Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 23rd March 2025

Kick Off 15.00

Goole Vikings 6 North Wales Crusaders 28, attendance 447

@ Goole R.U.F.C.

Westfield Banks

Westfield Lane

Goole

DN14 5PW

£15 Admission

No Programme.

Goole Vikings are new into the league this season, as part of the R.F.L.’s expansion plan in an effort to spread the game. It’s hardly groundbreaking though, with Goole being situated along the established M62 corridor, right between a handful of well established professional clubs, with Doncaster and Castleford to the south west/west and Hull and Hull Kingston Rovers to the east. They’ve gained entry with the intention of staging their home games at Victoria Pleasure Ground, home of Goole A.F.C., but with that undergoing redevelopment, they will be unable to play at ‘home’ for the next four months, with this game switched here to Goole R.U.F.C. to enable those works to get underway as soon as possible.

The ‘welcome’ at the entrance was far from friendly and not a great first impression of the club. You are met with the compulsory £5 car park charge and threatened with having your car removed if you choose to park in the lane leading to the ground, despite there being no restriction signs or yellow lines. The ground itself is poor for this level. It is fully railed and has floodlights, but no has cover whatsoever. Thankfully, it remained dry, although there was a cool wind for the entirety. Unless you were a ‘hanger on’ there was no access to the clubhouse building, but there were a number of mobile catering vendors doing a range of hot food/drinks and the only toilets available were a few portaloos.

Vikings had lost their opening two league matches, both by narrow margins, whilst North Wales Crusaders had won the only one they’ve played so far. However, the two sides have already met this season, when Goole came out as 26-18 victors in the 1895 Cup in February, which was played at Goole A.F.C. I normally watch matches as a neutral, but having experienced the frosty welcome today, I was very much hoping for a NWC win. It only took the visitors four minutes to get their first try, which was converted and followed it up midway through the half with their second, but they missed the conversion. Just before halftime Vikings got their only try of the match, which they converted, to go in only trailing 6-8 at the break and set things up perfectly for the second half. However, NWC added another two tries in the opening twelve minutes of the second half and Vikings never looked like turning it round. Two late tries saw NWC extend their lead to 6-28 and in doing so maintain their 100% winning start to the season, whilst Vikings are one of the three clubs still looking to get their first points on the board. The official attendance was announced over the tannoy as 447, which was almost 100 more than my headcount. There were obviously a lot more ‘hangers on’ hiding in the clubhouse than I thought!

With the full weekend closure of the M25 between J10 and J11 in place, SatNav took me via the Dartford Crossing, M11, A1 route, with no traffic problems whatsoever in either direction. I hope everything goes as smoothly when I return to see a game at their redeveloped ground later in the season.

Rugby League

Challenge Cup 1st Round

Sunday 19th January 2025

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.32

Great Britain Police 4 York Acorn 52, attendance 146

@ Portico Vine A.R.L.F.C

Scholes Lane

Eccleston

St. Helens

WA10 3PD

No Admission or Programme.

Having done games in the North East on the last two days, I decided on an overnight stop on the way home (70 mile diversion along the M62) to take in this rearranged Challenge Cup match, that had been postponed last Sunday due to a frozen pitch. GBP had been confident on their social media that the game would go ahead at the second time of asking and so it turned out. It was only a few degrees above freezing, but the pitch was fully in the sun and no problem at all. The ground here at Portico Vine is just an open pitch, taped off on three sides, with a decent clubhouse, serving hot and cold drinks, next to the car park as you enter off Scholes Lane. As with last week at Eastern Rhinos, no admission charge was made, nor any sign of a match day programme having been produced.

As expected, it was a comfortable win for York Acorn, who play in the National Conference League Premier Division. It only took them three minutes to get their first try and by halftime they led 0-18, which would have been a bigger margin had they managed to do better than converting just one from four with their kicking. Another try for Acorn early in the second half killed off any hope of a comeback and it was 0-34 by the time GBP scored their only try of the game after fifty six minutes, which they were unable to convert. Normal service was resumed though and Acorn added another four tries to round off a resounding 4-52 win, where both sides had finished with 12 men, following a double sin bin after an outbreak of fighting with ten minutes left.

