York Rugby Union Club's new skipper Nigel Durham will be anxious to put the brakes on the free fall at Clifton Park.

BACK AGAIN: Pocklington full back Mark Taylor (with ball) begins his 21st season tomorrow.

York have tumbled from North Division One to North East Division One - just one league higher than when the Courage Leagues were first introduced in 1987.

York will find that there are no easy games this season, but if their players get a clean bill of health then they should have no worries.

The rigorous training coach John Shepherd is putting the players through should reap its fair rewards.

York travel to Pontefract tomorrow for a non-league game and open their league season at Halifax on September 11.

During the week York defeated RAF Leeming 61-0 in a game of three halves with unlimited substitutions.

Pocklington have not lost anyone from last year's side after picking up several quality newcomers in the second half of last season.

Former Goole open side flanker Neil Cawood has moved to Pocklington, intensifying the pressure for first team places.

'Pock' have had two good run outs against newcomers in Division Five, Trinity and All Saints and Hullensians and they are aiming to make a good account of themselves in front of their own supporters against Beverley tomorrow.

Ben Connolly, last season's regular winger, is still involved with cricket with Wilberfoss so former Loughborough student, Sam Allen, one of Richard Allen's sons, is named in the Pocklington side which features Mark Taylor at full back for his 21st season.

Selby welcome back hooker Tom Bayston after National League experience with Rotherham, and he will feel very much at home alongside his old skipper, Sam Longthorpe, who is back in charge again.

Promoted Selby's strength is coming from their widely experienced coaching panel that consists of former Yorkshire hooker, Steve Cruise, Wakefield Trinity's Ian Marlow and John Webster, back from Nottingham.

Selby's chairman of rugby, Tony Townend says that he is looking for consolidation in North East One, hopefully for a top three place.

Malton and Norton, who are at home to Hull, are captained by Phil Ryan, an Aussie who played in Malton's back row last season,.

Welsh coach Euan Pritchard said: "We will know more this weekend about the quality of our new recruits."

Steve Fawcett captains York RI at Thornensians tomorrow with two of his former Harrogate team-mates making their debuts - Andrew Taylor, a centre who has not played for two years, and Paul Beck, a fly half/centre, who is teaching at Knaresborough.

Former Yorkshire Colt prop, John Cookley, has also joined RI and Pete Carr, who missed all last season through injury, is fit again.

Alex Pride and Carl Neary are still not match fit and RI coach Andy Morse and Manu Fotu are unavailable.

Scarborough, who entertain three sides from Acklam tomorrow, are without Peter Woolley this season as the former Harrogate winger has returned to Whitby while No. 8 Ian Hare has moved to Huddersfield YMCA.

Ex-Roundhegian, John Robertson, has joined Scarborough along with Chris Hyde, a wing forward from Driffield, and former Zimbabwe U21 prop Neil Steyne will also be playing for Scarborough.

Dave Sowray will be captaining Nestl Rowntree for his seventh season after being out with a broken arm since last November. Rowntree are at Wensleydale tomorrow.

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