COVENTRY Rugby have established an eight-player senior academy squad for the 2025/26 season.
The club want to build a squad which features an array of local talent with all eight players to join Coventry as academy professionals.
And all eight players, Joe Johnston, Taio Varndell, Sam Gibson, Sam Harding, Matty Thomas, Harry Ingram, Drew Johnson and Will Smith, excelled for the club’s under-18s side this season.
Coventry’s chief executive, Nick Johnston said: “We have set ourselves the objective that 60 per cent of our senior playing squad will eventually originate from the West Midlands.
“This will of course take time. Our recent investment in an academy, the international pro rugby combine and in identifying talent from around the region was the first step on this journey and the shape of our squad for next season moves us further down the same road.
“In Alex Rae we already have a Coventry product as head coach plus a number of players with West Midlands roots. Now our recruitment – especially in a much bigger senior academy group – adds to this local core and over time we intend to expand this into the club’s dominant identity.
“In a way this takes us back to the future as Coventry’s glory days in the 1950s, 60s and 70s were built on a network of strong rugby-playing local schools and junior clubs.
“But it also embraces what we currently see in professional sport around parts of Europe where clubs mobilise a really strong regional identity and as a result great success stories are written.
“I know it sounds ridiculous to make the comparison, but we can look at the Basque model where football clubs like Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao have thrived by relying solely on talent from the Basque region.
“We’ve seen similar success in rugby too, with teams like Biarritz and Bayonne achieving great results by following the same philosophy.
“Only when you start really looking across professional and semi-professional rugby in the UK do you begin to notice how many players have roots in our region. Becoming the natural home for this talent is our objective.”
Under-18s captain Johnston, aged 18, plays at full-back and previously played for Leamington RFC and North Leamington School.
And wing Varndell, aged 17, scored a try in every game for the under-18s this season. He is the son of the Premiership’s second highest try-scorer Tom Varndell.
Tighthead prop Gibson, aged 17, has already taken part in senior training and grew in confidence and ability over the course of the season.
And 18-year-old second row Harding enjoyed a breakthrough season while also representing Kenilworth RFC’s first team.
Daventry RFC product Thomas, aged 17, transitioned from centre to hooker bringing ball-carrying expertise and line-breaking ability with him.
And 17-year-old centre Ingram first appeared for Camp Hill RFC and has since developed through Bromsgrove School, Midlands West and Hartpury College.
Back-row forward Johnson, aged 18, enjoyed a standout season and also contributed to Coventry’s victorious under-23 side.
Lastly, 18-year-old flanker and lock Smith captained Leicester Tigers under-18s and Denstone College.
Johnston added: “These young men have all represented our under-18 side this year and embody the quality and potential within our region.
“Transitioning from the academy’s under-18 side into senior training opportunities in recent weeks, they have worked hard and fitted in well under the guidance of Alex Rae and the senior coaching staff.
“The challenge now is for them to become trailblazers — to work hard, transition into senior rugby, and forge a path for next season’s graduates to follow.”
