Rugby Report: Scunthorpe, Gainsborough and Grimsby among Easter winners

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough’s men and Grimsby Lynx Ladies all emerged victorious during an Easter weekend of rugby.

Scunthorpe’s 2nd XV – the Stags – made the trip to face Moortown in for friendly.

Tries from Craig Catchpole, Matthew Mason and Lewis Talbot helped Scunthorpe to a 15-10 win against the Yorkshire side.

Jack Rowbotham in action for Scunthorpe’s 2nd XV. | Photo: Bill Rhoades

Joshua Cappell-Fenwick in action on his Scunthorpe debut. | Photo: Maria Rhoades

It was also an important weekend for Scunthorpe’s 3rd XV who finished as runners-up in the Eastern Merit Table after a 31-14 victory at Withernsea.

Callan Mcsherry, Kirk Murray, Joshua Cappell-Fenwick and John Woolard all scored tries for Scunthorpe, with Lee ‘Magic’ Copperwheat adding four conversions and a penalty.

Callan Mcsherry in action for Scunthorpe. | Photo: Bill Rhoades

Matty Henton carrying the ball forward. | Photo: Maria Rhoades

Callan Mcsherry jumping to win the lineout after being lifted by Carl Duffin. | Photo: Maria Rhoades

Scunthorpe’s John Woolard running at the Withernsea defence. | Photo: Bill Rhoades

Neil Wainer, Carl Duffin and Phil Jepson all put in man-of-the-match performances for Scunthorpe.

Scunthorpe will now face Driffield in the league semi-final on April 22.

Try scorer Callan Mcsherry in action for Scunthorpe. | Photo: Maria Rhoades

Scunthorpe 3rd XV player Matty Henton with team manager Lita Kelly. | Photo: Maria Rhoades

Brad Beresford diving over for a try for Gainsborough. | Photo: Michael Collins Photography

Gainsborough travelled to face BP Chemicals in a friendly and four tries from Jamie Wray guided them to a comprehensive 73-19 win.

Baden Kerr grabbed a brace of tries and Harry Lightfoot, Richard Greenway, Chris Mangan, Harry Beresford and Brad Beresford each scored one.

Brad Beresford and Robbie Goodyear both successfully kicked four conversions, while Lightfoot added one.

The game between Grimsby Lynx Ladies and Sheffield was played in great spirit. | Photo: Sheffield RUFC

Grimsby Lynx Ladies won their final away game of the season 39-27 in a game played in great spirit at Sheffield.

Jen Blake crossed for six of Grimsby’s tries and Jen McLaughlin scored one.

Wendie McKie successfully kicked two conversions, while Ruth Rawlings was named as Grimsby’s player of the match. Sheffield picked out Taylor Atkin as Grimsby’s best performer on the day.

McKie’s Beverley team-mates Charlotte I’anson and Philippa Bell also put on a Grimsby shirt to help the friendly game go ahead.

Grimsby’s try scorers and award winners – Jen Blake, Jen McLaughlin, Ruth Rawlings, and Taylor Atkin. | Photo: Marea Fowler

Lincoln Imps played a friendly match against the vets and third team in an inter-club encounter. | Photo: Adam Phillips

Lincoln Imps played a friendly match against the vets and third team in an inter-club encounter.

The aim was for a training fixture for the Imps ahead of their NLD Challenge Cup tie against Boston on April 15.

The match also provided playing opportunities for new, returning and older players, with ages varying from colts making the transition to senior rugby to players in their 60s.

The winners were inevitably the younger faster squad, but the fixture was played out in recognition that the game can be played equally, competitively and with much fun.

Champions Boston Ladies celebrating their league success. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

League champions Boston Ladies were awarded a home walkover after opponents Sileby Vikings conceded the match.

Shaun Turl’s side still had enough time to arrange a friendly against a Lynx Ladies Barbarians team comprising of players from Gainsborough, Lincoln, Sleaford and Sheffield.

Hannah Booth in action for Boston Ladies against the Lynx Ladies Barbarians team. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

Every single player involved player their hearts out and Boston were able to have the chance to celebrate their league success by still having a fixture to enjoy.

Try scorer Mason East in action for Skegness. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

Skegness hosted Bourne’s 2nd XV for a friendly which ended in a battling 15-15 draw.

Lewis Eldin, Ethan O’Callaghan, and Mason East all scored tries for Skegness.

Lewis Eldin was among the try scorers for Skegness. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

Try scorer Ethan O’Callaghan in action for Skegness. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

Austin Crowson, Chris Wheeler, and Ashley Reeves crossed for Bourne’s tries.

The match also saw Dan Smith on the pitch for Bourne at the same time as his sons Lucas and Oli.

