In the family way

Fifteen-year-old Rob, who captained Yorkshire U15 last season, is the second Webber to gain county honours after his 18-year-old brother Matthew - who went on to prop for the North of England.

Rob, who can play either prop or hooker, will captain the county for this weekend's fixture against Northumberland, with further games against Cheshire, Durham and Lancashire following in the next few weeks.

Pocklington team-mate Charlie has a long and distinguished line to follow with brothers Sam, George and Harry having represented the county in the past.

Both Charlie and Rob are further steeped in rugby traditions with their fathers - Richard and Mick - have turned out for the Percy Road club in the past.

Webber is the fourth member of Pocklington School to represent the county, following his brother, Rob Mils and Richard Booth.

The school side are themselves enjoying unprecedented success having won 15 and lost one of their 16 games - including an undefeated tour of Australia - since January 2001.

Allen is a pupil at Woldgate School.

YORK first teamers were enjoying a rare day off today with a break in the fixture calendar.

With a number of players carrying knocks, another set heading to Edinburgh for the stag party of Colts manager Rob Swann and a contingent heading to Twickenham, the club have opted not to arrange a friendly.

"We did consider trying to arrange a game against a first team side from a lower league to try to keep our run going and to blood some of our youngsters," said coach Andy Gair. "But we weren't going to risk facing a team from a higher league and losing."

Selby have received a much-needed boost with the news experienced centre John Webster has returned to training after a long-term knee injury.

Webster, who played 15 times for Nottingham when they were relegated from National One in 1991/2, missed half of last season after picking up the injury.

Selby's chairman of rugby Sam Longthorp said: "He is the most experienced centre at the club.

"It is good to have him back in training as he as played at the highest level, alongside the likes of Simon Hodgkinson (ex-England full-back)."

POCKLINGTON have a new heavyweight member of their front row union in young prop Dominic Cox.

While Cox himself is described as the 'average build for a prop' it is his father who can boast the heavyweight status having been a top-class wrestler.

In his time as a professional wrestler, 'Mighty' John Cox was in the same class of television greats Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.

THE world of the front row is an exclusive union, with only the opposing props and hookers ever knowing exactly what has gone on in the scrums and mauls.

It is not unusual for opposing front rows to play a separate game against each other - with the end result unimportant if they have taken more ball against the head or given their opposite number a thoroughly rough time.

However, this private world could soon be invaded following the latest technological prototype.

The techno whiz-kids at Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin have developed a prototype of a shock-resistant ball-cam, which will give the arm-chair fan a 'front row' seat for all the action in the scrums, rucks and mauls.

Whether viewers will truly want to see what happens in these situations is debatable - although the pictures of the York and York RI front rows locking horns could be worth seeing!

CAMBRIDGE University Women's XV - including new boxing sensation Jes Hudson - pull into town next weekend for their end of season tour to Pocklington.

The Cambridge girls are sponsored by Pocklington vice-president Geoffrey Bloom, through his investment company TBO, and the fixture is now firmly established as one of the highlights of the social calendar.

The side are captained by 5ft 3ins pocket battleship Hudson, who made the headlines nation-wide after winning her first boxing bout in the University's annual tournament with Sandhurst.

Cambridge University meet Leeds Met at Percy Road next Saturday, kick-off 11.30am, as a curtain-raiser to the afternoon clash between Pocklington Panthers and Sheffield Tigers.

After a hard night's revelling, with entertainment from Andy Hillier's New Orleans Jazz Band, the ladies will line-up against Leeds University XV on Sunday (kick-off 1.30pm).

HARROGATE RUFC have found an new ally in County Councillor Richard Thomas as they look to relocate from their current home at Claro Road.

Thomas is offering to pave the way for the club to embark on a joint venture with Granby High School following the rejection by Harrogate Borough Council's planning committee of their planned relocation to Killinghall.

Having seen Harrogate Hockey Club successfully achieve a move to the school, Thomas believes the rugby club can follow this model.

The councillor is now hoping to facilitate talks between the County Council, the school's governors and head teacher and Harrogate RUFC.

A club spokesman said: "We have had no approach about this. Over the course of out search for a new home we did check out the school playing fields but ruled them out of the equation."

FORMER Ripon scrum-half Andy Brown was limited to just six minutes of action as the English National Divisions XV crashed to a 33-9 defeat by South Africa 'A'.

Brown, who now plies his trade at Otley, was named in the squad after Rotherham's former Pocklington No 9 Charlie Harrison was ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Despite making it on to the bench, Brown was a 74th-minute substitute for London Welsh's Alex Birkby.

POCKLINGTON'S home Yorkshire One league game against Scarborough has been brought forward to Saturday, December 15.

The match was originally scheduled for next March, but Scarborough are due to be on tour in France, so Pocklington have agreed to a rearrangement.

ST Peter's School, York have moved through to round five of the Daily Mail Under-15s Schools Rugby Cup following two emphatic victories.

Seeded through to round three, St Peter's crushed Leeds Grammar 46-3 and then brushed aside Bradford Grammar 25-3.

The school will now entertain either Stonyhurst and Lancaster RGS - who met today - on Wednesday for a place in the last 16.

Updated: 11:48 Saturday, November 24, 2001