With another frustrating ‘bye’ week at the weekend, Globe Holidays sponsored Stocksbridge Rugby will be aiming for a league double over West Yorkshire rivals, Leeds Modernians when they clash again this weekend, following Stocksbridge’s recent victory over the same opponents. Head Coach Andy Lawrence will be looking to select from a strong playing roster, with skipper, that man Adam Frith not yet fit enough to play a full part, the only absentee.
The 1st XV gained some benefit over the weekend with an opposed training session involving local Rugby League side Sheffield Hawks. Both teams benefitted & learned a bit about the other code, & further joint initiatives may well follow on the back of this success. Off the field, talismanic back rower Pete Newton will have an operation this week to repair a ruptured ACL ligament, & clean out some residual meniscus damage. This will certainly curtail his involvement for the rest of the season, & the Club, whilst wishing him well, are optimistic about him returning in some capacity in the future.
Stocksbridge remain 3rd in the Counties 4 Yorkshire (phase 2) South league ladder, & will look to further improve on this with winnable fixtures at Leeds Modernians at the weekend, followed by a bus trip to the East Coast to take on Hornsea RUFC on 27th Jan, before the next scheduled home fixture against Knottingley on February 3rd, with a kick off time at Coal Pit Lane stadium of 2.15pm.
Written by Amdrew Tyers
