Northern premier League 2023/2024 Season
Saturday 21st Oct 2023
Harrogate Men's 1st XV
V
Pontefract RUFC 1st XV
KO 3pm
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Welcome to Harrogate Rugby Club...
Dear Friends, Supporters, and Rugby Fans,
Welcome to a wet Rudding Lane for today’s Regional 1 North East league game against Pontefract.
One of the advantages of moving to a digital program this year is we are able to hold the production of it until the day of the match. This was particularly useful today when we were faced with an early morning call as to whether the game was going to be on.
The fact you are reading this tells you the outcome but had cancellation been the outcome the cost to the club would have been significant in a month when we only have 1 Saturday home game to benefit from.
I am very pleased to welcome Pontefract RUFC today, reading Brian’s (our club historian) notes we haven’t played them since 1996 where it looks like we managed to squeeze past them with only a 4-point win in the Yorkshire Cup, let’s hope we can do the same today!
Enjoy the match, and may the best team win!
Yours in Rugby,
Mark Garrett
Chairman, Harrogate RUFC
Harrogate RUFC v Pontefract RUFC History
A Brief History of Pontefract RUFC
Rugby Union has been played in Pontefract since the late 19th century. A photograph in their clubhouse shows their Yorkshire Cup team for the 1890 – 91 tournament.
The Pontefract club was originally known as Old Pomfretians and was re-formed after the Second World War when they moved to Moor Lane. The present clubhouse was formally opened by Doug Harrison, President of the RFU, in 1967. At the same time, the club’s name was changed to Pontefract RUFC. Floodlights and a stand were added in the 1980s and in 2000 new changing rooms were built.
Pontefract have won the Yorkshire Shield twice, in 1951 and 1984. At the end of the 2007 season, they were promoted from Yorkshire One into North Two East (Level 6). This later became North One East.
This season, 2023/2024, they have won games against:
Cleckheaton 51-29
Heath 28-9
And lost against:
Blaydon 24-29
Doncaster Phoenix 10-14
Driffield 8-28
Ilkley 17-34.
Previous results for games between Harrogate and Pontefract
23/2/1926 Pontefract 23 – 0 Harrogate (Yorkshire Cup 2nd Rd.)
3/9/1985 Harrogate 16 – 4 Pontefract
21/4/1990 Harrogate won v Pontefract (Pilkington Cup play off)
3/2/1996 Harrogate 22 – 18 Pontefract (Yorks. Cup)
Team News...
Harrogate RUFC
15 – Rory Macnab
14 – Jack Haydock
13 – Conor Miller
12 – Richie Kaisia
11 – Dylan Evans
10 – Tom Steene
9 – Pete Olley
1 – Jacob Percival
2 – Dylan Gray
3 – Josh Peace
4 – Will Pritchard
5 – Sam Brady (Capt)
6 – Tomas Phipps
7 – Martin Dodds
8 – Will Hill
Replacements:
16 – Ben Richardson
17 – Lawrence Richmond
18 – Sam Fox
Pontefract RUFC
15 – C. Tucker
14 – J. Millhouse
13 – C. Harris
12 – T. Spears
11 – L. Ketteridge
10 – L. Kay (Capt)
9 – H. Wollaston
1 – J. Stuart
2 – T. Pickersgill
3 – J. Hough
4 – S. Matthews
5 – C. Rogers
6 – T. Nyanjowa
7 – L. Harrison
8 – S. Millard
Replacements:
E. Potts
J. Beddis
A. Fenton
Today’s Referee:
Kristian Garland – YRS
Regional 1 North East Table
Today's League Games
Season 2023/24
2nd September (3 pm KO) – Driffield – Away – W (10 – 20)
9th September (3 pm KO) – Heath – Home – D (16 – 16)
16th September (3 pm KO) – Ilkley – Away – W (17 – 27)
23rd September (3 pm KO) – Alnwick – Away – (6 – 44)
30th September (3 pm KO) – Sandal – Home – (27 – 25)
14th October (2 pm KO) – Scunthorpe – Away – (7 – 37)
21st October (2 pm KO) – Pontefract – Home
4th November (2 pm KO) – York – Away
11th November (2 pm KO) – Blaydon – Home
18th November (2 pm KO) – Cleckheaton – Away
2nd Dec (2 pm KO) – Doncaster Phoenix – Home
9th December (2 pm KO) – Heath – Away
16th December – (2 pm KO) – Ilkley – Home
6th January (2 pm KO) – Alnwick – Home
13th January (2 pm KO) – Sandal – Home
27th January (2 pm KO) – Scunthorpe – Away
3rd February (2 pm KO) – Pontefract – Away
17th February (2 pm KO) – York – Home
2nd March (2 pm KO) – Blaydon – Away
16th March (2 pm KO) – Cleckheaton – Home
23rd March (2 pm KO) – Doncaster Pheonix – Away
6th April (3 pm KO) – Driffield – Away
