UYRUFC will go into Roses full of memories of last year’s thrilling win at Huntington’s Stadium. Injured 1sts captain Fraser Kirkley said: “The build up to Roses is always special, the season is over and the boys have a new focus. All the shirts are up for grabs, nobody is a dead cert, which makes things exciting.
“Lancaster will be a better drilled opponent this year; they’re undefeated this year and they’ll be wanting revenge on our 5 year whitewash. There’s no doubt that all the fixtures will be thrilling, and I’m very jealous of the boys running out with the crest on their chests. I have every faith that Matthew Thorp, who will be captaining the ones, will lead the side to victory ably aided by the likes of Tristan Burd and Conan Osborn. The steady heads of James Peacock, Matt Darroch and Luke Cunnah will ensure the right results in the other fixtures.”
Meanwhile, the women’s 1sts will arrive as favourites after their unbeaten season. President Mollie Staples told Vision: “As a club we have achieved one of the best seasons in our history with an unbeaten record and a 296 points difference. This success has made us more enthusiastic than ever to secure a win at roses and to remain unbeaten this year. Last year was fantastic with the first win against Lancaster for two years, and we believe we can better it this year as our squads have never been stronger.”