THE oldest seven-a-side tournament in Yorkshire is set to kick-off on Good Friday - with 24 teams ready to battle it out at Percy Road, Pocklington.

The 44th annual Pocklington Good Friday Sevens will see more than six hours of non-stop, high-speed rugby - or drinking, if your team gets knocked out early on - with the fun starting at noon and the final scheduled for 5.40pm.

The 'John Smith's Pock Sevens' is one of East Yorkshire's biggest sporting and social rugby days out, with some 2,000 people packing into Percy Road to get their Easter weekend off to the perfect start.

For those who enjoy the tournament to the full - whether on the pitch or in the bar - the rest of the holiday becomes a time to recover.

It began in 1958 as a small local event for half-a-dozen sides, and has grown steadily over the years, with many exiles from the area now making their way back home for an annual reunion.

One such player returning home for Easter is former York and Unicorns three-quarter Arnie Robinson, who is bringing a side with him from Guisborough.

As usual, there is an interesting mix of local and out of county sides.

Last year's winners, the York-based Army side, the Impalas, defend their title which they won in dramatic fashion with a try from the last move of the day.

The Impalas included several Fijian recruits in their ranks, and their successful formula at the Pock Sevens was repeated by the British Army, who pulled in a nucleus of Fijians to win the Middlesex and Dubai sevens tournaments.

Other former local winners York, Pocklington and York RI are all in the draw, along with other East Yorkshire sides to have won the competition in recent years - Goole, Bridlington, Hull Ionians and Driffield.

Gary Pearce's Hull were desperately disappointed to have been pipped at the post by the Impalas last year, and are particularly keen to go one better this time.

The strong challenge from further afield includes south east outfits Isleworth, Borough Road College Old Boys, and Dartfordians - who arrive in York by the midday train - who are in the area for Easter weekend tours.

It promises to be a truly special occasion with rugby fans from far and wide set to attend.

My personal best wishes go to the Dartfordians team, who, many moons ago, used to be a regular fixture on this hack's rugby calendar when playing in the Kent Leagues.

RUGBY front rows have a reputation for being a special kind of animal, who live in a world devoid of sense or reason, and perhaps its true.

Pocklington are currently down to the bare bones of front rowers because of injuries, and they were even shorter last Saturday as a couple of players who could have helped out were away in the north-east on the fourth team tour.

It meant for the Percy Road club's scheduled Yorkshire One tie against Old Brodleians - a side pushing for promotion - they did not have a recognised hooker available.

After discussions with league officials about whether they could postpone the game, Pock were told that in such circumstances games still have to be played with either non-registered reserves or uncontested scrums.

However, the match would become a friendly fixture and count as a 0-0 win in the league table for Old Brods.

Fortunately for Pock', at the 11th-hour the club found a hooker from an unlikely source.

Geoff Knight, a 42-year-old computer engineer, had hooked a little bit for the first team a few years ago, but had graduated down to fourth team flanker by the start of the season, when he received a head injury that left him with dizzy spells for several weeks.

It resulted in him being referred to a neurologist, a brain scan and then physiotherapy sessions to retrain him to get his balance back.

Somewhat understandably, he therefore gave up playing and has been refereeing third and fourth team games in recent months, but when he heard of the club's plight he volunteered to come out of retirement and pitch back into the murky territory of the middle of the front row.

And the plucky soul went on to play his full part in a marvellous Pocklington forward display that shocked high-flying Brodleians and came within a few seconds of pulling off a surprise result before finally losing 20-13..

FOUR of York RI's Under-13s squad enjoyed success at the North Yorkshire trials.

Tom Elliott, Richard Rogers, Bruce Wetherhill and Gareth Maud were all selected for the regional squad to take part in a festival against the other county districts.

The boys will first take part in two further sessions over the next two weeks with their new team-mates.

JOSH Binns made a storming debut for Yorkshire U15s against Cheshire at Old Anselmians RUFC, Wirral.

The York RI junior made a big impression on the openside flank as the White Rose side clawed their way back from 15-5 down to draw 15-15.

In fact, Yorkshire can count themselves unlucky not to have won the match having been camped on the Cheshire line for the final ten minutes of the match.

Yorkshire now have to re-group for their home match against Lancashire at Cleckheaton next Sunday.

MALTA has been making the final preparations to defend the country against the invasion of a 40-strong squad from Selby.

The club's annual tour - a week-long experience on the Mediterranean island - will see the expedition party pack in a hectic schedule.

The Sandhill Lane side have pencilled in four or five games but this all depends on the amount of bodies left standing after a week's hard playing and even harder drinking.

Not to be left out, Selby's infamous 'Wurzel's Warriors' - led by Andy Wood - will head off to Great Yarmouth for their annual weekend away.

Wood, the club's colourful fifth team skipper - yes, Selby can manage to fun five senior teams, despite reports participation in rugby is in decline - will take away a mixed band to the coast for the end-of-season outing.

The fifths' have a novel touch on their games, with the half-time water bottles substituted for something a little bit stronger!

Updated: 11:05 Saturday, March 23, 2002