RUGBY stars from Super League champions Leeds Rhinos carried out a tsunami appeal collection at their match against York City Knights.

Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield was joined by team mates Barrie McDermott and Great Britain internationals Danny Maguire and Keith Senior with collection buckets before the match last night, which York won 38-24.

Generous fans dug deep, donating around £2,000 to the appeal, which was a joint venture between both clubs.

Knights chief executive Steve Ferres said: "I think the fact that it was Rhinos senior players doing the collection that made people put their hand in their pockets.

"The magnitude of the disaster has affected everybody and that includes everybody at the Knights and Leeds Rhinos."

Mr Ferres said when all the money had been counted, it will most likely go to the City of York council's York Aid appeal.

The parents of two tourists from East Yorkshire who are missing in Thailand have not given up hope of finding them alive.

Benjamin Watts, 29, and Nova Mills, 28, who grew up together in Holme-upon-Spalding Moor, had been staying in a beach house in the resort of Krabi when the giant wave engulfed the region.

Miss Mills had just started a round-the-world trip with her boyfriend Andrew Chaggar. Her friend, Mr Watts, was accompanied by his partner Paula Bateman.

Meanwhile, the families of Sarah Bent, 19, and her 21-year-old boyfriend Robert Rowbottom, of York, anxiously await news of the couple. Father-of-three Stephen Magson, 54, of Holgate Bridge Gardens, also remains missing.

Updated: 10:26 Tuesday, January 04, 2005