OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE RUGBY UNION CLUB PLAY-OFF SYSTEM REMOVED FROM GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP FROM NEXT SEASON T

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1 CARNEGIE TIMES THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE RUGBY UNION CLUB ISSUE 12 INSIDE: CARNEGIE SEASON STATS CLUB NEWS OPPOSITION: LONDON IRISH SQUADS PLAY-OFF SYSTEM REMOVED FROM GREENE KING IPA CHAMPIONSHIP FROM NEXT SEASON T he Rugby Football Union (RFU) Council has approved a threeseason plan to remove the end-of-season play-off system between the top four teams to decide the winner of the Greene King IPA Championship. From next season, the club who finishes top of the table will be crowned the winner of the Greene King IPA Championship and will be promoted into Premiership Rugby the following season if they satisfy the Minimum Standards Criteria of the premier club competition. The new format was agreed and supported by the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Greene King IPA Championship clubs and came with their recommendation to be considered and ratified by the RFU Council. Additional funding from the RFU and Premiership Rugby (PRL) will be provided to Greene King IPA Championship clubs as a result of an agreement between the three parties. The multi-million pound deal over three seasons will include increased payments to each club plus the opportunity to secure meritocracy payments based on the clubs final position in the table to ensure competition among clubs throughout the entirety of the season. This funding differs to the payments already made to clubs by the RFU and PRL. Ian Ritchie, RFU Chief Executive, said: The RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Greene King IPA Championship clubs agree this is a positive step forward. The first-past-the-post system will allow the promoted club a greater amount of time to recruit ahead of the next season which is important for their preparation in playing in the Premiership. In addition, all of the clubs will also benefit from extra funding provided by the RFU and Premiership Rugby. It was also important for this regulation change to be agreed in principle by the RFU Council to allow clubs certainty regarding budget planning for next season. Geoff Irvine, Chairman of the Greene King IPA Championship clubs, added: This agreement, which is fixed for the next three seasons, provides a period of stability and continuity which will enable the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Greene King IPA Championship clubs to engage in meaningful dialogue to further Yorkshire Carnegie and London Irish go head to head today and for promotion this season relationships and develop initiatives for the mutual benefit of both parties. Mark McCafferty, Chief Executive at Premiership Rugby, said: It s vital that any club being promoted from the Greene King IPA Championship is as prepared as it can be to compete, given the quality and intensity of Premiership Rugby. The current play-off system does not always help with that whereas a return to first-past-the-post from next season will provide the potential for more advanced planning and recruitment. The Greene King IPA Championship is an important part of the professional game and with the RFU, we have now committed to additional funding from next year to support its development. Yorkshire Carnegie Executive President, Sir Ian McGeechan, has welcomed the changes for the Championship. He commented: Obviously this season we will be doing everything possible to achieve our goal of reaching the Aviva Premiership. However, having been part of the play-off system for a number of years, I am pleased to see the return of the first-past-the-post system. "The decision to make this announcement now is particularly welcome for all the clubs and allows the Championship sides the opportunity to get their financial and personnel planning in place for Everyone in the Championship will go into next season knowing what they need to do to get promoted and the team that gains promotion will need to be consistent throughout a long, hard campaign. Be everything you want to be at Leeds Beckett University Visit to find out more 1

