Wakefield Trinity have confirmed that one of their key members of the club’s coaching set-up will leave the club.

Head of Youth, Ben Lazenby, will leave Wakefield after a very successful period of just over 18 months helping shape the future of the Trinity team.

Formerly of Hull KR, Lazenby was among the first appointments under the new Matt Ellis regime, hired in December 2023 just months after Ellis took charge and appointed Daryl Powell as head coach of the club.

Since then, it’s been wave after wave of positivity and success for the club with their incredible 2024 Championship campaign when they won the treble, as well as the current Super League season where they sit inside the play-off places.

What’s important is what happens next and thanks to Lazenby and his work with the Trinity Youth department, it’s expected that Wakefield will have a conveyor belt of talent to filter into their squad as they continue to kick on.

Head of Youth leaves Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield confirmed Lazenby’s exit in a club statement which heaped praise on the departing coach and also highlighted some of his key accomplishments during his tenure.

That statement read: “Wakefield Trinity can confirm that Head of Youth, Ben Lazenby will depart his role with the club.

“Since joining Trinity in December 2023, Ben has played a pivotal role in revitalising the club’s Youth department. Through his dedication, vision, and leadership, he has brought renewed stability and direction to the programme.

“Ben has overseen the development of a clear and comprehensive player pathway, supporting talent from ages 12 to 22. In addition to overseeing our Scholarship, Academy, and Reserves programmes, he introduced several key initiatives that have reshaped our youth development strategy.”

Those were listed as an ‘Emerging Player Pathway’, an ‘Aspire Programme’, and an ‘Accelerate Programme’, whilst players such as Ellis Lingard and Rowan Stephenson have both debuted for the first team during Lazenby’s time in charge.

Speaking on his time at the club, Ben Lazenby said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Wakefield Trinity and feel we have achieved a huge amount in short period of time. Whilst I am disappointed to be leaving I have enjoyed working with all of the staff both on and off the pitch and hopefully the structures that I’ve put in place will benefit the club for years to come.”

Wakefield Trinity’s CEO, Craig Barrass said: “The scale of the task that Ben took on when joining the club in December 2023 should not be underestimated, and the transformation from that point to where we are now is quite remarkable. The benefits to Wakefield Trinity will be realised for many years to come. The club governance, player programmes and values that Ben has instilled are now the foundations for the club to grow in terms of youth development and progression. I would like to thank Ben for his dedication, passion, vision and professionalism during his employment with us, and everyone at Wakefield Trinity wishes Ben the very best in his next career move.”

Trinity’s Recruitment Manager, Ste Mills said: “Ben’s been brilliant to work with and has played a massive part in shaping the youth setup here at Trinity. He really cares about the lads coming through, and that’s shown in the way he’s gone about everything. From my side, he’s always been open, honest, and great to bounce ideas off. I want to wish him all the best for whatever comes next.”