Two Cumbrians have been selected for the North Under-18s when they start their Divisional programme against the Midlands at Keighley on Sunday.
Kendal’s tighthead prop forward Barney Coxon and Kirkby Lonsdale number eight Will Baines were selected following trials.
In Barney’s case, his rugby pedigree has clearly had a hand in shaping his sporting career.
His dad Billy was a stalwart prop for the Kendal club, who also played for the North and Cumbria’s senior side, while his grandfather on his mum Clare’s side was Ian Hutton, who played hooker for Kendal and Cumberland.
His destiny seemed to be mapped out from a young age for while his dad was playing for Kendal, Barney could be seen on the sidelines at the old Mint Bridge site with a rugby ball.
That was long before he joined a rugby club, which eventually came and naturally it was at Kendal – the Hornets junior section as part of the Under-9’s team. He enjoyed mini rugby before moving up into the youth section and learning contact skills.
He currently captains the Kendal Colts team, which is a mixed U17/U18 team this year, with some excellent Under-16s players also feeding in.
He has been well supported at all stages, by his mini, youth and Colts coaching team.
Put forward for the District Player Pathway (DPP) he had the chance to go over to Newcastle Falcons and briefly experience the academy set up before the pandemic interrupted.
Put forward for the Cumbria County U18s this season, playing both fixtures against Northumberland and Durham, he was picked from there to attend a selection day for the North of England U18s squad in Bradford.
As a result he has been selected as part of the 23-strong squad for the fixtures against the Midlands on Sunday. He will also attend a two-day training and playing camp in Warwick with a further fixture against either the South West or South East squad.
Barney said: “It’s been a really good experience and I’m looking forward to pulling the North of England shirt on for the fixtures. It’s a good chance to learn and sharpen my skills ahead of my move into senior rugby.”
Proud dad Billy added: “Barney has always enjoyed rugby and it’s good to see some of his ambitions taking shape now.
“The coaches at Kendal, the DPP and Cumbria all give up huge amounts of time so it’s very much thanks to them that he’s had these opportunities. He’s been supported brilliantly along the way.
“We’re really proud of his achievements and there’s definitely a big family contingent heading over to the first match in Keighley.”
Joining them on Sunday will be friends and family of Kirkby Lonsdale forward Will Baines.
The 18-year-old number eight has gone through the mini and youth systems at the Kirkby Lonsdale club where he started playing at five years old.
He has been school captain at Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale and went through the DPP in Cumbria before being selected to go to Newcastle Falcons Academy which he has been a part of for two years.
He has captained Cumbrian at Under-16 and Under-18 levels and currently is playing for the senior colts at Kirkby Lonsdale who are unbeaten in Division C of the Halbro league. Will is now relishing the prospect of playing for the North of England.
Anthony Baines said: “As his dad I’m extremely proud of him. I have also coached him at Kirkby for the last 13 years so have watched him grow as a player and young man of 18 years old.
“He is now looking to play for Kirkby first team and is hoping to go and play in New Zealand when they eventually allow.”
