Waterhead seconds will see out season

ON THE RUN: Waterhead’s Michael Bennett (with ball) charges on in his side’s 44-24 home defeat to Heworth in National Conference League division two.

WATERHEAD’S ‘A’ team, who won the local bragging rights thanks to a 34-8 midweek away win at Higginshaw, will play out all their fixtures this season.

Already relegated to division five, the Peach Road club took the decision earlier this month to fold their second team to save on costs — a move which led to the departure of coach Darren Taylor.

However, with a new chairman Pete Beswick on board, the Waterhead committee has since gone back on that decision and the team will now finish the campaign as normal.

A spokesman for the North-West Counties League confirmed he had not heard anything to the contrary.

“The results have kept coming in and as far as we are concerned it is business as usual,” said league secretary Ron Girvin.

With the club’s under-18s having gone by the wayside earlier this season, pulling out of the Gillette National Youth League, the loss of the ‘A’ team could have put Waterhead’s National Conference League status at risk.

In among the minimum criteria for membership of the flagship league is the need for clubs to "operate with a minimum of two open age teams essentially linked to a youth and junior section".

As for the midweek game, with a side containing several former Higginshaw players, Waterhead ‘A’ claimed an emphatic and deserved victory.

Down the slope and up against a Higgy side attempting to play an aggressive game, the visitors took the game to their opponents and raced into a 28-2 lead at the break.

The spoils were more evenly shared in the second half, but ultimately Waterhead ‘A’ were able to savour only a second victory of the season.

A Ryan O’Donnell penalty in the first half and David Smith’s try after the break, created and converted by O’Donnell, provided the points for Higginshaw.

Waterhead scored points through tries from ex-Higginshaw man Dane Armstrong, man-of-the-match James Campbell, Lee Buckley, Danny Mortin and Craig Dobbs, Campbell landing five conversions.

Higginshaw’s best player on the night was Michael Cadd, with Sean Stubbs and Scott Hewson close behind.




HIGGINSHAW are set to unveil an exciting set of plans for the club’s future at a public meeting at Shaw Road Conservative Club tonight (7.30pm for an 8pm start).






Non-stop Rangers



THE SEASON may be nearly over at most amateur clubs — but not Saddleworth Rangers.



The rugby season goes on and on at Shaw Hall Bank Road, with the club having chosen to take part in the National Conference League's new summer competition.

Featuring a total of 16 clubs, split into four groups, Rangers will play home-and-away matches against Rochdale Mayfield, Ovenden and Bradford Dudley Hill in the Summer Division Pennine section.

After the group games have been played, the competition then enters a knockout phase to find a winner.

The other clubs who have accepted the invitation to take part are East Hull, West Hull, Normanton (Summer Division East), Thornhill, Milford, Oulton, Eastmoor (West Yorkshire) and Eccles and Salford Juniors, Leigh East, Thatto Heath, Widnes St Marie's (North-West).

Saddleworth's Summer Division Pennine fixtures (all Saturday, 2.30pm kick offs): Rochdale Mayfield (Home, June 6); Bradford Dudley Hill (H, June 13); Rochdale Mayfield (Away, June 20); Bradford Dudley Hill (A, June 27); Ovenden (H, July 4); Ovenden (A, July 11).




THREE players from Saddleworth Rangers' under-16s division two championship side — Jack Francis, Joe Greenwood and Sam Wilson — are to play for the St Helens foundation academy side.



The trio will hope to impress in the series of games which kick-off with a fixture at Hull KR this Saturday.




THE BARLA Under-23s tour of Lebanon has been called off due to a lack of safety assurances.



Officials are currently trying to tie down an alternative.




Yorkshire claim County crown



YORKSHIRE have secured the BARLA County Championship title after defeating Cumbria 34-30 at Heworth.



Lancashire's proposal to play their outstanding away game at Cumbria this coming Sunday was turned down, effectively turning it into a two-team event.

The original date for the Cumbria-Lancashire clash had been deemed unsuitable due to midweek National Conference League games and a Great Britain Community Lions fixture scheduled for the previous day.

Now, with Cumbrian teams involved in important games this weekend, the fixture has been shelved permanently.

From next season, the County Championship will be brought forward to avoid such difficulties.

The three games will be played out on three Sundays — September 27, October 25 and November 22 — with details on teams and venues to be arranged at a later date.




Nines back on agenda



THE OLDHAM Amateur League is to resurrect the Albert Edwards memorial nine-a-side event.



The competition will take place on Sunday, July 25, at an as-yet unspecified venue, representing the first time it has been held since 2004.




SADDLEWORTH Rangers are to hold a past players’ reunion day on the occasion of the team’s final home game of the season against Millom on Saturday, May 2 (2.30pm kick-off).



Chairman Terry Flanagan is hoping for a bumper turn-out, with “big announcements” set to be made.




NIGEL Hollingsworth has confirmed that he will not stand for re-election as BARLA secretary.