New Earswick All Blacks are to host the first match of the new West Indies Rugby League Federation's 'Yorkshire on the Road' development tour.

The match will take place on Saturday, August 14 at New Earswick's White Rose Avenue ground, and it is likely to be a big event.

The organisers are looking to have mini-league games before the clash and a function afterwards. The gate money will be split equally between WIRLF and the All Blacks, as will any non-allocated sponsorship money.

There are already links between the two sides as All Blacks winger Matt Godfrey has played for the Windies, while club-mate Mark Tipping is their marketing director.

There are further links with York as former Wasps players Dean Thomas, now conditioning coach with Sheffield Eagles, is the Windies' head trainer, while fellow ex-Wasp Steve Pryce, now with Hunslet Hawks, is coach.

The West Indies team, presently made up of British-based players, will tour the Yorkshire area prior to establishing a development network encouraging rugby league participation for ethnic minority players in the county, and are looking to play matches in Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Hull.

The West Indies' nine-a-side team have already experienced York this year when they won the International 9s held at Heworth and they have also won the Middlesex 9s qualifiers and reached the semi-finals of the Middlesex 9s main tournament.

This match will be the first 13-a-side match that the organisation have played and as such are expecting a good crowd.

It is expected that the team will also stay for a development camp on the Sunday at New Earswick.

There are sponsorship deals available for this match. For details, contact Mark Tipping on 07810 407167.

Updated: 11:02 Friday, July 23, 2004