Cougar Cubs 32

Bantams 6

Rugby Union and League players faced each other in a cross-code competition last weekend -- which would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.

Keighley Bantams Under-14's invited Cougar Cubs to play in a bridge-building game at the Keighleians ground on Saturday with the first game in the unique double-header played in under the thirteen-a-side rules.

Both teams approached the match with their customary team spirit and in the first half the Cubs tackled like demons in the face of some excellent cross-field passing from the bantams.

Allister Brown broke the deadlock for the Cubs and Peter Gower jinked his way through the Bantams line before sprinting in under the posts. The conversion by Kristian Stell took the score to 10-0 at half time.

After the break the Cubs full back, Keith Shackelton, broke away and Stell added another conversion. The bantams continued to play courageously with great passing and good tactical kicking and went close on several occasions.

Persistence paid off when Oliver Robinson went in at the corner and captain Scott Dyson added a superb conversion to put the Bantams firmly back in the game.

Further Cubs tries came from Nicky Smith and James Boxwell with Shackleton adding both conversions.

Although the Cubs won under their own rules the result was the least important aspect of an impressive meeting between the two teams. They now plan to meet again to play each other under the Union code.

n Bantams captain Kris Stell (above left) greets Cubs skipper Mathew Dobson before the game.