Sat 10 Oct 2026
Another away fixture, this time to face Sheffield Club's 3rd string, & another impressive performance as Globe Holidays sponsored Stocksbridge Rugby romped to a 54pts - 10pts bonus point victory, scoring 8 tries in the process. These back-to-back wins see Stocksbridge up to 3rd place in the Counties 4 Yorkshire C section league ladder. A breezy Autumnal afternoon & a sizable following from Stocksbridge welcomed both teams. Head Coach Aaron Kaye selected Sam Porter to replace the injured Sam Whitaker in the 2nd row, with that man Adam Frith back in the scrum half berth after missing last week. Shaw, Leary & Taylor provided a pacey & exciting back 3, while a well-stocked bench including debutant Jake Booth & wrecking ball Luke Birch, would add further punch to the Stocksbridge cause when called upon.
A relatively flat start to the game saw both sides unable to gain any decent territory or possession until the bustling Sam Porter, sponsored by Multi Fabrications Ltd, powered over from close range to open the scoring, with Bowskill on hand to add the conversion. A high tackle gifted the home side a penalty & 3pts, & they took the lead when an ambitious mid field attack from Stocksbridge broke down, a Sheffield back picked up & ran 70 metres for a converted try. Normal service was resumed when skipper Andy 'clock tower' Beal, kindly sponsored by Ms Charlotte Watts, barged over after some dominant forward play, & Bowskill converted to extend the visitors lead. Half Time; Sheffield RUFC 3rd's 10pts - Stocksbridge Rugby 14pts.
Dodsworth, Martin, Heyes & wrecking ball Birch were introduced to add some life to a quiet & flat Stocksbridge, & they did just that ! From a scrum, Birch at No 8 picked up, made good ground before feeding that man Adam Frith, sponsored by JP Cooling, to snipe his way over for another try as Bowskill added the extras. The home side received the first of their 2 yellow cards as Sam Porter was on the end of a high tackle, then talismanic skipper Andy Beal was forced off the field with a nasty looking facial injury, to join the luckless Reece 'diesel' Aspin, dislocated finger, on the sidelines. Stocksbridge slipped into gear again as the 'big rig' Jack James, kindly sponsored by Sue + Neil Luke, was next on the score sheet, plunging over for the bonus point try, after a dominant scrum & a powerful ruck from the visiting pack, again Bowskill converted. Birch was wreaking havoc in the home sides overworked defence, & after a penalty for a clumsy off the ball tackle on Laurence Hayes, another barnstorming run gave George Leary, kindly sponsored by Mrs G M George, enough room to outstrip the defensive cover, this time too far out for Bowskill to improve. Sheffield received their 2nd yellow card after persistent infringing at the ruck became their only way of halting the rampaging visiting pack. Playing his first game of the new season, Jack 'milky' Martin was the next beneficiary of Stocksbridge's forward dominance, with another close-range effort, which Bowskill duly converted. Impressive centre George Leary had to leave the field with a hamstring complaint, as Sam Porter succumbed to an ankle issue, this didn't stop the flow of points as wrecking ball Luke Birch powered over, thru' some weak defence for his 3rd try in just 2 comeback games, again veteran goal ace Bowskill converted. With time running out, the enthusiastic Cole Staley-Howson charged down an attempted clearance kick, & Max Bevan, sponsored by Lyn Armitage Sports Massage, was first to react & scored Stocksbridge's 8th & final try, Bowskill again tagged on the extras for good measure. Final Score; Sheffield RUFC 3rd's 10pts - Stocksbridge Rugby 54pts. A statement victory for the rampant visitors.
The Fox Catering Man of the Match award went to hard working prop forward Gary 'pecker' Woodcock, kindly sponsored by Mr David & Mrs Jacquline Lambert.
An impressive performance from Stocksbridge, with still room for improvement as Head Coach Aaron Kaye said afterwards. 'we played some good stuff, exactly how we have trained, which is pleasing,' before adding, 'the boys are really buying in now, & if we can reduce the penalty against count, there will be more good days than bad'.
Stocksbridge have a week off next week, as the scheduled fixture away at neighbours Wortley RUFC has been cancelled due to a lack of officials, the clubs will have to agree on a new date. This leaves the next home game at the newly named Grov Park Arena on 24th October, when Wath Upon Dearne are the visitors, with a 3pm kick off.
The club will be holding their annual Harvest Festival this Saturday from 7pm in the clubhouse, where a good attendance is expected to raise some money for charity.
Written by Andrew Tyers
