Welcome to the 1st XV Section

Next Games 15th December
away to Pontefract Yorkshire 1 KO 2:15pm

Rishworthians, confident after a victory over local rivals Old Brodleians, travel to promotion contenders Pontefract, but once again the injury hoodoo has struck. The list of players out with long term injuries received another two names after last week’s game. Prop Wes Aldridge is missing with a shoulder injury, while Luke Flanagan, who has had an excellent season in the backs, is out with a broken bone in his back from an incident which brought a yellow card for a Brods player. He will be out for at least two months.

Even without the injuries it is a tough game for us on Pontefract’s wide pitch and they will be buoyant after an excellent first half of the season. They beat us 20 – 12 at Copley at the beginning of September.

“We’re in confident mood though after an excellent win over Brods. Hopefully we’ve turned the corner and the belief is back,” said team manager Dan Ingham. Particularly impressive in that victory were our young back row of Toby Muscat-Baron, Ethan Pollard and Harvey Keighley-Payne. “With an average age of 19, they were awesome,” said Ingham.

Player awards evening 2017-18

“We’re a club that’s on the up” was the message from officials when Old Rishworthians held their annual awards presentation evening. Player-coach Chris Stone praised all the players from the club for their achievements last season, when two teams won through to county finals. The first team had a “brilliant” season. After gaining promotion the previous season, the aim had been to ensure survival in Yorkshire One. “We went beyond all our initial expectations to finish sixth. We lost four games by three points or less and if we had managed to win those, who knows where we might have finished,” said Stone.

They also won through to the Yorkshire Shield final, where their side, depleted through injury and unavailability, went down 41 – 27 to already promoted Scarborough. It is anticipated the club will now be Yorkshire’s Level Seven representatives next season in the national Intermediate Cup. This has to be ratified by the Yorkshire Competitions Committee at a meeting on June 5. The club’s Colts side also reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup, eventually losing 21 – 14 to Sheffield. The Development team also had an excellent season especially after being rocked by the tragic death from meningitis at 19 of one its exciting young players Lewis Hilton.

Looking forward to next season, Stone said: “We now have to build on this season’s achievements and look forward to further success next.” He was particularly pleased with the performances of a number of young players who had emerged into the first team and said he hoped to see many more coming through from the club’s outstanding junior sides. Of the 49 players who made appearances for the first team last season, 32 had come through the junior ranks. He also praised the support players have received off the field from the supporters and the volunteers. “They are the heartbeat of this fantastic club,” he said.

The Geoff Eastwood Trophy for player of the year went to prop Harry Whitfield, who also picked up the players’ player trophy. Teenage fullback Sam Bake picked up the trophy for the most improved player, while the best newcomer award went to No 8 Jack Andrews, and the coaches’ award went to lock Callum Heseltine and was received in his absence by his brother Doug. First team ties were presented by captain Fraser Swarbrooke to Harry Whitfield, Ben Waud, Harry Robinson, Doug Heseltine, Jack Andrews and Harvey Keighley-Payne. Chris Stone received the Dave O’Boyle Memorial Trophy as clubman of the year.

Finally team manager Dan Ingham thanked head coach Chris Stone for all his work.