Leigh Beattie happy to be back as Bulls take on Wigan Warriors

With the Covid-19 pandemic halting the Academy and Scholarship season in 2020, both sides are now ready to return to action, with the Under 19’s facing Wigan Warriors Under 19’s.

After playing their last game against Leeds Rhinos in March 2020, the squad have been taking part in an intense pre-season schedule to ensure they are ready for the season ahead.

Beattie was full of praise for how the players and staff have applied themselves during pre-season after a testing year with no rugby action.

“I’m really excited for the first Academy game of the season, I’m really proud of the lads for getting through the tough times and the hard work they’ve put in training,” said Beattie, who is sponsored by Bullbuilder.

“They can’t wait to play and get on that pitch; they’ve not been out there for longer than a year so they’re all really excited.

“Some of these lads haven’t played since August 2019, so it will be a big challenge for them, but they just need to enjoy their rugby and get back into the things.

“They’ve missed out on a large chunk of rugby which could have affected them but with watching them in training, I can tell they really want it.

“Some lads have suffered mentally, so have some staff but the way they’ve come back, it’s a real credit to the lads and how they’ve been applying themselves in training.

He also commented on how thankful he was to our loyal sponsors, on extending their sponsorship into 2021 and how they have supported our youth pathways during the pandemic. He said :“Bullbuilder have been massive for us in the last year, they’ve supported us and the teams through lockdown and supported us financially.

They’ve volunteered themselves to ensure we hit all the covid protocols and make sure that we’re doing everything by the book.

“We’re so grateful to MCP for continuing their sponsorship into 2021, they’ve been a massive help being our shirt sponsor.”