Sheffield Tigers: Drew Kemp hopes to kick on after winning national title

The teenager received the perfect belated 17th birthday present as he lifted the trophy at Redcar on Thursday.

And ahead of tomorrow’s (5.30) home clash with Glasgow at Owlerton, Kemp admits he’s feeling boosted by his achievement.

“Of course it feels great and it’s something I’ll never forget,” Kemp said.

“I’ve worked so hard this year yet nothing has really been going my way.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve been struggling in the National League with Kent but it’s been tough because I’ve had a fair few bike problems.

“And in the Championship with Sheffield the scores haven’t been anywhere near what I would’ve liked them to be.

“But winning the British Under-19s just goes to show that I can do it and hopefully this will kickstart a better end to the season.”

Whilst enduring some tough times along the way, Kemp says his 2019 campaign with Sheffield will benefit him in the long run.

And he says the past seven days have been huge in terms of him managing his own expectations.

“To win the British Under-19s and to finish fifth in the Euros has proved to me that I can mix it with riders my own age and they are probably the people I should be comparing myself to,” Kemp said.