2 FACTS & FIGURES YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE ROLL CALL Name Position HT WT DOB Age Season Carnegie Career Debut Starts Subs Tries Pts Starts Subs Tries Pts Sam Allan Fly Half 1.0m 6kg 2/09/ V Munster A 20/11/15 Tom Arscott Winger 1.5m Kg 25/0/ V Jersey 24/02/17 Josh Bainbridge Back Row 1.3m 94kg 17/04/ V Doncaster 2/09/14 Richard Beck Back Row 1.m 100kg 13/06/ V Leicester 0/11/09 Charlie Beech Prop 1.5m 120kg 21/07/ V Bristol 13/10/13 Matt Beesley Prop 1.5m 123kg 03/04/ Guy Borrowdale Second Row 1.95m 110kg 05/09/ V Rotherham 10/10/14 Lewis Boyce Prop 1.9m 111kg 30/07/ V Rotherham 10/10/14 Tom Bullough Centre 1.3m 70kg 10/04/ v Dragons PS 17/12/16 Ryan Burrows Number Eight 1.93m 105kg 25/04/ V London Welsh 04/09/11 Charlie Capps Prop 1.4m 102Kg 0/06/ V Doncaster 09/10/15 Tom Casson Centre 1.3m 94Kg 06/04/ V Bristol 1/10/15 Tom Catterick Fly Half 1.7m 1kg 1/10/ Michael Cusack Prop 1.79m 135kg 07/11/ V Bath 14/09/03 Alex Davies Scrum Half 1.75m 1kg 21/06/ v Ealing 03/09/16 Chris Elder Full back 1.93m 107kg 12/06/ v Nottingham 26/12/16 Sione Faletau Prop 1.3m 135kg 20/06/ v L Scottish 2/01/17 Joe Ford Fly Half 1.79m 4kg 04/06/ V Leicester 0/11/09 Andy Forsyth Centre 1.m 7Kg 09/09/ V Jersey 06/09/15 Oliver Fox Scrum Half 1.75m 76kg 14/03/ v Dragons PS 11/12/16 Christian Georgiou Full back 1.5m 90kg 09/01/ V Currie 13/11/11 Oli Goss Centre 1.0m 5kg 21/12/ V Jersey 21/10/12 Ross Graham Hooker 1.7m 102kg 20/12/ v London Welsh 17/09/16 Alex Gray Centre 1.93m 104kg 01/05/ v Ealing 03/09/16 Max Green Scrum half 1.6m 5Kg 13/02/ V Ealing 20/09/15 Jonah Holmes Winger 1.3m 91kg 24/07/ V Nottingham 31/0/12 Lee Imiolek Prop 1.5m 110kg 21/09/ V Nottingham 31/0/12 Pete Lucock Centre 1.3m 90kg 27/11/ V Rotherham 21/09/11 Mike Mayhew Hooker 1.m 111kg 22/01/ v Ealing 15/10/16 Richard Mayhew Back Row 1.91m 109kg 24/06/ v Ealing 03/09/16 Stevie McColl Full back 1.5m 9kg 16/0/ V London Welsh 04/09/11 Mike Myerscough Second Row 1.96m 110kg 2/05/ V Nottingham 31/0/12 Phil Nilsen Hooker 1.7m 101kg 26/02/ V Cornish Pirates 23/09/06 Rob O Donnell Prop 1.9m 122Kg 15/12/ V Jersey 06/09/15 Ciaran Parker Prop 1.3m 1.kg 05/10/ v Ealing 03/09/16 Jordon Poole Hooker 1.75m 90kg 02/04/ V Ospreys 15/11/15 Taylor Prell Full back 1.79m 0kg 03/07/ V Rotherham 10/10/14 Dan Preston-Routledge 2nd Row 1.95m 99kg 27/10/ V Aberavon 07/12/13 Gary Robertson Prop 1.3m 116kg 27/06/ v Dragons PS 11/12/16 Dan Sanderson Second Row 2.03m 119kg 1/0/ v Ealing 03/09/16 Andy Saull Back Row 1.5m 101Kg 27/09/ V Jersey 06/09/15 Dean Schofi eld Second Row 1.9m 124Kg 19/01/ V Jersey 06/09/15 Warren Seals Fly Half 1.6m 97kg 12/02/ v Rotherham 01/10/16 Matt Smith Second Row 2.03m 111kg 26/10/ V Bristol 23/09/12 Brandon Staples Number Eight 1.95m 104kg 24/01/ v Dragons PS 17/12/16 Ollie Stedman Back Row 1.91m 119kg 20/05/ v Scarlets 06/11/10 Seb Stegmann Winger 1.5m 93Kg 12/04/ V Jersey 06/09/15 James Thraves Prop 1.m 11kg 05/01/ v Rotherham 01/10/16 Chris Walker Back Row 1.1m 95kg 21/01/ V Llanelli 06/11/10 Ben West Prop 1.9m 111Kg 19/01/ v London Welsh 01/01/17 Jack Whetton Back Row 2.00m 119kg 24/05/ v Nottingham 11/09/16 Lewis Wilson Back Row 1.1m 93Kg 03/02/ v Dragons PS 11/12/16 Max Wright Centre 1.4m 7Kg 24/05/ V Ospreys PS 15/11/15 Penalty tries 2 Average age , , TOP FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP TRY SCORERS Tyson Lewis Doncaster Knights Jonah Holmes Yorkshire Carnegie Rob O'Donnell Yorkshire Carnegie Dean Adamson Bedford Blues Kristian Phillips London Welsh TOP FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT SCORERS Tommy Bell London Irish Peter Lydon Rotherham Titans Joe Ford Yorkshire Carnegie Aaron Penberthy Ealing Trailfinders Laurence May Cornish Pirates FIXTURE LIST Date KO H/A Comp Opposition Result (F-A) SEPTEMBER 2016 Sat 3 Sep 15:00 A CHAMP Ealing Trailfi nders Sun 11 Sep 15:00 H CHAMP Nottingham Sat 17 Sep 14:00 A CHAMP London Welsh Result Void Sun 25 Sep 15:00 H CHAMP London Scottish OCTOBER 2016 Sat 1 Oct 15:00 A CHAMP Rotherham Titans Sun 9 Oct 14:00 A CHAMP Cornish Pirates 35-2 Sat 15 Oct 15:00 A B&I Cup Ealing Trailfi nders Sat 22 Oct 14:30 H B&I Cup Bedford Blues 52-2 Fri 2 Oct 20:00 H CHAMP Jersey Reds NOVEMBER 2016 Sat 5 Nov 15:00 A CHAMP London Irish