AS they prepare for a new season Ilkley RUFC can look back on last season when Anthony Cadman skippered the First XV with authority and enthusiasm.

Richard Midgeley became club coach mid-way through the season and responded very positively to the challenge.

The Second XV enjoyed a hugely successful season under the astute captaincy of Dave Duxbury. The team had a blend of experience and new young talent and won all their games bar four.

The team won the Second XV Yorkshire Two Division and the Aire Wharfe Cup for the second successive season and the standard of rugby throughout the season was in the main outstanding.

The Second XV provided ample cover for the First XV and produced several players who will compete for first team places in the coming season.

The Third XV, under the guidance of Tom Gillon, was a mixture of young and older players with a fair number of Bradford University students and the results on the field were mixed. However, the standard of rugby played was good and everybody was committed to enjoying their Saturday afternoon on the rugby field.

Nick Bell has been appointed First XV captain for the forthcoming season. Dave Duxbury remains chairman of Rugby and Richard Midgley is club coach.

The Junior Section remains buoyant under the chairmanship of Tony Griffiths. Six sides play rugby on a Sunday morning and the club provides the opportunity for younger members to learn and enjoy the game of rugby football.

The junior committee do a sterling job in organising and coaching the junior members. These players are the lifeblood of the club and it is vital that they progress to the senior sides in the future.

On the non-playing side of the club many thanks are due to all those involved with fund-raising during the year. In particular the president Duncan Feather for looking after the sponsors, Richard Merkin for running the 100 Club, Maggie Gilbert for the Christmas Raffle, David Sayers for organising the club programme, Pauline Brook for selling raffle tickets and Eric Jenkinson for sorting out the caravan rallies.

Collectively well over £16,000 is raised annually and without their various magnificent contributions the club would be in serious financial trouble.

During the past season the club has benefited from various improvements. In particular replacement floodlights have been installed at the far side of the training pitch, the problematic part of the training pitch was ploughed, levelled and re-seeded and the drainage is now very much better. The kitchen and clubhouse have been rewired and decorated at a cost of approximately £4,000.

The outside walls of the grandstand have been cement rendered, the changing rooms decorated and the bath re-tiled.

The club's thanks go to Tim Bowles, Andrew Smith, Eric Jenkinson and the Thursday gang for their time and contributions.

Also John Hope for his unflinching efforts in writing the First XV match reports on a weekly basis.

John also organises the club's Golf Day. This most enjoyable event was held at Silsden Golf Club and over 40 members played.

Disability award

THE Rugby Development Officers of Yorkshire have received an award from the Federation of Disability Sport for their continued assistance with Rugby Union for young people and adults with a disability.

The RDOs in Yorkshire have been fully committed to delivering Tag Rugby to children and adults throughout Yorkshire, with coaching and festivals held in Leeds, Sheffield and Hull.

The award was presented to Alec Porter, RDO for Central Yorkshire, at the Awards Dinner at the Elland Road banqueting suite.