The Wharfedale management is able to announce two pre-season fixtures, and is working on others, potentially making for the busiest pre-season ever.
It gets under way on Saturday 11th August when Stirling County are once again the visitors; they were the first Scottish club to visit the Dale two seasons ago, and have just enjoyed a successful season in Premier A (the level immediately below the two professional clubs), finishing in fourth place.
Confirmation is awaited of an away trip, likely to involve an overnight stay, to play on Saturday 18th August.
Then on Saturday 25th August we play host to our old friends Stourbridge, who will be girding up their loins for an immediate return to National One.
Interspersed among these matches, two midweek fixtures are in the offing against our traditional rivals Kendal and North Ribblesdale, which will give squad players the opportunity to impress the selectors in advance of the opening league match, away (subject to final confirmation) to newcomers Richmond.
As soon as our league fixtures are confirmed, a full list will appear on this website.
Rob Baldwin will lead an England Counties tour party to play both Uganda and a combined East Africa side in Kampala before taking on the challenge of an East Africa Invitation XV in Nairobi. He retains the position having captained the side to a 34-16 victory over the Counties’ Irish counterparts, the Ulster Bank International Team, in March.
The squad assembles on June 1 and the 17-day tour incorporates the largest tour outreach programme ever undertaken. Working with the Tag Rugby Trust, the squad and management will carry out frequent coaching sessions and visits, aiming to raise the profile of rugby and leave a lasting legacy for the host unions.
Scrum-half Philip Woodhead is on standby for the tour, as is former Wharfedale player Gavin Jones, the Blaydon lock.
In support of the appeal fund for Nathan Cubitt, the Keighley youngster who sustained a broken neck, there will a be festival of Tag Rugby at the Keighley club on Saturday 26th May. Playing for Nathan’s Keighley Under 17s will be none other than Jason Robinson! Your support is requested for this worthy cause, details of which can found at http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/keighleyrugbyunionclub/news/the-nathan-cubitt-tag-rugby-fe-583716.html
The raffle held at the Club annual dinner raised £580 in aid of Nathan Cubitt, the young Keighley player seriously injured last season. The dinner was attended by representatives of five neighbouring clubs, and by 88 current Wharfedale players.
In their review of the season, coach Tom McGee and Chairman of Rugby Michael Harrison paid tribute to the unique spirit of the club, rewarded with the winning by the Fourths of the North Yorkshire Trophy; the survival in a very competitive league of the Development XV; the winning once more of the Yorkshire Premier League by the Foresters and of course the tenth-place finish and the reaching of next week’s Yorkshire Cup Final by the First XV. The assembled gathering sent off with their good wishes three players, present at the dinner, who are moving on to take professional contracts: Joel Gill, James Tincknell and Ben Sowrey.
The award for Most Improved Player went to Will Bell.
At half-time during the match against Macclesfield, RFU Council member Jim Chapman presented to the club a trophy and a cheque to mark the quality of its submission for the Whole Club Seal of Approval. Seen receiving the award on behalf of the club is committee member Toni Birch, whose work it was to complete the presentation which let the award of the Seal.
Wharfedale hosted the final on a rainsoaked pitch with a 40mph wind blowing from end to end and continuous freezing rain throughout. Harrogate won the toss and played into the wind in the first half, so with the wind at their backs, Wharfedale kicked off and immediately went on the attack through their forwards, who set the tone of the match for the whole game. The conditions were always going to limit any positive back play, so it was business as usual for the Wharfedale pack. The whole team knew what was expected of them and camped in the Harrogate 22. Eventually forcing a Harrogate mistake, Jeremy Hargreaves opened the scoring with a penalty kick from nearly half-way.
- Double try-scorer!
The forwards continued with their onslaught of the Harrogate defensive line, a five-metre catch and drive from a line out resulted in Paul Marklew squeezing over the line.Wharfedale continued in the same vein, every opportunity the forwards had, went into putting Harrogate under pressure. A five-metre scrum saw Mark Viner crash over for his try, and just before half time, Paul Marklew touched down for his second try with Jeremy Hargreaves adding the conversion.
The second half saw Harrogate trying to dominate with the use of the high wind, but Wharfedale’s whole experienced team defended like their lives depended on it, and repelled every attacking thrust that Harrogate put together. Harrogate did eventually breach the line with a try, wide out midway through the half, but Wharfedale stuck to their task and continued to deny Harrogate any possession. The war of attrition was over. Wharfedale won by 20-5.
After last year’s successful day when volunteers turned out in force to get the clubhouse and grounds fettled for the new season, the exercise is being repeated on Saturday 7th July. Royal Bank of Scotland is once again sponsoring the event by giving grants for consumables – paint, cleaning materials etc. If necessary, the work will continue on the Sunday.
All hands on deck - we are a club of volunteers, which is possibly our greatest strength. So let’s keep it up!
