SOUTH CRAVEN school's rugby team is just two games away from a date at Twickenham -- the headquarters of the game.

The Under-18 team has swept all before them in the Daily Mail's School Rugby Union Vase competition.

Last weekend they beat King Edward VI's school Morpeth 10-3 to reach the quarter-final stage of the competition and will now meet the strong challenge of Margaret St Mary's College from Sheffield as they bid to take one of schools rugby's biggest titles.

Their classy victory over the Morpeth team saw them claim one of the biggest scalps in the game. They reached the semi-final stage last year and were one of the favourites again. A date has still to be fixed for the game against Margaret St Mary's but it has to take place between February 8 and 14.

The Sheffield team booked their place in the quarter-final with a 55-0 victory over Brooke Weston CTC from Northampton.

The South Craven squad has built up an enviable reputation under coach Dave Royles, who has called on Wharfedale's first team coach, Hedley Verity, to give the team a taste of top class rugby

On their way to this stage of the competition they have beaten Guiseley School, Bingley Grammar, Ermysted's Grammar School, Skipton, and Keswick School.

"Rugby is very popular and we now play over 100 games a season," Dave Royles said.

n The team is - Back row (from left): Rob Wilkinson, Rick Longbotton, Rob Baldwin, James Cunliffe, Matt Knappy, Jordan Ross, Joe Lazenby. Second row: Lee Knox, Gareth Steeples, Rick Parker, Rob Cotterill, Chris Tomlinson, Tom Wareing, Mark Watson. Third row: Matt Shuttleworth, Oliver Pursglove, Paul Hardwick, James Tillotson, Gavin Jones, Ben Woollard. Front: Ross Milner, Stuart Slinger, Sam Smith, Mike Hebden.