at Doncaster Knights, and props include Jake Hicklin and Ben Whitney, and Archie Crapper, brother Felix and Matt Adcock in the backrow. Amongst the Sheffield three quarters, wing Christian Hooper has had another very productive campaign with 14 tries to date. Powerful centre Will Smith is also a dangerous attacker.
FYLDE 1st XV ATTENDANCES 2022-23
Chester Harrogate Blaydon Wharfedale Tynedale
540 462 517 583 452 480 583 628 547 786 638 912
Huddersfield Sheffield Tigers
Hull Ionians Rotherham Preston G
INTO THE ARCHIVE
The heyday of games between the two clubs was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when both were in the Northern Merit Table and its successor Courage League Three. These were the days when full England internationals could play their regular club rugby amongst clubs outside the elite as well as being recognised for their great talent. So star England fly-half Alan Old was a huge influence within the club as well as at a national level. The 1978/9 programme lists Old on one side and Bill Beaumont for the Lancastrians on the other. Other major influences for the Abbeydale Park club included Bill Reichwald, Brian Firth, George Kirkpatrick and Chris Sharpe to name a few. A little later Miles Pierce, David Holmes, Robin Goodliffe and Nick Crapper featured. Nick’s two sons, Archie and Felix are fixtures in the current squad. Two Fylde players moved to Sheffield in the 1980s/90s, flanker Rob Parr (who has described with great affection his long spell at Abbeydale Park in past match programmes) and team mate, scrum-half Ian Wright, sadly no longer with us.
Sedgley
1042
Sheffield RUFC
Otley
Av
628
2023-24
Sheffield Tigers
620 505 480 452 564 605 607 915 495 468
Billingham
Lymm
Tynedale
Huddersfield
Otley
Preston G Hull RUFC Wharfedale Rotherham Hull Ionians Leeds Tykes Sheffield RUFC
1220
1195 812
Av
687
2024-25
Preston G Chester Harrogate
1490 1080
549 550 432
Otley Leeds
Wharfedale Hull Ionians
1178 804 634
Sheffield Tigers
Lymm
711
Tynedale Hull RUFC Billingham
1002
736 846
Av
834
www. fylderugby .co.uk
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