French connection

Three Northern Ford Premiership clubs will join teams from France and Russia in an elite European rugby league tournament next season.

Two of the NFP clubs invited to take part have already agreed. However, their identities will not be revealed until the launch in April so whether or not York will be involved remains a mystery.

The idea for the competition has been spearheaded by French clubs Toulouse and Villeneuve, who knocked York out of this season's Challenge Cup.

It will be the first tournament to involve a Russian club playing alongside French and English opposition.

Organised by World Rugby Ltd public relations and marketing company, the event is believed to have the backing of a major sponsor who has guaranteed travel and accommodation costs.

The NFP clubs will join a team from Moscow in the Anglo-Russian group. They will play each of the French clubs in a round-robin format, with the top teams from each group contesting the final and the runners-up entering the Plate.

The clubs who finish in the top four positions of this season's French championship - expected to be Villenueve, St Gaudens, Union Treiziste Catalane and Toulouse - will make up the French group.

Dates for the competition will depend on the NFP schedule. Initial plans are to play two games in September and two at the end of the NFP season, with the final on June 1.

The seven new players used against Leigh on Thursday night took the Who's Who of York Wasps 200-2001 to an incredible 41.

Most fans would agree that the number of new faces and the departures is proving a bit confusing, so here is the squad as it stands this weekend.

Chris Allen, Shaun Austerfield, Adam Briggs, Darren Crake, Gareth Dobson, Craig Forsyth, Mick Hagan, Paddy Handley, Gareth Lloyd, Craig Moore, Matt Mulholland, Gareth Oulton, Alan Pallister, Nathan Pincher, Andy Precious, Mick Ramsden, Tim Rumford, Danny Waite.

New trialists: Lee Badauskas (ex-Castleford Tigers, Batley and Redhill), Dave Birdsall (Lock Lane, Lancashire Lynx), Ricky Hall (Hull FC Academy), Martin Hunt (Lock Lane, Lancs Lynx), Andy Hutchinson (Beverley, Hull Dockers), Andy Innes (New Earswick All Blacks), Luke Judson (Hull FC Academy), Richard Punchard (Doncaster, Hunslet, BARLA captain).

Poor Doncaster's situation seems to be mirroring York's experiences to a tee.

After seeking a CVA and re-negotiating all the players' contracts, several members of the side have quit.

The Dragons have now lost Joe Berry to Keighley, top summer signing Kevin Crouthers to Widnes, Paul Cook also to Widnes, Rob Wilson to Hull KR, James Bunyan to Rochdale and most recently Latham Tawhai to Rochdale.

Their coach, former York player St John Ellis, says he expects the majority of the rest of the squad to stay. But knowing what has happened at the Wasps, I wouldn't be so sure.

They may stick around for a while but when a better offer comes in, and Donny can do nothing to match it, what's the betting more players will be walking away from Belle Vue.

Paul Butterfield made his first appearance in a Castleford shirt following his spell at York when he turned out for the Tigers Alliance team in their 20-20 draw at Hull on Wednesday.

Three-quarter Butterfield spent the first two months of the NFP season on loan at York from Cas before returning to the Jungle last month.

Is there any support left for a return to a full winter season?

The change in mood among NFP fans since summer rugby was first introduced has been quite remarkable. While at one time nearly all fans decried the switch to summer, the flirtation back to winter has seen the majority jump ship to the 'other side', calling for an immediate return to the safety and warmth of summer.

Have those years of getting sun-burnt on a Sunday afternoon gradually melted away our hardened defences to rain, wind and snow?

Or have the number of postponements finally awakened us to the fact that it is a bit pointless starting the season knowing that half your games won't even go ahead?

The Wasps lost out on potentially their biggest pay-day of the season by calling off the match with Leigh last Sunday.

Then again, even summer rugby doesn't guarantee fixtures will be played, as Bradford and St Helens found out in the opening game of Super League which was scheduled to take place last Friday.

Only in England could a 'summer' game be called off because of snow.

Former Wasp Richard Goddard has done it again.

Just a week after his 24-point haul against the Wasps, the Sheffield Eagles play-maker raked in another 20 points in the 40-16 defeat of Barrow.

He is now third in the NFP's top point scorers and goalkickers behind Keighley's Martin Wood and leader Simon Svabic of Leigh, scorer of 32 points against York.

Top try-scorer Neil Turley's four touch-downs for Leigh against York took his tally to 24 from ten games - one more than the whole York team have managed between them!

New Wasps Supporters Club chairman Louise Ince took over the role from Stuart Evans and not Ann Garvey as reported in last week's Evening Press.