Cumbrians start trail to Twickers

rugby union By John Walsh

Last updated 11:47, Friday, 05 September 2008

CUMBRIAN rugby union clubs will be back in action tomorrow at the start of a national competition which stages its final at Twickenham.

Eleven Cumbria League sides are involved in the Senior Vase with just one all-county clash – Wigton Wanderers v Workington Steelers.

Organisers dropped a clanger when they first of all paired Wigton with Workington, the two North Lancs Cumbria League sides, who are exempt to a later stage.

The blushes were spared when the two clubs’ second teams were allocated their places in the first round.

Five of the Cumbrian clubs are on the road and only four have home advantage.

Both Aspatria Eagles and Netherhall travel to the north-east where they take-on Durham/Northumberland Two opposition – North Shields and Whitley Bay Rockcliffe respectively.

Creighton also face opposition from the same north-east League but they will have home advantage over Winlaton Vulcans.

Three of the Copeland sides travel into Yorkshire – Gosforth Greengarth are at Huddersfield YMCA; Whitehaven visit Keighley and Egremont make the trip to Leeds to take-on Leodiensian.

The other two Copeland sides have home ties – Millom hosting North Ribblesdale while St. Benedict’s have a visit from Yarnbury.

In the other first round tie involving a Cumbrian club Cockermouth will entertain Ponteland.