TENNIS players are hoping to be in the pink when the Fulford Ladies Invitation League gets under way this weekend.

Lynda Withers, Copmanthorpe’s third team captain, and Sheriff Hutton player Christine Thomas are leading a fundraising drive for Breast Cancer Research this season.

The duo and their team-mates will wear a pink bow ribbon to support the charity and are urging people to sponsor them at a cost of one penny per game won over the course of the campaign.

Other players are being encouraged to follow suit and collect sponsors.

If a player takes part in all 14 of their team’s matches, the maximum they can score is 504. Last season’s leading players, such as Jill McCreedy, Judy Marriott, Jane Pemberton and Wendy Stirke, all won between 330 and 359 games. That would be an outlay of only £3.30 to £3.59 for sponsors.

Dunnington will be defending their division one title, with a new challenge coming from promoted sides Bishopthorpe and Knaresborough.

Wigginton and Appleton Roebuck are ready to start life in the second tier following their promotion from division three.

Newly-promoted Dunnington and David Lloyd are aiming to be a threat as they step up from division four to three.

Knaresborough and Copmanthorpe will taste division four tennis after promotion from the bottom division.