Fri 1 Nov 20:00 H CHAMP Doncaster 24-6 Fri 25 Nov 19:45 A CHAMP Richmond DECEMBER 2016 Fri 2 Dec 20:00 H CHAMP Bedford Blues 2-15 Sun 11 Dec 14:00 H B&I Cup Dragons PS Sat 17 Dec 14:00 A B&I Cup Dragons PS Mon 26 Dec 14:00 A CHAMP Nottingham JANUARY 2017 Sun 1 Jan 15:00 H CHAMP London Welsh Result Void Sat 14 Jan 15:00 A B&I Cup Bedford Blues Sat 21 Jan 14:00 H B&I Cup Ealing Sat 2 Jan 14:00 A CHAMP London Scottish FEBRUARY 2017 Sun 5 Feb 15:00 H CHAMP Rotherham Titans Sat 1 Feb 15:00 H CHAMP Cornish Pirates Fri 24 Feb 19:45 A CHAMP Jersey Reds MARCH 2017 Sun 5 Mar 15:00 H CHAMP London Irish Sat 11 Mar 14:00 A B&I Cup QF London Irish Sun 19 Mar 15:00 A CHAMP Doncaster Sun 26 Mar 15:00 H CHAMP Richmond APRIL 2017 Sat Apr 15:00 A CHAMP Bedford Blues Sat 15 Apr 15:00 H CHAMP Ealing Trailfinders RFU CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE P W D L F A 4T Pts 1 London Irish Yorkshire Carnegie Doncaster Ealing Trailfinders Cornish Pirates Jersey London Scottish Nottingham Bedford Rotherham Titans Richmond London Welsh* P: Played W: Won D: Drawn L: Lost F: Points for A: Points against 4T: Try-scoring bonus Pts: Points *Club has been withdrawn from the competition 2

3 CLUB NEWS OLLIE FOX NAMED IN ENGLAND UNDER-1 SQUAD Yorkshire Carnegie Academy star Ollie Fox has been named in the England Under-1 squad to face Scotland and France this month. Fox, who is a student at Pontefract New College, is currently on dual registration with Sandal playing National League. He has been in impressive form for the Academy this season and has captained the side. He earned selection for the first-team this season, making his debut against Dragons Premiership Select in the British & Irish Cup and made a further appearance against the same opposition in the home fixture. England take on France on 5th March and Scotland on 12th March. The squad who take on France is a 1st September birthday squad and the Scotland Under-1 game is a 1st January birthday squad. The 1st January squad allows birthdays in line with international age groups and not following academic school year age groups, where potentially players could be playing against players nearly a full 12 months older than them. Speaking about Fox s selection for the England squads, academy manager Jon Pendlebury said: To be involved in both match squads is an outstanding achievement and recognition for Ollie s development and performances this year. Ollie s selection builds on the involvement that Ben Carlile, who is working his way back YORKSHIRE COACHING ACADEMY GRADUATION PRESENTATION DAY This is the third year that young coaches from around Yorkshire have graduated via the Yorkshire Coaching Academy. Today, on the pitch at half-time, they receive their certificates from Sir Ian McGeechan, a generous supporter of the enterprise. The Academy programme invited young coaches aged between 16 and 24 to undertake a four-month journey in the first steps of coaching rugby to boys and girls up to the age of 12. After attending two evenings in November, covering How to Coach Kids and Rugby Ready, they then all successfully passed their UKCC Rugby Level One Award in coaching last month. The Academy initiated by Allan Secker (Yorkshire Coaching Chairman) is managed throughout the process by Dave Francis, assisted by Martin Webdale. They are present today, to witness and congratulate the young coaches in their hard work and commitment. The successful coaches receiving their certificates are: Joshua Adams, Jack Eggleston James Flanagan, Corey Hurley, Gregory King, Calum MacLeod, Sam Moss, Tara Rotherforth, Georgia Staples, Oliver Wigglesworth and Daniel Young. from a long-term ankle injury, has had with England Under- 17s, Jack Wafer, who has been out since November with a knee injury, Shaun Crouch, who has a neck injury and Ben Whyte, who has a head injury, have all had with England Under-1s. Harry Davey, from Silcoates, was very unlucky to miss out on selection for these squads, he has been involved in the camps and has been exceptional for the Academy this season." STUART DIXON JOINS ACADEMY COACHING STAFF Yorkshire Carnegie have further strengthened their Academy coaching staff, with the appointment of Stuart Dixon as Academy Coach Development