From the touchline by Dave Campbell

Scarborough make only one change from the team that beat Wath 33-13 at Silver Royd for the visit of York for Saturday’s derby match. Graeme Jeffrey comes in for Matt Lucas in an otherwise unchanged line-up.

This coming weekend sees the 5^th Scarborough RUFC/Breakaway Travel Mini-Rugby Festival at Silver Royd. Starting with registration on Friday evening, the festival continues through until Sunday. Over 2,000 players and spectators are expected on both Saturday and Sunday with approximately 50 teams and 200 matches being played over the weekend. Last year 621 players from under-7 to under-12 age groups took part and £1500 was raised for the Children’s Charity of Rugby. Many rides, entertainments and food outlets will be available and each child will receive a medal and tee-shirt with winners’ trophies going to all age groups. 

LUKE RAINES SCORES SCARBOROUGH’S SECOND TRY

Scarborough earned a bonus point victory at Silver Royd yesterday running out 33-13 winners of their game with fourth placed Wath. Tries from Billy Parker, Luke Raines and Matt Lucas saw the Seasiders lead 19-8 at half-time.  A Wath try just after the break cut the Scarborough lead to 19-13 but tries in the last ten minutes from Zbynec Schutz and ‘try-magnet’ Tom Ratcliffe clinched victory for coach Jason Lowde’s charges.

Conditions are perfect at Silver Royd today for Scarborough versus Wath RUFC. 

Scarborough line-up is as follows:

DENNIS YOUNG PARKER RATCLIFFE LUCAS HARRISON ROLLINSON CUTINO WILLIAMS RAINES WATSON (CAPT) INGHAM SUTTON HOGGARD AUSTEN. SUBSTITUTES: GOODMAN READMAN SCHUTZ

kick-off 3pm.

 The Yorkshire Rugby Football Union (YRFU) have announced the cancellation of this season’s knockout competitions; The Yorkshire Cup, The Challenge Shield and the Yorkshire Silver Trophy. By repute, The Yorkshire Cup is the oldest rugby knockout competition in the world and although the rot set in when so-called senior rugby clubs in the county started to enter almost scratch sides in the competition, the cancellation of all three competitions by the YRFU competitions committee last week, smacks of arrogance in Leeds and a complete disregard for the clubs still left in the competitions. Looking at things from a Scarborough point of view; this was a competition the coaches at Silver Royd had targeted as the club has never won the Shield. Winning the shield is also the only route to participation in the RFU Intermediate Cup and a chance of playing at Twickenham which is after all, every English rugby player’s dream. Also the Seasiders were guaranteed two possible lucrative home fixtures; a quarter-final with Dinnington and if successful, a semi-final with Huddersfield or North Ribblesdale. There has been disruption of fixtures this winter but no worse than I have seen in many previous seasons. I really do hope the powers-that-be at Silver Royd make their displeasure known on behalf of the players and the many supporters who were eagerly anticipating what could well have been the highlight of the season for Scarborough. Oh yes! And I hope it’s made clear that we want to see the competition to its conclusion next season.

Following an on-off two day saga a few weeks ago it can be revealed that Colleges International Rugby is coming to Scarborough; England Colleges will take on Irish Exiles at Silver Royd on Sunday the 28^th of April with a kick off time yet to be announced. For further details keep looking on the on-line platforms of the Scarborough News, this website and  on the Scarborough RUFC website and Twitter feed.

Silver Royd saw a big crowd for Monday’s Mo Stevenson Memorial trophy game.Over 100 sat down to a pre-game lunch then over 70 players took part in an extended game which enabled every player to have a run-out.  There was also a football-netball challenge and a post match buffet, Rugby and Mo’s memorabilia was auctioned of for charity and the day ended with a great apres rugby gathering well into the evening.