ACADEMY RUGBY
By TOM JEFFRIES

IT’S new year, new competition time as the Premiership Academy League returns. There’s considerable hype to live up to as the school scene takes a backseat with masses of players representing their local premiership in the 11-team league.
Split into North and South divisions, the northern saw just one fixture played on the opening weekend, with Newcastle on a bye and Sale Sharks vs last year’s runners up Northampton Saints cancelled for poor weather.
It was left to Yorkshire Academy and Leicester Tigers, then, to open, and Tigers ra...