Officer. Stuart brings a wealth of player development, player identification and coach education experience with him from the RFU. Prior to joining the coaching staff, he has worked with the Academy very closely over the last number of years, particularly on the ERDPP pathways which were previously Schools of Rugby. He has played professionally, most notably with Rotherham Rugby and Wakefield as well as being involved with Bradford & Bingley over a number of years, most recently as Head Coach. Alongside his RFU Player Development role, Stuart has been actively involved with Yorkshire Carnegie and the County to help build and maintain strong, player centred pathways from Under Commenting on joining the coaching staff Stuart said: I am very excited to join the growing team here at Carnegie. This new role will help underpin all the hard work that Jon and Ben have put in over recent months into maintaining the Academy s position as one of the best run environments nationally, and alongside Scott Barrow I hope to ensure that the production line of talented Yorkshire based players continues to grow and thrive, through a strong and supportive coach development programme. Speaking about the appointment Academy Manager, Jon Pendlebury, said: Myself and Ben Lazenby and delighted to welcome Stuart to our coaching team. Stuart already has established relationships in County rugby, the North and across the country and we feel that he will really be able to push and challenge progress in coach education and development throughout Yorkshire. YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE DELIVER FIRST ALL GIRLS RUGBY CAMP Yorkshire Carnegie held their first All Girls Rugby Camp during the half-term holidays. This saw 25 girls from across the county attend Pontefract RUFC for the one-day camp. The day started with handling, passing and evasive skills, with the afternoon focused on tackling technique. This was all under the guidance of the Yorkshire Carnegie Community Coaches including Senior Academy players Sam Allan and Tom Bullough. Lisa McCann, Community Manager, commented: It was a great day and a really good chance for the girls to showcase their existing skills and develop further with our coaches. The women and girls game is going from strength to strength and we are delighted to be able to support this growth. The Community team will be launching a brand new girls rugby programme in the coming weeks aimed at those aged 13-years-old and over, so keep checking our website and social media for details. 3

4 CLUB NEWS BURROWS SET TO JOIN FALCONS NEXT SEASON Yorkshire Carnegie captain Ryan Burrows will join Aviva Premiership side Newcastle Falcons for next season. The 2-year-old has scored 2 tries in his 13 appearances for Carnegie since joining them in The 6ft 2in back-row forward also made more than a century of appearances for Rotherham. Born in the Yorkshire town of Cleckheaton, Burrows is already familiar to Newcastle after scoring the winning try against the Falcons during the 2013 RFU Championship play-off semi-final. Having spoken to Dean Richards, he really sold the vision and the ambition of the club moving forward, said Burrows. Watching where they have come from in terms of being a Championship side four years ago, they are now pushing for a top-six Aviva Premiership place and are beating big sides on a regular basis. They are playing a style of rugby which really appeals to me, and overall it s just an attractive prospect. Keen to thank Yorkshire Carnegie and determined to finish his time with the club by leading them back into the top-flight, Burrows added: It wasn t an easy decision to make in the sense that I ve really enjoyed my time with Yorkshire Carnegie, and I m enormously grateful to the club and the supporters for everything they ve done for me. I have been happy throughout my whole time here but the prospect of playing Premiership rugby was a huge draw, and something that can t be guaranteed at Yorkshire Carnegie due to the Championship play-off system. It was too good an opportunity to pass up at this stage of my career. We have some big games coming up for Carnegie against the likes of London Irish this weekend, and it s a really big push between now and