JAY Pitts and Joe Arundel played together for Hull FC and Bradford – now the pair have been reunited once again as budding coaches.

Bulls star Pitts is working alongside Arundel for the Elite Rugby Academy, which was formed in 2012 by former Castleford players Ryan Hudson and Danny Orr.

The academy teaches boys and girls aged from four to fourteen rugby league skills and all the coaches have played in Super League.

Huddersfield prop Craig Huby and Bulls winger James Clare – both former Castleford players – have coached for the Elite Rugby Academy, which hosts regular sessions in Castleford and Pontefract.

Pitts and Arundel are to kick off a new set of classes in Wakefield, while there are plans for camps in Leeds and Hull too.

Ossett lad Pitts, who played his amateur rugby at Shaw Cross and also coached the Dewsbury club for many years, is passionate about developing youngsters and giving them the best level of coaching possible.

The popular back-rower said: “We start on February 16 and I’m very much looking forward to it.

“I really want to get into developing youngsters in rugby league because we’re losing too many kids to football right now.

“The fact is that the amateur coaches don’t have enough time to coach these kids up to the levels where they really should be.

“We have taken it upon ourselves at Elite Rugby Academy to help them out and produce better players to come through and hopefully go on and become stars of the game at the highest level.

“The more youngsters coming through and enjoying the game, the better for rugby league in general.”

Pitts and Arundel are big pals and coaching with his former team-mate suits the Bulls forward just fine.

They arrived at Odsal together in April 2014 on loan from Hull and 26-year-old Pitts went on to sign for Bradford permanently.

Arundel has since left Hull and joined Wakefield Wildcats, with Pitts saying: “I’m good friends with Joe and our girlfriends get on well too, so he asked me about the idea of joining Elite Rugby Academy.

“We grasped the opportunity with both hands and we’re not doing it for the money.

“It’s about making a future in coaching in the long run but mainly about helping young kids to progress and find their way in the game.

“I did a lot of coaching before at Shaw Cross but you don’t get enough time with them at amateur level.

“At Elite Rugby Academy you’re training the kids with a lot of lads who have played in Super League, such as Danny Orr and Ryan Hudson, and that’s a big part of it too.

“It’s Danny and Ryan’s business and they are doing it in Cas and Ponte.

“Joe and I have got the franchise for the Wakefield area, so we’re starting it up there.

“Hopefully we will be able to produce as many kids as they have because the numbers they get is unbelievable.

“It just proves that there are a lot of kids playing rugby who want to be taught the right things.

“Hopefully we will make it just as big in Wakefield and produce some Super League stars of the future for the Bulls.”

Pitts also serves as the Bulls’ assistant U16s scholarship coach where he helps to develop and nurture the next generation of stars.

“I help coach the Under-16s with Leigh Beattie and we’ve got a few other coaches who help out as well,” said Pitts.

“It’s about trying to get these young kids into the academy next year.

“Coaching is something I would love to go into after playing, so this will help me maintain my professionalism coaching kids and how to do things the best way.

“It’s a learning curve but it’s all working towards being a coach at a higher level in the future.”

For further details on the Elite Rugby Academy, log on to www.eliterugbyacademy.com or email info@eliterugbyacademy.com.