A budding rugby player from Ron Dearing UTC has taken a significant step towards a professional career in the sport after being promoted to train and play with Hull FC’s first team.
Rio Kassim has secured the prestigious opportunity to join the first team’s pre-season preparations after impressing head coach John Cartwright in the club’s academy system.
The 18-year-old, who is in Year 13 at Ron Dearing, began playing rugby at the age of 10 after excelling in football and demonstrating skills which would be beneficial on the rugby pitch.
After quickly realising he enjoyed the physicality of rugby more than football, Rio joined Skirlaugh Bulls rugby league club before progressing onto Hull FC’s Scholarship programme and later the academy.
Rio, who plays as a forward, is one of just two young players selected to train with the first team during their 2026 pre-season training camp.
He said: “I changed position from second row to centre last year and everything just started to click. I started playing much better and impressing the coaches but I didn’t expect to get such a great opportunity so soon.
“I was really shocked when I found out I was going to be training with the first team. When I got a message saying the coach wanted me to train, it was a really proud moment.
“My family are all proud of my achievement. My Dad has always been a big football fan but since I started playing rugby, he’s got much more into it and has been really supportive.”
During pre-season, Rio also made his first-team debut in a friendly against Huddersfield Giants.
He added: “The experience has already been really good for me. Training and playing with so many experienced players is helping me to develop, not only as a player but as a person.
“My first game gave me a real feel for the level I want to be playing at. I wasn’t nervous until we got into the changing rooms, but overall, I really enjoyed it and it’s helped me to see areas I want to improve.”
Alongside his sporting commitments, Rio is studying A Levels in Maths, Chemistry and Engineering and is preparing to take his final exams in the summer. Since joining Ron Dearing in Year 10, he says staff have been supportive in helping him balance his academic studies with his rugby commitments.
He said “When I joined the Hull FC academy I sometimes had to train during school hours and the staff helped adjust my timetable straight away.
“When I was promoted to first-team pre-season training, they knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down, and helped me fit in my school work around training.
“I know several players who had to leave the academy system because their school or college wouldn’t support their training, so I’m really grateful to have teachers who want us to succeed both in and out of school.”
Looking ahead, Rio hopes to pursue a professional rugby league career after finishing his studies, with the long-term ambition of playing in Australia.