YORK City Knights have scrapped plans to run an academy side this season and will instead turn their attentions to a scholarship scheme.

Chief executive Steve Ferres says this new venture will be of greater benefit to the Knights and rugby league in general in the long-run.

Full details of the scheme will be decided once a rugby league audit being carried out by the Knights is completed next month and following further talks with the Rugby Football League. However, it will see talented 12 to 16-year-olds become affiliated with, and developed by, the Knights, with the long-term view of creating a supply line of quality youngsters.

"It's not been an easy decision but it's one we believe we've made for the right reasons for the long-term benefit of rugby league in York and North Yorkshire," said Ferres.

"After protracted talks with the RFL and after studying the audit, we've decided to focus our attentions on a scholarship.

"We might suffer a bit in the short-term if we don't have an academy side, but we would benefit greatly in the long-term with this scholarship. A lot of thought has gone into this decision.

"In doing this, we are developing the game at junior level and grass-roots level, not just senior level, and in doing so it will mean more players and more administrators get involved."

The scholarship scheme will work alongside the service area structure already in place, but it will mean talented youngsters in the area will become affiliated with the Knights rather than any other club - meaning York rugby league benefits.

RFL rules state that if a scholarship is running at a youngster's local club then he could only sign forms for that club. He could go to another club - in this case a Super League side like Castleford or Leeds - only if his local club do not have such a scheme in place. Benefits of this rule include a fairer spread of talent and reduced travelling for the youngsters.

The scheme, to go hand in hand with the Knights' community development and in-schools coaching programmes, is aimed at benefiting the local amateur scene as well as the professional club.

"We're conscious an academy side might take players away from the amateur game, but we're trying to underpin that and get more quality into the area," said Ferres.

"The idea is we provide higher level coaching for the youngsters, some of whom will go on to play for the Knights, but many of whom will play in the amateur game. It should help create a flow of quality youngsters in rugby league as a whole."

The York RL Supporters' Club, who for some time have had an "Academy Builder" fund set up to boost the proposed Academy side, are aware of the Knights' new plans and they too will shift their attentions to the scholarship.

Ferres said: "They are fully supportive of it and any monies donated will be transferred to the scholarship funds."

Updated: 11:10 Tuesday, February 17, 2004