Table heading York Rugby League Club today refused to be deflected from their promotion goal in the quest for White Rose Championship glory.

The Second Division splits into east and west conferences for the next two months as the eight sides do battle for the Trans-Pennine Cup.

York are preparing for home and away fixtures against Bramley, Batley Bulldogs and Doncaster Dragons in the White Rose Championship.

Red Rose sides Barrow Border Raiders, Lancashire Lynx, Oldham and Workington Town also break off from full scale Second Division action for their round robin competition.

The winners of each mini-tournament are scheduled to meet in the Trans-Pennine Cup final on Sunday, July 19, the winners taking home a trophy and £20,000 in prize money.

However, the complex Second Division formula decrees that all points accumulated in the White and Red Rose championships will also be added to overall league standings.

Wasps boss Dean Robinson declared the Trans-Pennine Trophy a secondary issue to the main focus of the season, which is to achieve promotion to the First Division.

"We have to focus, as we have been doing, on each game as they come but obviously with league points being tied in with the championship, they are totally inseparable," he said.

"With that in mind it is a big start for us on Friday against Bramley. They will be smarting after their defeat on Sunday and we owe them for Good Friday.

"A trophy would be great but more important are the two points towards the league. We cannot take our foot off the gas and have a breather thinking 'none of this counts', it is business as normal.

"We want one of the promotion slots and we will be treating each game as two further points towards that goal. If that takes us into the final so be it. That is a secondary issue."

The Wasps, who went top of the division following their 27-6 victory over Oldham on Sunday, have an extra incentive to top the White Rose Championship after early league defeats by Bramley and Batley.

And Robinson is convinced that in-fighting could sour the Second Division title challenge of the Red Rose teams, who have all been defeated by York in their five game winning run.

"I think the advantage we have got with this championship is that if we can come out of our side well, I believe that the Red Rose sides will definitely take points off each other," said the coach.

"It will be very interesting over that side of the Pennines. If we can dominate games we play on this side we can come out in a healthy position."

However, Robinson was quick to point out that the intensity of competition would be increased by the Trans-Pennine competition.Sides languishing in the overall table, such as Doncaster and Batley, will have an added incentive to salvage their season with a tilt at the trophy.

He added: "Those sides that are not going so well will want to get something out of the season by doing well in this championship. We are all starting again and it will add great intensity to it.

"Everybody will be fighting for the spoils, but our goal will be to come out of the championship and get to final, securing league points on the way.

"It is a nice position to be in, we have beaten the four western sides. We have got daunting trips to three of them in the second half of the season but we know we can beat all the sides from that side of the Pennines."

Meanwhile, the coach welcomed the try-scoring Doncaster start made by on loan Wasps centre Scott Limb.

Said Robinson: "He has joined them until July 6 to get some first team rugby. I am delighted to see him got on the scoresheet and hope he continues to do so, helping Doncaster turn one or two sides over."

York's White Rose Championship fixtures

Fri 29 May Bramley (a) 7.45pm

Sun 7 June Batley Bulldogs (h) 3pm

Sun 14 June Doncaster Dragons (h) 3pm

Sun 21 June Bramley (h) 3pm

Sun 28 June Doncaster Dragons (a) 3pm

Sun 5 July Batley Bulldogs (a) 3.15p

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