Skipton hopes of progressing still further in the RFU Junior Cup received a welcome boost yesterday when the Sandylands men were given a home tie against Knottingley in Round Four of the competition.

The Wakefield side are currently operating in Yorkshire Division Four, where they occupy third place, with just one defeat from five matches, but the gulf in the status of the two sides, coupled with home advantage, should allow the Reds to take another step on the road to Twickenham.

Skipper Declan Hayes could not conceal his delight at the pairing. He said: "That's tremendous. We were looking at the sides left in the draw on Monday night and decided that either Sheffield Oaks or Knottingley would be the one we would pick".

Further good news for the club should be arriving next week in the shape of New Zealander Ria Ruaputu. In fact if all goes according to plan Skipton's latest Kiwi is due to arrive on the island on Thursday.

The 21-year-old back-row forward hails from Waikato, where he has just completed his first senior season with the Hamilton Marist club. He has also played for Waikato Under 21s and has been attracting significant media praise for his contributions in a highly-competitive environment.