Rugby League

Challenge Cup 1st Round

Sunday 12th January 2025

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.41

Eastern Rhinos 4 Wests Warriors 66, attendance 170

@ Colchester Sports Park, Artificial Pitch 2

Cuckoo Farm Way

Colchester

CO4 5YZ

No Admission or Programme.

This was a clash between two teams who play in the Southern Conference League, which is Tier 4 of the rugby league pyramid. Rather than switch the game to a borrowed venue, Eastern Rhinos chose to host at their normal home of Colchester Sports Park, across the other side of the A12 from the ground of Colchester United F.C. exiting the dual carriageway at the same roundabout. It is just a 3G cage, but unusually, the only pitch markings were rugby league specific. Although there is no designated spectator area inside the cage, they were able to rope off one side of the pitch, enabling pitch side viewing, or, as quite a few did, watch over the fence, from a couple of concrete steps down towards one corner. Considering it was a national cup game, it was surprising that no admission charge was made, nor match day programme issued, so despite a decent crowd, no money was made from it. Hot food and drinks were available from the adjacent building, which I assume is run by the sports park.

The match itself was a total thrashing. It only took Wests three minutes to get the opening try and they totally overran the hosts from that point. By halftime it was 0-34, with the visitors having added another five tries by then. A minute into the second half Wests added another try and they reached the half century of points just after the hour mark. As with the first half, Wests ran in six tries in the second half too. At least Rhinos managed to finally get a score on the board, going over in the corner right at the death, but were unable to convert, not that it really mattered by then.

Wests will now host the winners of the Army versus R.A.F. match in Round 2.

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 23rd June 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Newcastle Thunder 4 North Wales Crusaders 42, attendance 220

@ Blaydon R.U.F.C.

Crow Trees Ground

Hexham Road

Swalwell

NE16 3BN

£15 Admission

No Programme.

Due to their normal venue at Gateshead International Stadium being unavailable, this was switched to the ground of Blaydon R.U.F.C. The main pitch has a 3G surface and is fully railed as well as being floodlit. It is a good 200 yards from the clubhouse/changing rooms, across the car park, with a decent stand on the far side that had seven rows of bench seating, flanked by grass banking and a partially raised area in one corner, adjacent to a tea bar.

Newcastle came into this sitting rock bottom in the league table (9th place) having lost all eleven games so far, whilst North Wales Crusaders were sixth and still in with a chance of making the play offs, despite only having won four of their ten games played. As expected, it was a high scoring away win, but Newcastle fought hard right to the end and it must only be a matter of time until they claim that must sought after first win. It was 0-20 at halftime, courtesy of four tries, two of which were converted, whilst the other two attempts both hit the post and bounced wide. Another twenty two unanswered points saw the lead increase to 0-42, before Newcastle rounded off the scoring with a try in the dying seconds.

I’d stayed overnight in County Durham after yesterday’s game at Siddal, so only had an hours drive north for this. It was quite pleasing that the journey home took under six hours, which was better than I’d been expecting, what with the heavy traffic usually encountered on a Sunday evening heading towards the M25.

Rugby League

National Conference League

Premier Division

Saturday 15th June 2024

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.33

West Hull 42 Egremont Rangers 20, attendance 80

@ Johnny Whiteley Park

North Road

Gipsyville

Kingston upon Hull

HU4 6JP

£3 Admission

No Programme.

The five mile drive south east from my morning game took around thirteen minutes. On arrival, you enter the car park from North Road, with the social club right in front of you. Entry to the ground was through a gate, leading to a second car park area, where you paid your admission. There are three parallel pitches, running lengthways away from the entrance, with the main pitch being the nearest, with a floodlit training pitch next to it, with another pitch beyond. There is a small covered area, which also houses a tea bar, behind the near goal end, with the pitch railed on three sides (open at the far end) and a dugout on each side. Along the left touchline there are a couple of sections of open seating, which were of little use today with it raining for almost the entire match.

