Clubs > Boothtown Terriers > Boothtown Terriers Juniors

Boothtown Terriers Juniors

Over the years the Terriers had dipped their proverbial toes into junior Rugby League with attempts to form junior teams without great success.

Former Boothtown player, Paul Farrell and wife Samantha are the driving force behind Boothtown Juniors. Paul had played at the Terriers from being an 18-year-old and was now spending time with his Samantha at Illingworth with their two lads.

Following the Terriers very successful Open Age season in 2016, Paul and Samantha decided that the Terriers needed a junior section to help with the growth of the club. They fell lucky with the building and ground on Grantham Road which had been abandoned by the football club the year before. They took on the building, started to refurbish it and the pitch and importantly started to try to recruit players.

They started with just one player! Their son, Monty.

Based out of the Flying Dutchman public house in Boothtown, they worked very hard to recruit players and they managed with the help of friends to field an Under 10’s team! They entered the Yorkshire Junior League. In the early years they had many players who enjoyed the training and the friendships but a lot of players struggled to come to terms with the physicality of playing.

In season two they had two teams, under 8’s and Under 11’s and these continued into the next season and there were 25 lads across the two teams.

The work that had been done at Boothtown Terriers was recognised by the wider Calderdale community when Paul was named the 2020 Volunteer of the Year by the Community Foundation for Calderdale.

Sam Farrell explained “this has (so far) been a five-year process to introduce junior Rugby League into (the) area”.

Then came the COVID lock down.

However, this gave Paul and Samantha the opportunity to renovate the building. Paul explained

“we made a clubhouse out of a building that was just changing rooms.”

After Covid, the majority of players of the U 11 team didn’t return so they were left short of numbers and they had to fold that team. But Paul and Samantha had faith to keep on going and the Tots had a massive increase in numbers.

Sam and Paul explained “there were up to 30+kids under 5 running wild!”

 In the post Covid era, a new U 11 team was formed and together with an U 9’s in addition to the Tots. The U9’s team is the first to come through all the way from Tots. An amazing achievement.

The junior section just keeps growing stronger! Friends bring friends to come and play and most of the players are new to the game of Rugby League.

There are now teams for 7s 9s 11s and 14s. Plus the Tots, our Tiny Terriers, for ages 3-5!

Sam emphasised the ethos of the Boothtown Terrier Juniors

“it’s all about family fun. We do like to win… the players come off smiling (win or lose) and that is what we want. The players are here for the experience and the social side as well.”

Highlights of the Juniors are many but Paul and Sam fondly remembered when Halifax reached the semi-final of the Challenge Cup against St Helens and it was Boothtown lads and lasses who were the mascots. On the field, the U12 in their first competitive season got through to their semi final in Yorkshire Junior League Continuation Cup and in 2025 Terriers Juniors enter the National Cup drawing Haresfinch which was great experience for the lads.

There is a real family atmosphere with not just parents but also grandparents who come along to have an enjoyable time at the club. The club does everything together and there are events away Rugby League such as BBQ’ and parent evenings.

Paul and Sam enthused:

“We have more teams playing than we have ever seen at Boothtown, and we have more plans in place to help grow the club even more, so keep watching! “

It’s an exciting time to be a Terrier!

Facebook: Boothtown Terrier Juniors ARLFC