After a great work out at Colne & Nelson last weekend another tough opposition will be just what will be needed before the 1st XV begin life in the newly created Lancs/Cheshire 3 North league on Saturday week when Garstang are the visitors.

Last Saturday was a good squad game, and with players away and returning in equal measure, it was a great opportunity for the coaching team to run the rule over the form and fitness of individuals.

New 1st Xv skipper Will Dickenson may miss a few early games with an ankle injury but is casting a beady eye on proceedings throughout

The likelihood it will be a similar experience this week with rolling subs enabling everyone to get plenty of game time.

Kick off is 3pm and our referee is Mr Andrew Irvine from the Manchester Society

This season the 1st XV are operating in the RFU Lancs/Cheshire 3 North league. It is an interesting format this time; Lancs/Cheshire 3 North and 3 South operate in parallel for the first half of the season on the usual home and away basis. Then the North and South combine, with the top four from each playing for the promotion places to the end of the season and the bottom half playing for places.

Confused? You will be.

To befuddle things further – the Alan Stone Lancashire Bowl fixtures are this year made up of two groups playing each other in a 'round robin' format then the winners going through to the final.
Group 1 ; Clitheroe, Bury, Garstang, Ormskirk
Group 2; Ashton u Lyne, Eagle, North Manchester, Old Bedians
The first round is the 23rd September

Meanwhile, a little more straightforwardly, the 2nd XV continue in the Halbro North West League 4N with an opening day trip to the seaside to play Fylde Vandals (4ths) on 2nd September.
With a new skipper in Jamie Taylor at the helm and a number of new faces in the club it will be fascinating to see who is in and who is up into the 1's this season