Otley RUFC have taken a giant step forward by signing up their first ever Academy players.

Five 19 year-olds have signed on the dotted line committing themselves to the club for the next four years.

All five are deemed to have first team potential.

Club spokesman Ian Henry said: "All are seen as future first team players and this has been done to keep them with the club so that they can develop from Colts rugby through to playing for the first team."

The boys are stand-off or full-back James Henry, props Duncan Setterington and Richard Bush, scrum-half Matthew Birch and back row man Mark Walker.

All have played with Otley Colts this season. Four of them are students, Henry, Setterington and Walker at Leeds and Bush at Askham Bryan Agricultural College. Matthew Birch was absent when the photograph was taken as he was playing for the Scottish Exiles.

Ian Henry said: "This is the first group that has been signed by the club and it gives them all something to work towards."

l Four of the signings are pictured right.

The club has also had 11 players representing the county at different levels this season. Those players are James Taggart, James Stocker, Toby Henry, Tom Henry, Ben Steele, Simon Care, Andrew Allman, Liam Duffy, Philip Kenyon, Leon Clarke and Michael Allewell.