Rugby & Northampton Athletic Club participates in the UK Youth development league (UKYDL) with matches throughout the summer. The lower age group won the Midlands Premier league earlier in the year, which meant that the team qualified for the National final against all the other regional winners. The match took place in Liverpool and the event started in the wind and rain. R & N got off to a slow start with London club, Blackheath & Bromley leading the way during the first part of the event. As the day went on R & N pulled their way back into the match with the throws leading the way. At the halfway point, R & N were 20 points behind but with everything to play for. The second part of the day saw a whole string of incredible performances from the R & N athletes across the whole spectrum of events .
For the U14 girls there were individual victories for Freya Carty, 800m, Taya Young, shot and discus and Eleanor Rumbell hammer whilst in the U14 boys there were gold performances for Cairo Wilmott, shot, and Henry Marriott in the 800m – with Henry setting a new league record in the process. There was a second league record for Emily Elden in the U16 girls 200m event as the R & N female sprinters dominated with further victories for Nina Npey and Tilda Bean in the 100m and 300m respectively.
In the U16 boys Alex Kampta produced a simply stunning finish to claim gold in the 800m and Ben Vural vaulted to gold in the pole vault. Liam Mumbure also claimed gold in both the long and high jump!which meant that the team pulled their way to challenge at the top of the leaderboard. A whole succession of outstanding performances from well drilled relay teams meant that the young athletes drove their way to the top to be crowned champions of the UK for 2026 – a day that will be remembered by all that were there for a long time to come. An emotional club Chairman, Adrian White, summed up the victory as the culmination of hard work by athletes, parents officials and coaches working together !