Bourne’s Billy Musson offloading the ball. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

Liam Shields in action for Bourne. | Photo: Wayne Lagden Sports Photography

The match also saw Dan Smith (centre) on the pitch for Bourne at the same time as his sons Lucas (left) and Oli (right).

The first of the annual Tri Club fixtures took place between Barton & District, Market Rasen & Louth, and Grimsby. | Photo: Joe Rhoades

On Easter Sunday, the first of the annual Tri Club fixtures took place between Barton & District, Market Rasen & Louth, and Grimsby.

Two mixed teams took part in what was described as a day which “truly showed that rugby is the greatest sport ever”.

The team donning the pink kit won 46-21 in a game played in great spirit, which was this year hosted by Barton, and Alex Ruck from Market Rasen was named as the man-of-the-match. The hosting of future fixtures will be rotated between the three clubs.

NLD Women beat East Midlands Women 55-0. | Photo: Paul Beard

NLD Women put in a great performance as two tries apiece from Cassie Milestone and Olivia Chantry helped them to a 55-0 win against Division 2’s East Midlands Women last week.

Captain Hannah Dennis, Jess Pearce, Libby Bonis, Tiana Woollaston, and Ellie Jardine each scored one.

NLD Women’s captain Hannah Dennis, who plays for Stamford, in action during the match. | Photo: Cheryl Ellron

Lincoln Ladies players Jenna Bierton, Abi Lee, Jade Morgan and Hannah Newsome all represented NLD Women.

Abbie Pearce and Milestone both successfully kicked two conversions and Georgia Coninx added one.

The NLD Women squad included an impressive 15 players from Lincolnshire clubs. They are: Abigail Lee, Jade Morgan, Jenna Bierton, Hannah Newsome (all Lincoln), Mollie Smith, Tash Champion, Tiana Woollaston, Cath Neville (all Boston), Cassie Milestone, Jodie Britcliffe, Jorja Lyons, Ewa Jasek (all Scunthorpe), Bethan Owen, Charlotte Hancock (both Sleaford), and Hannah Dennis (Stamford).

Boston’s Mollie Smith, Tash Champion, Tiana Woollaston, and Cath Neville were all in the NLD Women squad. | Photo: Jess Wright

The Boston players who played for NLD were supported by their club teammates. | Photo: Jess Wright

Scunthorpe’s Cassie Milestone, Jodie Britcliffe, Ewa Jasek, and Jorja Lyons were all in the NLD Women squad.

Paul Beard, assistant coach of NLD Women, said: “I am extremely happy with the performance the women put on. We’ve been working really hard as a group on our shape and with 33 involved in the game, the shape stayed throughout, showing how much they’re all buying into the process.

“To play a team in a higher division and ultimately win the game in the manner we did, shows the potential this group has. It’s given us as coaches some brilliant headaches looking at different combinations and we’re going to use this as a platform to build towards our goals through the rest of the programme.”

Sleaford’s Bethan Owen in action for NLD Women. | Photo: Cheryl Ellron

Stamford’s Hannah Dennis and Sleaford’s Charlotte Hancock in action during the match between NLD Women and East Midlands Women. | Photo: Cheryl Ellron

Meanwhile, Sleaford’s men’s 1st XV were awarded a home walkover and progressed through to the next round of the NLD Vase as injuries left opponents Cleethorpes with no choice but to concede the tie.

North Hykeham enjoyed a great Easter tour playing against Peterlee & Harden RFC. | Photo: Adrian France

North Hykeham enjoyed a great Easter tour playing against Peterlee & Horden RFC

Hykeham player Daniel Greener played for his home club in the first half and for the Lincolnshire side in the second, scoring ‘wonder tries’ for both teams and then being “suitably fined afterwards”.

The host club were said to be very welcoming and Hykeham are looking forward to the return leg in Lincolnshire in the future.

Off the pitch Stamford Women raised over £3,000 towards a new clubhouse at their rugby club.

Fundraising for Stamford Rugby Club. Left to right – Lisa Power, Mackensie Higgins, Daisy Attley, Colin Attley, Emily Russell, and Sally Cheney.

Captain Daisy Attley, her dad Colin, mum Sally Cheney, and her team-mates Emily Russell, Lisa Power, Mackensie Higgins all took part in a 41 mile walk from Stamford Rugby Club earlier this month. Martin Ballard, Paul Cheney and Darren Gray helped the cause by driving the support cars.

They set off on April 1 and walked all the way to Northampton Saints Cinch Stadium, which they arrived at just before 12pm on April 2 in time to watch the England’s Red Roses beat Italy in the Six Nations.

Donations can still be made to Stamford’s fundraiser online here.

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