York Acorn Rugby League Club have been nominated for a prestigious sports award for the second year in succession.

They are one of three amateur rugby league clubs put forward by BARLA for the CCPR and Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Sports Club of the Year Award 2000.

They will be vying with clubs from a vast array of sports for the £10,000 first prize, which has previously had a rugby league winner in the shape of Shaw Cross in 1998.

Last year they were nominated but were not among the prize winners. However, club representative Linda Hill believes they are in a better position this year.

"We're doing even more now than we were last year," she said.

"We've got the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in place here. The community are all supporting us in the re-development of the ground which we're pushing ahead with, we've got a five-year development plan coming along nicely, we're forming links with schools and I know we've got one of the best clubs in relation to the volunteers who support us."

If successful, the money would help towards funding the ambitious re-development of Acorn's Thanet Road home.

The work, expected to cost in the region of £750,000, includes a new floodlit pitch, new all-weather training area, netball court, jogging track and improved clubhouse.

Their off-field success is now starting to be matched on the field with Acorn's first team riding high in fifth place in the National Conference League second division.

That success is partly down to the club's thriving junior set-up.

They run clubs at all age groups from Under-8s to Under-18s and it is the emergence of the younger players that has helped turn the first team from a basement club to one pushing for promotion.