WELCOME It's like waiting for a bus – we were seven weeks without a home game and then two come along together! Not that I'm complaining you understand. It is with great pleasure that I welcome Rochdale back to Acklam Park after a gap of four years. We last met in 2009/10, when we won 21-16 here and, after two postponements, 21-5 away. This season is different, having already suffered an agonising 16-14 defeat at Rochdale. We were leading 14-10 until we were forced to play the last 12 minutes with 14 men after Brad received his second yellow card, both for technical offences. Rochdale kicked two more crucial penalties to win the match, the decider coming four minutes from time. In keeping early Rochdale pressure at bay Brad and Matty J were sinbinned within a minute of each other. But we held out and a Matty T penalty gave us a 13th-minute lead, which we held for 15 minutes before Rochdale scored a converted try and then added a penalty. Matty T landed penalties either side of half-time and we took the lead when Brad picked up from a scrum and sent Connor over. Crucially, the conversion failed and we weren't quite able to hold out.

Rochdale have enjoyed a good season to date and would be sitting in third place but for that unfortunate deduction of eight points from last season (about which they must to sick of hearing). They opened their account by beating Driffield 33-10, going on to win four of their first five games, seven of their next ten games and three of their last six matches, which included the only draw in our league this season, eight-all at home to Huddersfield YMCA. In fact their last game was a victory at home to Morpeth. Their ten away games are split equally between five wins and five defeats.

Although Rochdale inherit a tradition in Rugby Union Football which goes back to 1867, the present club was formed in 1921. In the late 1990's the senior side was performing well and the mini and junior section had grown to become one of the largest in Lancashire. The wins on the field of play had a healthy effect on the social life at the Club and on Saturday 21 August 2005 the official opening of the new RRUFC clubhouse and revamped pitches took place – a proud day indeed for the Club.

LEAGUE RUGBY A phrase much in use this season to describe our performances is 'a game of two halves.' This was never more so than on Saturday in our rearranged match with Morpeth. Although we applied much of the early pressure from the KO, playing down the slope, we could not break through the Morpeth defence. When we missed two penalties the jitters started – at least they did on the touchline! And then the inevitable; Morpeth scored, a penalty and try in quick succession and despite more pressure by our boys our visitors took an eight point lead into the break. The second half was pretty much one-way traffic with us battering the Morpeth line but dogged defence held us up until the 55th minute when Richie Lonsdale crashed over to open our account. We then took the lead when Rhys finished an excellent move involving Richard Metcalfe and Bellers with 12 minutes left. This was time enough for more forward pressure to result in Bellers adding a third try which Matty converted. Was ther time for a bonus try? No. In fact we finished the game defending to prevent Morpeth earning their own bonus point. But at least the win moved us out of the bottom three for the first time since before Christmas. I hope we can stay there! For your information the remaining fixtures for the bottom five clubs are shown on p20.

OTHER RUGBY Last week our Lions continued their cracking form, winning their 11th game from the last 12 by beating Seaton Carew 46-14. It was an open game featuring much running rugby, some of it in the right direction and all of it thoroughly enjoyable. A reminder that in the Semi Finals of the North Yorkshire Trophy they will meet Northallerton, away, probably on 12 April. The Wasps were without a game but the 'A' team made the short trip to Northallerton and won an enthralling game by 11 points to 10. The Junior Colts match against Redcar was cancelled but the Senior Colts entertained Westoe, losing 7-28.

JUNIORS On Sunday our U16s beat both Ripon and Redcar; the coaches problem now is in selecting only one team from their plethora of players for tomorrow, when they are at home to West Park Leeds in the Semi Finals of the Yorkshire Cup. Our U10s are also in cup action tomorrow, in the Durham Cup at Redcar - Operation "LEMON TOP"! .Our U15s have already qualified for the final of the Yorkshire Plate, beating Hull Ionians 7-5 in a tense and exciting game; see p 16 for Jason Malcolm's report. On the same page you will also see reports by Lee Walker on recent victories by our U10s.

CLUB NEWS Our very first 'Ladies Day' is here! It has been organised by the indefatigable and ever reliable Glenis Wright, and tickets have gone like wildfire, selling out weeks ago. In addition to a huge pile of raffle prizes, after the match Glenis has arranged for our local auctioneer Richard Storry to sell by auction a voucher for a bespoke jacket up to the value of £500, a magnum of vodka, signed rugby shirts and signed photographs. Proceeds of the event will go to the Spinal Injuries Association, as will the gate money from the match. Bill Blakey of Kaefer C&D Ltd is not only sponsoring the event but has provided raffle prizes, auction lots and sold a boat-load of tickets – but is barred from the ladies lunch! It certainly will be the biggest Club event since the Annual Ball, and our thanks go to Glenis and to Bill.

Please note that the Club is hosting the Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile which will take place tomorrow in Albert Park and then two weeks later we will be holding another big social event, our annual members reunion before the Cleckheaton match. Tickets are a mere £10 so let Stu Micklewright or Colin McNeill know today that you will be present!

This week it's our very own Carl Kirwan who is in the news again. Last week London Welsh climbed to second spot in the Championship with a 20-5 win over Cornish Pirates, closing the gap on leaders Bristol to three points. Carl not only scored the third try for the Exiles, he was captain. What an honour!

The RFU-commissioned Adult Competition Review has just been published. It is a lengthy report but I have printed the 21 recommendations on pp4/5. Yet again it recommends leagues of only 12 teams at our level, because this is the wish of the majority of clubs in the south. Can anyone explain why leagues in every region have to be of equal size? After all there are dozens of differences between the north and south...

SPONSORS I am delighted to welcome back two sponsors to our game this afternoon. There is Andrew Gloag of Gloag & Sons Ltd, a farming and contracting business based on their farm on the outskirts of Stokesley. The business has developed through managed agreements, contracting a variety of agricultural activity, and having plant and equipment available for hire. The family have a long association with the Club, starting with Andrew’s father, a Scottish international, who played here in the 50s. The other sponsor also has a father-and-son association with the club – he is Tom Seymour (John’s son), who, as Dromonby Fisheries, also of Stokesley, has developed private fishing facilities across a sequence of waterways on their farmland. In fact it should be quite an afternoon, as today's sponsors are joined by last week's deadly duo, the two Richards, Readman and Storry and their guests – and we are grateful to have Richard Storry as our auctioneer this afternoon.

REFEREE'S CORNER I am delighted to welcome Paul Fincken back to Acklam Park this afternoon. He has been here several times previously but his last visit was in April 2011 when we played Chester. Paul works as a business analyst in Leeds but is a local man who lives in Blackhall Rocks. He played rugby as a three-quarter for Hartlepool Rovers, West Hartlepool and Durham County, and also earned a trial for the England U19 team. We are pleased to see him back at Acklam Park this afternoon and I hope he enjoys his visit.