools and teachers really buy into it and what you have to remember is the finals take place during the school holidays.”

Girl’s teams have only been taking part for the last six years but the growth of their participation has been phenomenal and it’s already seen Emily Rudge progress from playing in the finals through to the last World Cup in Australia.

Rugby League has seen an immense growth in schools over the last few years and this is crucial for the development and future of the sport. Carnegie Champion Schools plays a vital role in introducing the game to an ever increasing number of young people throughout the United Kingdom.

In the early days it involved a few hundred teams from the Rugby League heartlands. Whereas this year’s tournament has seen a total of 1,678 teams take part, an increase of 175 from the previous year. Overall 27,537 students took to the field which is up by 2,911 from 2010 and a staggering growth of 22,369 since 2002.

Carnegie Champion Schools Finals at the Twickenham Stoop

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Girls) Year 7
Friday 26th August 2011
Castleford Academy (Wakefield) Vs St Peters (Manchester)
KO: 11.15am

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Girls) Year 8
Friday 26th August 2011
Castleford Academy (Wakefield) Vs Settle Middle ( North Yorkshire )
KO: 12.15pm

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Boys) Year 8
Friday 26th August 2011
St Josephs (Wales) Vs Temple Moor (Leeds)
KO: 1.10pm

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Girls) Year 9
Friday 26th August 2011
Castleford Academy (Wakefield) Vs Hollingworth (Rochdale)
KO: 2.15pm

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Boys) Year 9
Friday 26th August 2011
Outwood Academy (Wakefield) Vs Priesthorpe High (Leeds)
KO: 3.10pm

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Girls) Year 10
Friday 26th August 2011
Deanery (Wigan) Vs Settle College (North Yorkshire)
KO: 4.25pm

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Boys) Year 10
Friday 26th August 2011
Sirius Academy (Hull) Vs Brooksbank (Calderdale)
KO: 5.20pm

Wembley Stadium

Carnegie Champions Schools Final (Boys) Year 7
Saturday 27th August 2011
 South Leeds (Leeds) Vs Brooksbank (Calderdale)