Stocksbridge RUFC

With a break in the league fixtures, Globe Holidays sponsored Stocksbridge Rugby hosted South Yorkshire Fire Service in a charity match to remember former skipper Craig Hollingsworth, & in aid of the Brain Tumour Charity.

It took a late pitch inspection of the sodden Coal Pit Lane Arena for the match to go ahead, & the weather didn't improve much throughout the afternoon. The Stocksbridge Invitational XV featured a string of past players & familiar faces such as, Luke Birch, John Dudley, Cy Kippax, Ryan Smith & Joe Smith along with former supremo Rhys Keenan & veteran warhorse 'choppers' Lambert. 

The game was played in excellent spirits, in difficult conditions & whilst the result was secondary to the occasion, both teams deserve credit for their efforts in serving up an entertaining feast of rugby union. For the record, the visitors scored first, after a foot race following a kick & chase. The successful conversion made it Stocksbridge Rugby nil - South Yorkshire Fire Service 7pts at the break. The Fire Service added a further unconverted score during the 2^nd stanza, whilst Stocksbridge had the last word with that man Adam Frith, sponsored by E&J Landscaping, swooping in for a try, to leave the final score : Stocksbridge Rugby 5pts - South Yorkshire Fire Service 14pts. 

Sponsored by Muscle Empire, Player/Coach Aaron Kaye showed his class & power to take the Victoria Motors Man of the Match award, then it was down to the Manchester Road Clubhouse for the live 6 Nations game & the charity raffle, which eventually raised nearly a thousand pounds for the nominated funds. Club Chairman, Mr Phillip Watts enthused,  'it was not so much about the rugby today, but about the coming together of our great club in the memory of one of our greatest ever servants', before adding. ' I would like to thank all the organisers, all the contributors & all the people involved that made today a successful day'. 

Stocksbridge return to league action next weekend with a visit to the East Coast to face Withernsea RUFC in Round 15 of the Counties 4 Yorkshire South competition, hoping for a win to keep them in promotion play-off contention. The next fixture at the Coal Pit Lane Arena is the potential 2^nd place play-off when rivals Sheffield Medics RUFC are in town on Saturday 28^th February, kick off is 2.15pm & all are welcome. 

Written by Andrew Tyers