IF WHARFEDALE run out to Sister Sledge's We Are Family when they play Macclesfield at The Avenue on Saturday, April 11, it would be entirely appropriate.

The Dalesmen secured tier-three rugby for a 20th successive season last Saturday when they defeated visitors Cinderford 32-21 and Greens coach Jon Feeley called the achievement "fantastic".

He said of his 11th-placed club: "We are bottom of the league when it comes to budget. The closest one to us will probably be Tynedale (second from bottom in 15th), but they still manage to sign Premiership players on dual contract from Newcastle, which gives them a leg up compared to us.

"This is the third season that I have been involved at this level, and I look at Blaydon, who were in the top third of last season's league (they finished sixth) and have been in the bottom third this season (three straight wins have pulled them up to sixth).

"The league is getting more physical each season, and we haven't just had players who have been injured for weeks, we have players who have been injured for months or who have even been out for the season, such as Richard Rhodes and Rob Baldwin."

So, bearing in mind their small budget and an horrendous crop of injuries that has again caused them to dip into the Foresters, what is it that sustains Wharfedale?

It goes back to the Sister Sledge hit and a reminder that Wharfedale are indeed one family.

Feeley said that it was exemplified by last Saturday's match, where the first team played in pink socks to raise awareness of the Candlelighters charity and the battle of their under-ten player Tom Slater against a rare cancer of the liver.

Coach Feeley said: "The togetherness goes right down from the first team to the Foresters, to the Colts and the juniors and minis – right down to the under-sixes and the under-sevens."