Match Preview

The start of the season sees Wirral welcome Pocklington from the East Riding of Yorkshire. Newly-promoted as champions of North One East last year, they finished the season twelve points clear of second-placed Penrith.

This is the first time both sides have met in what will prove to be an interesting first game of the season against opposition that are something of an unknown quantity. Their website indicates that most of the team are the same players who won their league last year, with the additions of prop Will Norris from York and ex-Hull and Otley centre, Ben Thoy. James Thompson will deputise at scrum half for skipper, Ben Rees who has a hamstring injury.

Pocklington lost both of their pre-season games to local rivals Driffield and last years National 3N champions, Huddersfield while Wirral defeated both Waterloo and Altrincham Kersal; however, pre-season games are notoriously poor indicators of a team's preparedness for the season so Wirral will in no way be underestimating their opposition.

Wirral look forward to welcoming Pocklington and their supporters both into the League and to the Memorial Ground for the first time.

Pocklington team: Jed Jackson, Josh Britton, Billy Hardy, Ben Thoy, James Flint, Jack Walters, Jonty Peters, Matt Procter, James Thompson, Sam Garvey, Dave Birch c, Will Norris, Chris Morton, Archie Fothergill, Marcus Britland, Karl Durkin, Owen Jackson, Jack Holbrough.

Wirral team: Yarker, Gratton, Higginson, Lewis, Dalton, Parry, Pearl, Mahon, Crowley, C Harvey (c), Speed, Broadbent, Williams, Gidman, Annetts, Burrows, Thompson, Stead