the end of the Championship season. I am totally focused on helping the club achieve their goal for the rest of the year, and try and achieve what I originally set out to do when I joined Carnegie, which is getting them back into the Premiership. BE A MASCOT AT A YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE GAME Do you know a young Yorkshire Carnegie fan who would love to be a match day mascot? We re offering lucky fans the chance to lead Yorkshire Carnegie onto the pitch at a future Yorkshire Carnegie game, just like Freddie and Lucas Robinson did at our last game against Cornish Pirates. The lucky mascot will get a close up of the pre-match warm up on the famous Headingley Carnegie pitch and have a photo taken with the Carnegie Captain on the pitch before kick-off. To enter the draw, all you have to do is send your name, your child s name and contact details to alison.ward@leedsrugby.com and if succe ssful you will be allocated a home game. COMMUNITY ROUND-UP Last week the Yorkshire Carnegie community team, supported by members of the Yorkshire Carnegie squad, celebrated World Book Day in schools through assemblies, competitions and the continuation of the Rugby Readers programme. Speaking about his love of reading, Carnegie player Seb Stegmann said: It is great to be a part of World Book Day again. I enjoy reading all kinds of books now and this passion for reading started when I was at school, so I would encourage school children to pick up a book and get reading This past week has also seen the community team deliver coaching sessions across the county, including supporting Brackenfield School with their Under-11s festival, held at Knaresborough RUFC. The event was a great success for the school, who are one of our Affiliated Schools. IN MEMORIAM MARK REID RIP It was with much sadness that the club learned of the death of former Headingley FC second row Mark Reid, aged 57. Mark passed away on Monday 27th February after a long illness and a short spell in intensive care. The Community department are delighted to welcome Sam Kerry to the team. Sam has been appointed as a Community Coach and will be responsible for leading the delivery of the Yorkshire Carnegie Community programmes. WELCOME TO OUR AFFILIATED SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS At this afternoon s game, we welcome several of our Affiliated Clubs and Schools along to the match from across the region, who will be taking part in our prematch activities. Today s player escorts are from Wetherby and the guard of honour will be formed by players from Keighley and West Park Leeds. At half-time there will be mini games from the teams from Wetherby, Sandal, Keighley, Baildon, West Park Leeds and Aireborough. We will also be making presentations to our School of the Month, Fulneck School and Club of the Month, Wetherby RUFC. The Yorkshire Cup winning side with Mark Reid immediately to the right of the trophy Mark will be put to rest at Easthampstead Crematorium, South Road, Bracknell, Wokingham, SL6 1BN on Wednesday 22nd March at 12.45pm. He was a member of the Yorkshire Cup winning side which was a period of dominance for the side in the County Cup as they lifted the trophy six times in seven seasons. He moved away from Yorkshire, originally to the Midlands, before settling in Slough where he continued to play the game at a high level with Southampton. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this sad time. GERRY GREAVES RIP The club were sad to hear of the loss of Gerry Greaves who died peacefully in hospital on the 1th February, aged 92 years. He was a true stalwart of and served in many capacities at Headingley FC and became an honorary life member in The funeral service will be held in St Oswalds Parish Church, Leathley on Monday 6th March at 2.30pm. 4

