INLINE hockey has spread to the county's sports colleges with the first challenge for Year 7 students taking place at St Joseph's Sports College, Horwich, who beat a Durham college.

The sport first started at St Joseph's in January by running a pilot project with the inline hockey skills award scheme with 20 students receiving instruction in the sports' basic skills. The scheme, devised by GB Hockey Inline's Phil Worthington, has so far seen 1200 youngsters progress through the earlier levels of the scheme. Phil also runs the Governing Body's coach training program and recently visited the college in Durham to run a level one coaching course.

Plans are already underway for a return visit and with a lot of interest being shown from other sports college's around the country, the region could soon host the first sports college national championship.