The game saw 2nd in the league table hosting 7th (out of 12) and although West Hull won comfortably in the end, it was very well contested throughout. The host opened the scoring, with the added conversion making it 6-0, but Egremont hit back with a try of their own to make it 6-4. Three tries in quick succession saw West Hull increase their lead to 24-4. Egremont reduced the lead to 24-10, but a try right on halftime saw West Hull lead 30-10 at halftime and five minutes into the second half they stretched their lead to 36-10, before another converted try made it 42-10 and it was game over. Egremont did score the last two tries of the afternoon, converting one, bringing the score back to 42-20, but it was too little, too late.

The journey home was much better than when heading north yesterday and took under four hours door to door, with no problems, taking me home via the Humber Bridge, A1, M11 and M25.

Rugby League

Yorkshire League

Hull Division

Saturday 15th June 2024

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.02

Cottingham Tigers 6 East Hull 84, attendance 50

@ The Roy Waudby Sports Arena

Hilltop Sports & Social Club

Willerby Court

Willerby

HU10 6EF

No Admission or Programme.

I only spotted this game just before midnight last night and as it was a drive of around ten minutes from my intended afternoon game and hardly diverting off route, then it made sense to take the game in.

The Hull Division of this league consists of just six clubs, with this being 5th versus 2nd in the league table. Cottingham Tigers have won one (deducted the points since) and lost the other two they’ve played so far, whilst East Hull have a 100% winning record from their three games. The visitors were in the National Conference League as recently as 2014, having withdrawn due to a lack of funding and shortage of players and were far too strong for Cottingham. It was a real case of ‘men against boys’ and not the sort of game you want to see, especially as a neutral.

The first try for the visitors came after just two minutes and by halftime they’d run in another six to lead 0-40. The second half was more of the same, but it was good to see Cottingham get a try of their own, which was then converted, to pull it back to 6-52 twelve minutes after the break, but it was little more than a consolation. Although they kept going right to the end, they were totally overwhelmed and when East Hull scored their final try, which was again converted, to make it 6-84, the Referee blew the final whistle, two or three minutes early, not that it made much difference to the outcome.

Home to Cottingham Tigers is the Roy Waudby Sports Arena, which hosts rugby, football and cricket. The rugby pitch is in the far left hand corner when looking from the entrance, with the pitch running lengthways. It is railed on each side, with the far goal end tight to the hedge and has a dugout opposite each other at the halfway line.

Rugby League

National Conference League

Premier Division

Friday 14th June 2024

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.34

York Acorn 24 West Bowling 18, attendance 186

@ ARL Sports & Social Club

Thanet Road

Foxwood

York

YO24 2NW

£3 Admission

No Programme.

When I left home at 11 o’clock this morning, I wasn’t expecting it to be seven hours later when I arrived in York, following yet another horrendous journey north, via M25, M11 and A1, which was going okay until just south of Newark, where it was total gridlock due to the police having closed the A1 in both directions, following an ‘incident’, causing absolute chaos. Still plenty of time to check in at my overnight hotel, before heading back out to the south west of the city, where 5th were hosting 11th (out of 12) in the league table.

I expected a home win, but thought it may have been by a far higher margin, based on the league positions coming into this. It only took Acorn three minutes to score their first try and by halftime they’d increased their lead to 18-0, which could have been more had they not missed two of the conversions. Thankfully, West Bowling got the first try of the second half, which was what the game needed, at least from a neutral point of view. Acorn scored a penalty to increase their lead to 20-6, with West Bowling quickly back in it when they made it 20-12 within minutes, but late on Acorn added another try to make it 24-12 and the game looked safe. A minute from time West Bowling converted another try to pull it back to 24-18 and set up an exciting finish, but they only managed a couple of sets into their final attack before the final whistle went.

Home to York Acorn is the ARL Sports & Social Club.There are three pitches here, with the main one being to the left when looking from the clubhouse/car park. It is railed off and has a dugout on opposite sides of the pitch to each other, with raised grass banking running along one side.

