A HOST of primary school tag rugby league festivals led by York City Knights' ever-growing development scheme have kicked off.

A total of 51 primary schools have entered the York Schools' Tag Festivals, with a further 32 schools going into similar events in Selby and Scarborough.

The 51 York schools involved have been split into five heats, four comprising ten schools and one comprising 11. The top two teams in each heat qualify for the main York Schools' Festival Finals Day, the winners of which represent York at tag rugby in the North Yorkshire Youth Games.

The first heats were held last night at Huntington School, while the second will be held tomorrow at the same venue.

Last night's competing schools were split into two groups, with the top two teams in each group going into semi-finals. The winners of those semi-finals qualified for the Finals Day. The results of this heat are below.

The schools competing in tomorrow's heat are Rufforth, Hob Moor, Westfields, Scarcroft, Longmarston, St George's, Poppleton Ousebank, Acomb, St Paul's and English Martyrs.

The other three York heats will take place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, also at Huntington School. The results of these heats will be carried in School Sport on the subsequent Wednesday.

York Primary Schools' Tag Rugby League Festival

Heat One results Group 'A': Lakeside 0, St Wilfred's 8; Burton Green 4, Lord Deramore 16; St Mary's 12, Lakeside 4; St Wilfred's 12, Burton Green 4; Lord Deramore 4, St Mary's 4; Lakeside 4, Burton Green 0; St Wilfred's 4, St Mary's 16; Lord Deramore 8, Lakeside 0; Burton Green 0, St Mary's 4; Lord Deramore 4, St Wilfred's 4.

Group 'B': Park Grove 0, Haxby Road 12; New Earswick 8, Clifton Green 0; Skelton 4, Park Grove 4; Clifton Green 0, Skelton 8; Haxby Road 0, New Earswick 4; Park Grove 0, New Earswick 8; haxby Road 8, Skelton 0; Clifton Green 8, Park Grove 8; New Earswick 8, Skelton 4; Clifton Green 0, Haxby Road 4.

Group 'A' winners St Mary's went straight through to the finals day. Group 'B' winners New Earswick beat group 'A' third-place St Wilfred's 4-0 in a play-off to go through, and group 'A' second-placed team Lord Deramore beat group 'B' runners up Haxby Road 8-0.

Knights players Peter Fox and Lee Paterson were on hand for the presentation, which included fair play awards for St Wilfred's and Skelton.

The Selby Primary School Tag Rugby League Festival, also run by York City Knights, was being staged today at Selby's rugby ground on Sandhill Lane.

Twenty-one schools from the area have entered the tournament. Four of the smaller schools were clubbing together to provide two teams while one bigger school was bringing two teams, making 20 teams in total.

These were to be split into four groups of five for an afternoon's competition. The top team in each group go into semi-finals, while the overall winners will represent Selby in the North Yorkshire Youth Games.

The schools involved are: Hirst Courtney, Chapel Haddlesey, Camblesforth, Drax, Brayton, Barlow, St Mary's, Athlestan, South Milford, Selby Abbey, Barwic Parade, Hambleton, Selby Community, Longmans Hill, Thorpe Willoughby, Wistow, Barlby Community, Cliffe, Hemingbrough, Barlby Bridge, North Duffield.

Results and pictures will be published in School Sport next week.

The Knights are also involved in a Scarborough Primary Schools' Tag Rugby Festival. Eleven schools will take part on Friday, April 22. Both the Selby and Scarborough events have been sponsored by MViT.

There will also be an all-girls primary school tag rugby league festival in York in June, with no fewer than 26 teams already entered.

All the schools taking part in these festivals have received coaching sessions from the Knights' community coaching programme and they will all get tag equipment so they can continue playing the sport.

The Knights followed their National League Club of the Year award in 2003 with the league's Community Club of the Year award in 2004, and their development schemes across the region are still expanding.

They are currently working with 122 primary schools in the York, Selby and Scarborough areas, and the scheme also goes into secondary schools.

Updated: 11:02 Wednesday, April 13, 2005