BOTH Skipton and North Ribblesdale rugby union clubs open a new league season tomorrow without their anticipated overseas contingent.

The Settle side were expecting Kiwi hooker Mike Robinson to return this season, but the London-based player has decided to spend some time travelling around Europe and will only be available for occasional matches.

The club has also been hit by the decision of young wingman Stephen Cowperthwaite to throw in his lot with Horton AFC in the Craven League after spending time in New Zealand last year, while the departure of centre Marc Driver to West Leeds robs them of another first-team regular.

On the credit side, the Grove Park men, who open their programme tomorrow with a home league game against Sheffield Tigers, have gained Adam Pike, a promising youngster from Yarnbury who played with Yorkshire Under 20s last season.

The absence of Robinson has prompted North Ribblesdale officials to spread the recruitment net into South Africa, but though there are hopes of strengthening the squad with a couple of Springbok players, that is unlikely to happen before the end of October.

As a result, the onus for getting the team away to a decent start seems certain to focus on home-grown talent, with Adam Whaites and Adam Stubbs among the younger end ready to step up.

Another new face in that bracket is Fraser Buchan, who has returned to the fold from Skipton.

The Sandylands men, who get underway with a trip to Ilkley tomorrow, at least have part of their recruitment plans in place with Kiwi utility back Grant Litt in situ and named at centre tomorrow.

Sadly, immigration controls have robbed the Reds of their Tongan No 8, with the result that the club's New Zealand agent is again on the search for another antipodean to team up with Litt.

With Adam Oldfield now at Wharfedale, Darren Howson still on a sabbatical in Australia and centre Ian Sneddon ruled out after breaking his arm in two places, Skipton's centre resources have been severely stretched for the opening game.

As a result, Litt partners Wayne Berrey - back at the club after returning to Somerset a couple of seasons ago - with Sean Kennedy at fly-half alongside Shaun Barraclough.

Barraclough will be making his debut at scrum-half , even though he is still only 17. Not so long ago the club were collecting letters of censure from the Yorkshire RFU for fielding an 'under-age' player, but now the county has seen fit to relax the league regulations and Barraclough gets his chance.

At the opposite end of the experience scale, seasoned front-row man Bob Birks joins Robbie King and Peter Jenkinson at the coal face, with the back five of the pack staffed by familiar faces from last season - Messrs Newhouse, Winthrop, Morgan, Scrivin and skipper Mark Davison, who takes the No 8 slot.

Andrew Porter helps out by taking a place on the bench in a week when Graham Newhouse and Neil King are side-lined by wedding commitments and Phil Crossman is on holiday.

Keighley, who won 19-10 at North Ribblesdale last weekend, open their league programme at home to Huddersfield YMCA.

Skipton (at Ilkley): M Richards; M Beech, W Berrey, G Litt, P Lacy; S Kennedy, S Barraclough; R Birks, R King, P Jenkinson, A Newhouse, A Winthrop, J Morgan, I Scrivin, M Davison. Replacements: G Hindle, C Wright, A Porter.