NATIONAL League One Doncaster Knights have signed promising prop Lewis Thiede from their Academy set-up
Said director of rugby, Lynnn Howells: "I'm proud to give this young man an opportunity, which he has earnt through his performances in the Academy team."
The 17 year-old forward, who started playing at under-sevens level, has played for the Castle Park club for the last ten years, captaining the U-15s, 16s and 17s.
"It all started to click for me rugby-wise when I was ten," said Thiede." We played in a tournament in Nottingham and, although we didn't do particularly well, we began to gell as a team.
"From that moment, I knew I wanted to be a rugby player and it became more than a weekend hobby".
Thiede became a regular for South Yorkshire from U-15s onwards but never made the Yorkshire team.
"It spurred me on every time I was turned downe," he said. "I wanted it so badly that I trained harder and harder with every disappointment.
"Steve Salvin (Doncaster Academy coach) spotted something in me that the coaches at Yorkshire hadn't, and now I have a first-team deal, unlike a lot of the players they selected before me."
Heis now training alongside the likes of Tongan international Ngalu Tau and Michael Cusack, of whom he is a big fan.
What do you think? Post your comments below. READ MORE Football headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 283 words and appears in Doncaster Star newspaper.