5 YORKS HIRE C A RN E G IE v s L O N D O N IRISH S U N D AY 5 t h MAR C H, BE IN YOUR MATE S CORNER AND CHANGE A LIFE MEN URGED IN NEW MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is supporting two national mental health campaigns launched by the Rugby Players Association (RPA) and 'Time to Change'. With statistics showing that one in four people will fight mental health problems in any given year, the RPA, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness have launched campaigns aimed at raising awareness, offering support and changing perceptions of how to deal with mental health. The RPA s Lift the Weight campaign aims to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues, sharing stories and experiences of team-mates and peers in order to create a greater understanding of mental health issues within rugby. The 'Lift the Weight' launch video and interviews are available to view on the RPA s new 'Lift the Weight' hub, alongside other resources, links and advice relating to a range of mental health issues. 'Time to Change', the mental health campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, has launched a fiveyear campaign In Your Corner, encouraging men to be open and supportive to someone they know who is fighting a mental health problem. Want to play your part in the movement? The more shares, views, comments, likes and discussions you create, the more people will know how to be there for their mates. You also let your friends know you re in their corner. One in four of us will fight mental health problems this year, so it s likely someone you know will be affected right now, even if they haven t been able to tell you. Only a third of men say they talk openly about their feelings. Without support from those around them, people with mental health problems can lose what they care about most: their job, family and friends, their home. While there has been a positive step change in the way mental health is viewed and talked about in England, with 3.4million people having improved attitudes, our research shows a persistent gap between the attitudes of men and women, with men consistently showing less favourable attitudes. 'Time to Change', the mental health campaign run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, carried out research into men s 5 attitudes towards mental health over the course of a year, which included feedback from 1 focus groups across the country. This new insight revealed a number of barriers preventing men in particular from opening up to the topic of mental health. Compared to women, men are: Less knowledgeable about mental health, with more negative attitudes Far less likely to report their own experiences of mental health problems and less likely to discuss mental health problems with a professional More likely to say that mental health problems are the result of a lack of self-discipline and willpower Three times more likely to take their own lives than women, with suicide being the leading cause of death in men under 45 To reach men, 'Time to Change' has launched the campaign with a short, highimpact film featuring three heroic corner men ; regular guys who are in a mate s corner when he really needs them. 'Time to Change' is now urging men to recognise how their attitudes and behaviours can influence others experiences of mental health problems - and that being in a friend s corner can make all the difference. The campaign is relevant to everyone - men, women and young people - and shows straightforward ways that anyone can be there for someone. There are three steps people can take if they think a friend is struggling: Text, call, reach out to your mate Ask how they are, listen without judging Be yourself, do everyday things. As well as taking steps to be there for a friend, everyone is being encouraged to share the new film. To find out more information about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit: uk/inyourcorner Other research on men and mental health which backs up the new campaign has shown that only a third of men (34%) would talk openly about their feelings, and one in five (1%) admitted they saw others showing emotions as a sign of weakness. Worryingly, 31% of men said that they would be embarrassed about seeking help for a mental health problem. It is important to help remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues which is why the RFU is proud to support 'Lift the Weight' and 'Time to Change', said Ian Ritchie, RFU Chief Executive. We want everyone involved in the game to feel supported, that they are not alone in their struggles and able to speak out about anything that is troubling them.

