Derek Beaumont reveals the thing ‘hampering’ Leigh Leopards at present as Super League club applies for academy license

[josie andrews]

LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has explained why the club’s current lack of an academy and reserves side is ‘hampering’ the Lancashire side – with both set to be rectified in the immediate future.

The Leopards won the Challenge Cup and finished fifth in Super League in 2023, but suffered some injuries to their small squad towards the back end of the year as Adrian Lam’s men faltered in the play-offs.

With Leigh unable to call on reserves or academy players, the Leopards couldn’t continue their momentum – with Beaumont explaining why throwing a reserves side together upon promotion to Super League wasn’t possible.


“It’s where we are hampered at the moment. Getting into Super League howe we did in the 2022 season and then to get told last minute we needed a reserves team on our first year of coming in, it just wasn’t attainable without having a serious impact on the amateur game,” Beaumont told Leopards TV.

“It would have been pulling together a team of players from Leigh East, Leigh Miners that weren’t perhaps getting in at Swinton and Oldham.

“It wouldn’t have been representative of our club and it would damage other areas to put in two or three players who would be better served on loan which we did last year.

Beaumont also explained that Leigh have now applied to the RFL for an academy license to take the place of Newcastle Thunder following their withdrawal from League One.


“We were always mindful of the fact it wasn’t a necessity so we needed the team to get to that and we have got to that.

“Recruiting players for that is difficult because without having an academy you don’t benefit from the cap value. Anyone under 23 on less than £30,000 doesn’t count on the cap, we don’t have that under 23 area because we haven’t produced those coming through.

“We have over 23s counting on the cap, we have recruited those who are up-and-coming emerging players that will make up a big part of that.

“There has been a growth and recognition for that. We will have our reserves. Newcastle’s academy license won’t be there going forward.


“We have made a tentative enquiry to push through earlier because we are in a place where we can with an application to take the license that isn’t being used and benefit from that.”

It certainly promises to be a bright future for the Leopards!



https://www.totalrl.com/derek-beaumont- ... y-license/

[the pieman]

So yet again, its everyone elses fault.

he is one of those guys i really cant take to. I'll give him credit for some of the work they did last year in trying to pull in crowds, but an artist before the game isnt something new or radical

however, beyond that it was the refs fault they lost v Wigan and finished 5th, it was the RFL fault they have never invested in academy or reserves etc etc (need i go on)

its about time he fronted up and said that it was down to him and the way he runs the ship that is the problem. he was quite happy to call out players and not pay them / cancel contracts, which shows where his loyalty lies

[fozzieskem]

Had to admire him for the rebrand he pretty much stuck with it and it worked what I grew weary of was the endless interviews there was it became about him and not the rugby side of things which was fine at the start but as I said grew tiresome by mid summer.

He needs now to try and go back to the sidelines and let the club do the talking sadly I don't think that'll happen

[the pieman]

Had to admire him for the rebrand he pretty much stuck with it and it worked what I grew weary of was the endless interviews there was it became about him and not the rugby side of things which was fine at the start but as I said grew tiresome by mid summer.

He needs now to try and go back to the sidelines and let the club do the talking sadly I don't think that'll happen

i understand the rebrand completely, and he as much as said, they were Wigan mk2 playing in Wigan borough, so for IMG grading and trying to have a future in SL, then he needed to do something to distance Leigh from Wigan. And fair play to him, he did that by changing name, moving away from traditional red / white kit etc

I also think it works if they need to move away i.e. the Leopards can be taken anywhere

on one of the other threads discussing the IMG grading, we are both hampered by catchment as Wigan boro is approx 330k population, split by 2, so i can see him moving them elsewhere / selling the name at some point, so they arent a club in the shadow of Wigan and have a sole catchment area

and finally i agree, but think he likes the sound of his own voice, so dont think that'll happen any time soon