Rugby League

Challenge Cup Final

Saturday 8th June 2024

Kick Off 15.07

Warrington Wolves 8 Wigan Warriors 18, attendance 64,845

@ Wembley Stadium

Wembley

London

HA9 0WS

£30 Admission, plus £1 Booking Fee

£10 Programme, didn’t bother buying.

I’d never been to a Rugby League Challenge Cup Final before, as it is normally held on a Saturday during the football season, but today was the perfect opportunity to put that right. It was also the chance to make a first visit to the ‘new’ Wembley Stadium. I’d last been here in 1992, but that stadium was demolished in the early 2000’s and replaced by a brand new 90,000 all seated stadium, which opened in 2007. Tickets were purchased online the day before the match, via the Rugby Football League and were available for collection at the stadium. We’d opted for top tier seats, where the view was distant (that’s an understatement!), but the sight lines were excellent. Unfortunately, the ground is just too big. Well, for rugby league, that is, despite this being two of the bigger names of the sport contesting the final. Probably okay if it’s full, but with the entire tier opposite us closed and a rather pathetic crowd of under 65,000 present, there was very little atmosphere. Infact, underwhelming/disappointing would describe it perfectly.

The ticket covered all three finals taking place today. I had absolutely zero interest in arriving early enough to watch the Women’s Challenge Cup Final, which kicked off at 11.45, but would certainly have watched the 1895 Cup Final between Sheffield Eagles and Wakefield Trinity, had it been scheduled as a curtain raiser to the main event, rather than scheduled for the 17.45 start that it did have. The Challenge Cup Final was moved from the original kick off time of 15.00 to 15.07, in order to honour the passing of legendary former Leeds Rhinos and Great Britain player Rob Burrow (played in the No.7 shirt) who died this week from motor neurone disease, at the age of just 41.

Rather than drive, the train took the strain today, as far as Victoria, with the journey completed via London Underground to Wembley Park. It is then a short walk up ‘Wembley Way’ (now appears to be Olympic Way) to the stadium. Certainly not as iconic as seeing the old ‘twin towers’ and due to the vast amount of buildings around here nowadays, the stadium doesn’t look that impressive as you approach. Tickets were easily collected and there are plenty of restaurants in the area to mean avoiding buying anything inside the stadium. As you’d expect, once inside, the food/drink prices were extortionate. Never seems to stop vast numbers being happy to be ripped off though.

As for the game itself, Warrington will have been disappointed, to say the least. They just never got going, despite taking the lead with an early penalty from Josh Thewlis to lead 2-0, after both sides had a man sin binned in the opening minutes, Mike Cooper for Wigan, followed shortly afterwards by Matt Dufty for Warrington, both for high challenges. A grubber kick, from man of the match Bevan French, saw Zach Eckersley touch down for Wigan, before Harry Smith converted to make it 2-6. French then scored a try himself, getting the ball down despite facing backwards as he crossed the line and it was again converted by Smith, to see them increase the lead to 2-12, which remained the score at halftime.

Midway through the second half Wigan increased their lead to 2-18, when Liam Farrel broke down the left to score, which was again converted by Smith. Warrington briefly hit back when Dufty cut inside to score, converted by Thewlis, to pull it back to 8-18, but they never looked like adding any more points and Wigan comfortably hung on for what was an easy win, adding the Challenge Cup (record 21st time) to the World Club Challenge, Super League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final wins in 2023, meaning they are only the third team to hold all four trophies at the same time, following Bradford Bulls in 2003 and St. Helens in 2007.

I was quite surprised that we were back on a train within minutes of the final whistle and all connections homeward went smoothly. Won’t be becoming a regular on the trains though….

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 2nd June 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Midlands Hurricanes 18 Keighley Cougars 25, attendance 463 (official) 249 (actual)

@ Alexander Stadium

Walsall Road

Perry Barr

Birmingham

B42 2LR

£15 Admission

Programme free, 28 pages, didn’t bother.