6 JENNY MACDONALD SMITH J S WOOD COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES 6 AVAILABLE TO SPONSOR WARREN SEALS JAMES BAIRD MAX WRIGHT TONY SNOWDON DEAN SCHOFIELD MIKE SHOTTON & FAMILY STEVE McCOLL RICHARD MAYHEW MIKE MAYHEW PETER LUCOCK LEE IMIOLEK TOM CATTERICK ROSS GRAHAM RYAN BURROWS LEWIS BOYCE MATT BEESLEY CHARLIE BEECH RICHARD BECK JOSH BAINBRIDGE TOM CASSON DVD CONSULTING OLI GOSS ANDY FORSYTH JOE FORD SIONE FALETAU CHRIS ELDER ALEX DAVIES MICHAEL CUSACK DVD CONSULTING JACK WHETTON ANDY SAULL DAN SANDERSON TAYLOR PRELL JONAH HOLMES MAX GREEN ALEX GRAY TONY & SHEENA YULL BEN WEST J S WOOD COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES CHRIS WALKER JAMES THRAVES MIKE SHOTTON & FAMILY ROB O DONNELL PHIL NILSEN MIKE MYERSCOUGH THE GILLESPIE FAMILY SEB STEGMANN OLLIE STEDMAN MATT SMITH YORKS HIRE C A RN E G IE v s L O N D O N IRISH S U N D AY 5 T H MAR C H, YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE PLAYER SPONSORS CRAVEN SHIRES TECHNOLOGY FOR TEXTILES AND NONWOVENS J S WOOD COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES THE GILLESPIE FAMILY

7 OPPOSITION PROFILE: London Irish The season has marked the dawn of a new era at London Irish as the famous old club looks to rekindle past glories. A new management structure spearheaded by director of rugby Nick Kennedy was put in place last summer, tasked with the job of steering the Exiles back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Kennedy, aided by experienced technical director Brendan Venter, was joined by Clark Laidlaw (assistant coach), Declan Danaher (defence coach), George Skivington (forwards coach) and Paul Hodgson (skills coach) in the coaching office. After a perfect pre-season, which saw Irish record victories over Harlequins, Nottingham and Loughborough Students, Kennedy s men began their Greene King IPA Championship campaign with a 19-0 triumph against last season s runners-up Doncaster Knights. Tries from Tom Fowlie and Aseli Tikoirotuma coupled with the boot of Tommy Bell secured the spoils. The Exiles used this as a springboard to rack up a sequence of 15 straight league wins to date to remain unbeaten going into this afternoon s encounter with Yorkshire Carnegie. Wins against Richmond, Bedford Blues, Ealing Trailfinders and Nottingham in the month of September provided fresh impetus for the men in green. Whilst the British & Irish Cup got underway in October with a hard-fought win at Ospreys, Irish s league campaign continued to go from strength-to-strength with a victory over London Scottish in Richmond. The Exiles ran in seven tries during a devastating 0 minutes of rugby in front of the Sky cameras. Irish backed this up, running out winners at home to fellow promotion hopefuls and today s opponents Yorkshire Carnegie to get November off to a solid start. A brace apiece from James Marshall and Ben Ransom as well as a try from Tikoirotuma secured the bonus-point. A trip to Cornish Pirates ensued, before hosting Jersey