GREAT Sankey High School's year 10 and 11 sides are targeting national glory after becoming north west champions.

The school's year 10 outfit defeated Standish High School 32-12 at Wigan's Robin Park to win the North West Counties Cup last week, following on from the year 11 side's victory against Wigan's St John Fisher High School a week earlier.

A double triumph is a rare achievement in the highly competitive tournament and the two sides are now aiming to go all the way in the national Carnegie Champion Schools event.

The year 11 team, who were agonisingly defeated 19-18 by St John Fisher in last year's national 10 final, won 42-4 at home to Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, from Caerphilly in south Wales, in the quarter finals on Thursday.

They will now face either Welsh school Brynmawr or Normanton Freeston High School in the last four at Rochdale's Hopwood Hall on February 26.

The year 10 side are set to play their last 16 clash within the next few weeks and Jonathan Caslake, who coaches both sides, has paid tribute to the boys' success so far.

He said: "It's a massive achievement for the school to win both finals. I'm sure someone has done it before but not recently.

"It's down to the quality of the lads as well as the time and effort they've put in.

"It will be a really tough semi final for the year 11 team but if they can get to the final they'd be confident if they came up against St John Fisher. They've got that monkey off their back now.

"They feel they were robbed last year so they want to right a wrong."

The year 10 team has been boosted by the arrival at the school of brothers Ben and Rhys Evans - bright prospects who moved from south Wales to join up with Warrington Wolves' youth set-up.

Centre Rhys Evans was the man of the match in the North West Counties Cup Final after scoring a hat-trick and loose forward Ben also crossed.

Ben Hardman and Matty Whitehead-Wilson also touched down in the final, while Marcus Baines added four goals.

William Beamont Sports College were beaten 26-10 by Standish in the North West Counties Year Seven Final.

Second rower Steven Griffiths crossed and scrum half Tyler Whittaker converted his own try for William Beamont, who will now concentrate their efforts on the national competition.

Cardinal Newman High School's year 11 team will be bidding to protect an unbeaten run spanning almost four years when they take on teams from across the country in the national festival of the Champions Schools tournament at Hopwood Hall on February 28.

The team have won the national competition for the last three years and will be hoping to reach another national final, having qualified every year they have entered the tournament.