Welcome back to you all, we hope you have a nice summer break, but it is back to action as North 1 East actions returns with the a full day of action at Kelleythorpe. Action kicks off at 12.30 with 2 games for you:
Driffield Ladies host Scunthorpe Ladies. Driff ladies looking to start their new season how they ended last season, with a run of 6 wins. The ladies team has gone from strength to strength in their 1st year. This season sees them join a league for the 1st time, with home and away fixtures against, Scarborough, West Leeds, Morpeth, York to name a few. Good luck to ladies for the whole season.
At the same time the O2 Touch gang will be having open training season and match. If you don’t know, O2 Touch is rugby for all ages and gender. It is non-contact and great fun. If you fancy having a go just come down and make yourself known. In the past 2 years, the whole ladies team started playing rugby after trying O2 touch, and a number of chaps have played senior rugby in the same way, its is a great introduction to the sport and great for your fitness.
The main event is Driffield 1st XV v York 1st XV KO3pm.
We have only played York for league points 6 times (records from 98/99 onwards). Driffield have won every meeting in that time. Back in 98/99 we met whilst in north 2 east, Driffield winning 45-14 at Kelleythorpe & 26-20 at York. Driffield won the league and gained promotion to North 1. The next time we met would be 2011/12 season in Yorkshire 1, Driffield winning 32 – 20 at Kelleythorpe & 20 – 15 at York, Driffield finished 3, York two places behind in 5th. The last time we met was the following season 2012/13, again Driffield winning both games, 38 – 17 & 57 – 30. Driffield went on to win the league, with it promotion to North 2 East, York finished 4th. York remained in Yorkshire 1 until this season.
York had a fantastic season last year, winning Yorkshire 1 easily, having broken a record for best start to a league season with 15 wins on the bounce, they also had a good run towards Twickenham in the National Cup, but that ended at the semi final with defeat to Droitwich.
Ex Driffield player Josh Parker, will be running out for York at no 7, warm welcome home to Josh.
Driffield will be eager to get back into League action. Kyle Dench will be looking forward to his 1st game as head coach, and with a mostly unchanged squad from last season, hopes are high for another successful season.
Training has been great, with good numbers and tough sessions. The warm up games have done the job we wanted, we thank Lymm, Goole & Middlesborough for those games.
League News: North 1 East, is again going to be a tough league. Pocklington & Morley join from the league above, York, Scarborough & Consett from below. We will have 5 local(ish) derbys (Pock, Brid, Malton, York & Scarborough), add 4 more Yorkshire games (Cleck, Morley, West Leeds & B&B) makes 9 games within 90 minutes’ drive. The other 3 are up North (Morpeth, Consett & Percy Park). It is too early to start calling the league : right now all the above will be thinking they can finish in top spot.
Team Line up:
Driffield V York, 01/09/2018 3PM ko
1 – Blenkinsop, 2 – Brumfield, 3 – Waterhouse
4 – Warcup, 5 – Borman
6 – G Mewburn, 7 – Turner, 8 – R Mewburn (c)
9 – Watts, 10 – Furbank
12 – Brankley, 13 – Stephenson
11 – Ro Murray, 14 – Lawrence, 15 – Piercy
16 – Zavati, 17 – Beachell, 18 – Ry Murray.
2nd team also start their season against York, this time we visit them looking to over turn last season end of season defeat.
Good Luck to all taking part, and here’s to a great season.