Reds rounded off November with Irish maintaining their unbeaten record with victories in both. December continued in much the same fashion, Irish beating Rotherham Titans, Richmond and Bedford to end 2016 in style. January began with a victory at Connacht Eagles in the British & Irish Cup, the competition an opportunity for Kennedy to blood the next generation of talent. Irish s winning streak in all competitions came to an end the following week as Ospreys edged Irish at the Madejski in the cup, but a quarter-final lay in wait for the Exiles. Not deterred by his side s first defeat of the season, Kennedy guided Irish to wins over Ealing Trailfinders, Nottingham and London Scottish ahead of today s showdown at Headingley Carnegie. 7

8 YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE Try Con Pen DG Try Con Pen DG CHRIS ELDER JONAH HOLMES ANDY FORSYTH PETE LUCOCK TOM ARSCOTT TOM CATTERICK ALEX DAVIES LEWIS BOYCE MIKE MAYHEW MIKE CUSACK MIKE MYERSCOUGH BEN WEST OLLIE STEDMAN RICHARD MAYHEW (C) RYAN BURROWS 15 FULL-BACK 14 RIGHT WING 13 OUTSIDE CENTRE 12 INSIDE CENTRE 11 LEFT WING 10 FLY-HALF 9 SCRUM-HALF 1 LOOSEHEAD PROP 2 HOOKER 3 TIGHTHEAD PROP 4 LOCK 5 LOCK 6 BLINDSIDE FLANKER 7 OPENSIDE FLANKER NUMBER EIGHT LONDON IRISH GREIG TONKS ALEX LEWINGTON FERGUS MULCHRONE JOHNNY WILLIAMS ASELI TIKOIROTUMA JAMES MARSHALL SCOTT STEELE TOM COURT DAVID PAICE (C) BEN FRANKS GEORGE ROBSON SEBASTIAN DE CHAVES MIKE COMAN BLAIR COWAN OFISA TREVIRANUS YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE vs RICHMOND RUGBY SUNDAY 26TH MARCH 2017, KICK-OFF 3PM Yorkshire Carnegie welcome Richmond Rugby to Headingley Carnegie for the first time following the side s promotion to the Championship this season. Back in November two late tries from Seb Stegmann and Rob O Donnell helped secure five points for Carnegie at the Athletic Ground. YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE MATCH DAY PRICING Adults: Concessions* Juniors**... 5 Concession: * Seniors are 65 and over and students upon production of a valid student card ** Junior denotes a child who is 16 and under. Children under five do not need to pay. Advance tickets can be bought in person in the club, online at or by calling MASCOTS GEORGIA AND IRIS BURROWS PHIL NILSEN CHARLIE BEECH SIONE FALETAU MATT SMITH JOSH BAINBRIDGE MAX GREEN TOM CASSON DAVID PORECKI DANNY HOBBS-AWOYEMI LOVEJOY CHAWATAMA JOSH MCNALLY LUKE NARRAWAY BRENDAN McKIBBIN BEN RANSOM Age: 4 and 1 Favourite player: Ryan Burrows CLUB PARTNERS: TODAY'S MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Luke Pearce Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Falla Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Healy BIG MATCH SPONSOR Gregory Property Group 2 The Embankment, Sovereign Street Leeds LS1 4GP T: ASSOCIATE MATCH SPONSOR Emerald Publishing Ltd Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA T: MATCH BALL SPONSOR W.A.E Group Unit 4 Hales Road Industrial Estate, Lower Wortley Road Leeds LS12 4PL T: