Ten-year-old to be coached by former British motocross champion

Rafe Symons has been riding motorbikes since he was four years old and has just won the 2023 Cotswold Youth Amateur Club’s championship in the junior class.

The NORA CRS Development Programme supports and develops young talented motocross riders.

Rafe Symons (Image: Jessica Symons)

Rafe said: “I’m so excited to be one of the few to have been selected for this programme, with the help of NORA, all the coaches and other riders, it will help me reach the next level of motocross”.

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Both Rafe and his brother Rudy, aged eight, ride in races across the country and will often travel to Wales, the Midlands and Suffolk. Rafe’s father also used to motocross and ride for the mid-wilts club when he was a teenager.

Rafe Symons (Image: Jessica Symons)

Rafe's mother, Jessica, said: "We're incredibly proud of Rafe and are doing our best to raise awareness of the sport which has suffered a lot in recent years due to poor image and tracks closing. 

"We are also trying to raise sponsorship to enable him to go on and reach his full potential."

The sport was founded in the UK but has a large following worldwide and has seen huge popularity in the US and the Netherlands.

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NORA is a regulating authority for off-road motorsport in the UK and believes in supporting young riders to strengthen motocross for the future.   

The Select Programme will see 10 riders from across the country be coached by former British champion and GP rider Stephen Sword at some of the best tracks in the country. 

Mr Sword said: “I am very much looking forward to working and passing everything I’ve learned over the years to the NORA CRS Development Team riders. I recognise the importance of young motocross talent for the growth of the sport”.

Next year, Rafe will be training in Northern Ireland.