POCKLINGTON'S 46th annual Good Friday Sevens - Yorkshire rugby's oldest seven-a-side tournament - gets underway next week with a full draw of 24 teams which includes a competitive mix of local clubs and out of county touring and invitation teams.

The Impalas, the York-based army side, will defend their title, and there are two more Army outfits in Ronin, gathered from Midlands and Southern-based soldiers, and a services seven from Gutersloh in Germany.

There are two sides from London, Borough Road and the Prowling Prtenders, who draw their players from Richmond RFC, while former rugby league star, Ikram Butt, again brings his South Asia Bulls side of Northern-based Asian rugby players.

The action gets underway at 1pm, and more than six hours of non-stop, high speed rugby follows, with the final scheduled for 6.40pm.

The 'John Smiths Pock Sevens' is one of East Yorkshire's biggest sporting and social rugby days out, with 2,000 people packing into Percy Road to get their Easter weekend underway, and many exiles from the area making their way back home for an annual reunion.

Pocklington Sevens Draw

First Round: A: Hull Colts v Brookfield (1pm), B: Old Pocklingtonians v Borough Road College (1.20pm), C: York RI v Bridlington (1.40pm), D: Ipswich Exiles v Harrogate (2pm), E: South Asia Bulls v GSR Gutersloh, Germany (2.20pm), F: Knottingley v Goole (2.40pm), G: Driffield v Marist (3pm), H: Hull Ionians v Selby (3.20pm)

Second Round: Birmingham Sportex v Winner A (1.40pm), Hull v Winner B (2pm), East Yorkshire Jaguars v Winner C (2.20pm), Malton & Norton v Winner D (2.40pm), Pocklington v Winner E (3pm), Impalas v Winner F (3.20pm), Prowling Pretenders, Richmond v Winner G (3.40pm), Ronin v Winner H (4pm)

Updated: 10:14 Saturday, April 03, 2004