Academy talents agree full-time deals with Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos is continuing its investment in Academy talent as the club is delighted to confirm that Oliver Smart, Oscar Brown and Dacx Jones-Buchanan have signed new contracts to keep them at the club for the next stage of their development.

The trio have been standout performers in the Under-18s Academy and Reserves competitions this year and are the latest players to be rewarded for their efforts with new contracts. Jones-Buchanan has agreed a two-year deal that will see him complete his second and final year with the Under-18s in 2026 before he moves full-time with the first team from 2027, whilst Smart and Brown have both committed to one-year contracts that will elevate them into a full-time status for the 2026 season. All three contracts also include club options to extend.

By Jones-Buchanan, Smart and Brown agreeing new deals, a total of 21 players produced by the Rhinos Academy have now agreed contracts with the club over the last year, led by the 15-player cohort that committed to the Rhinos in June 2024 as well as Mikolaj Oledzki and Tom Holroyd, who both agreed extensions during the 2025 campaign.

17-year-old Jones-Buchanan, son of seven-time Grand Final winner and the Rhinos incoming Chief Executive Jamie Jones-Buchanan, is the latest product to come through the Rhinos system from Stanningley community club. He has impressed the Rhinos staff since joining the club’s Scholarship in 2023 and this season, he has featured 12 times at both prop and loose forward across the Academy and Reserves competitions.

Speaking about signing for his hometown club, he said: “I’m really happy to have this contract locked up and secure, so now I can look forward to start getting to know the first team. Having Chev Walker as Transition Coach as well, builds the connection from First Team to the Reserves and Academy, which is good for youth development. It makes us more comfortable if we get the opportunity to move up to the First Team.”

Oscar Brown has been rewarded for his development since joining the club from Rugby Union. Brown was scouted by the Rhinos Talent ID staff from Harrogate Grammar School midway through 2024, and after a year of hard work and learning the 13-man code, he has blossomed as a centre and currently is the joint leading try scorer for the Rhinos Academy with nine tries.  In total, he has 14 tries in 11 games for the Under-18s and Reserves in 2025.

Brown said: “It’s been a lot of hard work not only from myself, but from my coaches and other people around me. I think my performances this year have shown the hard work I’ve put in and how I’ve grown playing the sport and as a person. It definitely makes a difference having the support I’ve had coming in from Rugby Union. I feel like it is a really positive environment to be in and everyone’s doing well in their own ways, so I’m looking forward to continuing my growth and going to that next level.”

Oliver Smart gets the opportunity to move into the full-time environment after playing as a part-time player for the Rhinos Reserves in 2025. The former Siddal junior came straight into the Rhinos Academy as an 18-year-old in 2024 and after playing six times that year, he progressed into the Reserves this season where he has one try in 10 games.

He said: “It's really nice that the club are putting faith in me.  They were the club that gave me a chance and for them to continue that faith, it's a big boost of confidence for me. Being around those guys who are some of the best players in Super League and internationals is only going to benefit me. It's a really intense, challenging environment, but one that I've already seen improvements in my game from training with them a couple of times each week. Going full time is only going to massively excel my development, and I'm really looking forward to challenging myself.”

Leeds Rhinos Head of Youth John Bastian added: “I’m delighted for the players and the hard work that they've put in. They're working really hard to improve and develop their game, they listen to Chev and the coaching team, and they have been contributing highly in the Under-18s and the Reserve grade. The opportunity to be part of the first-team squad is certainly all credit to them and hopefully they become the next generation of Super League players.

“All three are from slightly different backgrounds. We watched Oliver a couple of times before signing him for the Academy, but he has improved in his intensity and effort areas, which if he carries on, he'll play at a high level. He's naturally a very good trainer and a good leader within the group of players too.

“Dacx has natural talent that doesn’t need teaching. He has put a lot more effort into his endurance which has been evident in his performances and has been really active this year on the field.

“Oscar Brown is a wonderful advert for any Rugby Union player who wants to transition into Rugby League. He’s shown that it can be done and he's improving week by week. He's earned this contract through hard work and it's great for him and his family to have him on board.”

“It's an exciting time for Leeds Rhinos fans. The first team are certainly progressing well under Brad Arthur, and there's a wonderful cohort of young players that are ready to be integrated into the first team.  What we've got to continue to do as a club is create those opportunities for some of these top-talented juniors to be part of us for the long term,” added Bastian.