Having stayed overnight in North Wales, following the North Wales Crusaders game yesterday, it made sense to do this game on the way home, especially with it being at the slightly earlier time of 2 o’clock. I came to watch Midlands Hurricanes last March, but they just played on a pitch inside the warm up track at the back of the complex, but this season they have actually moved to hosting games inside the main stadium itself. I’d actually already seen football played here, having seen West Midlands U19 beat Staffordshire U19 5-2 in an English Schools F.A. Inter County Cup match back in November 1996, but this was my first visit to see rugby league. It was opened in 1976 and has an all seated capacity of around 18,000, although only the one side was open to spectators today. It was used as a host venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is the home stadium to athletics club Birchfield Harriers. Unfortunately, due to it hosting athletics, it means views to the pitch are distant, due to the running track and made worse by having to view across the long jump/triple jump pits as well, which means sitting even further back from the action.

As for the game, it was 5th versus 2nd, with Keighley looking for the win that would return them to the top of the table, having been dislodged following Oldham’s win at North Wales Crusaders yesterday evening. Hurricanes led 6-0, but were then down to 12 men, following a sin bin, which gave Keighley the opportunity to hit back to level at 6-6 and despite Hurricanes then being back to full strength, Keighley immediately hit them with another try, which was converted, before adding a drop goal in the dying seconds to go in 6-13 ahead at the break. An early second half try, again converted, brought it back to 12-13, but Keighley edged clear by adding two more converted tries to lead 12-25 and although Hurricanes managed a try of their own with ten minutes left, which once converted pulled it back to 18-25, they had left themselves too much to do and the visitors deservedly held on to take the points.

As with yesterday’s game, the crowd announced was ridiculously inflated. I’d done a count, which is easy when everyone is on one side and the actual number present was 214 fewer than claimed.

Rugby League

League 1

Saturday 1st June 2024

Kick Off 17.00 On Time!

North Wales Crusaders 24 Oldham 25, attendance 756 (official) 588 (actual)

@ Eirias Stadium (Stadiwm CSM)

Abergele Road

Colwyn Bay

LL29 7SP

£15 Admission

No Programme.

Since first watching a North Wales Crusaders home game at Wrexham F.C. (The Racecourse Ground) back on 28th June 2015, I’ve seen them play home matches at Queensway Stadium, Wrexham (June 2017), as well as ‘one off’ temporary venues of Nant Conwy RUFC (June 2023) and a week later at Chester RUFC. Today I finally got round to visiting their current home ground, Eirias Stadium, where they’ve been based since 2021. Capacity here is 6,080, although only one side of the ground is open to spectators for Crusaders games, with covered seating in the centre, flanked by open terracing. Unfortunately, there is a running track around the pitch, so the action is distant, which is made worse by the stanchions of the stand roof, as well as the floodlight pylons, blocking the view and it is an awful place to watch a game at. There is a decent car park here, which was surprisingly free and once inside there was hot food available (burgers, hot dogs) and beer and soft drinks, but surprisingly no hot drinks.

The match was 7th versus 2nd in the league table, which looked like being an upset right up until the final seconds of the match. Crusaders were 12-0 up after seventeen minutes, before Oldham managed to pull it back to 12-4 half an hour in and then 12-8 just before halftime, having missed both conversions that would have seen them draw level. A minute into the second half Crusaders added a third try and converted it to increase their lead to 18-8. Oldham then had a man sin binned, during which time Crusaders scored another try, again converted, to lead 24-8 and looked to be heading to victory. However, this was to be their last score of the match and once Oldham were back to their full number, the tide began to turn. With fourteen minutes left they scored a converted try to pull it back to 24-14 and then added another, again converted, to make it 24-20. In the dying minutes they levelled the scores at 24-24, but missed the conversion to go in front, but then, with the last kick of the game, they won it 24-25 with a drop goal from Danny Craven, which was certainly well received by the 200 plus away fans and the win takes them top of the table, for 24 hours at least, with this mornings leaders Keighley Cougars not playing until tomorrow.

The crowd here today was decent, but to see the official attendance given as 756 is laughable.