WING forward Jeremy Clutton was appointed York Rugby Union Club first team captain at the club's annual meeting.

He will lead the team on the field when the first team kick-off next season in North Division Two East, a new division which is part of the new format for league rugby in Yorkshire and the North East.

York are advertising for a player-coach to lead them into the new season in the new division.

The previous coach, John Shepherd, left the post by mutual agreement in January and since then a group of club stalwarts have shared coaching duties.

However, the club are wanting a new man to take the reins prior to the new season. Club chairman David Pearson said: "We ideally want a player-coach, although we are advertising for a player-coach or coach.

"We have had several responses but are waiting for more applications from our latest advert. We will sit down after that and hopefully it will be sorted out within the next month, before pre-season training starts in July."

The divisional changes have come about as the RFU seek to create more cost-effective geographical boundaries.

Travel costs have been highlighted by clubs as a serious worry, which is one of the reasons why the four leagues previously embracing North Two and the three North East divisions have been cut, with the creation of North Two East and West and a strengthening of the Northumberland & Durham and the Yorkshire Leagues.

York drop from North East One to North Two East.

All divisions will next season be of 12 teams where possible, although adjustments have been made at the lower end to ensure a viable competition.

Recommendations have also been made that some financial help should be given where teams are involved in round trips in excess of 200 miles, although the details have yet to be approved.

Three new clubs have been accepted for entry in new set-up, with Thirsk and Wharfedale Rams coming in to Yorkshire Six and South Tyneside College joining Durham/Northumberland Four.

Ripon have switched from Durham/Northumberland to Yorkshire, being placed in Yorkshire One, while Thomensians, Wibsey, Seghill and Richmondshire have all elected to play in a lower division than they were initially sited to give them a realistic place in the pecking order.

One club to suffer a serious disappointment after the end of the season were Skipton, who were robbed of their Yorkshire Three title when an appeal against the loss of two points after fielding an ineligible player early in the season was turned down.

Skipton had failed to complete their match card correctly by not identifying a non-registered player when he made his first appearance.

Although regulations allow a player to turn out provided his status is noted on the report card, Skipton failed to comply with the requirements and compounded their oversight by playing the same player again before he was registered.

The second breach of regulations attracted a deduction of two points, and ignorance of the situation was deemed to be no excuse by Yorkshire officials. And when the matter was referred to a Midlands panel on appeal the Yorkshire view was upheld.

As a result, Leeds Corinthians will collect the Yorkshire Three plaque at the annual awards night at Morley RFC on May 30, although Skipton, who finished third in the table, are not penalised in terms of next season's status.

Next season's placings are:

North One: Sheffield, Hull Ionians, Driffield, Bradford & Bingley, Middlesbrough, Macclesfield, Blaydon, Wigton, Stockton, Northern, Darlington MP, Chester.

North Two East: Huddersfield, Alnwick, Morpeth, Bridlington, Halifax, West Park Bramhope, Darlington Redcar, Goole, Beverley, Old Crossleyans, York.

Yorkshire One: Pocklington, Cleckheaton, Keighley, Wheatley Hills, Selby, Pontefract, Hull, North Ribblesdale, Yarnbury, Old Brodleians, Huddersfield YMCA, Ripon.

Yorkshire Two: West Leeds, Roundhegians, Leodiensians, Scarborough, Castleford, Bradford Salem, Northallerton, Wath, Ilkley, Dinnington, Sheffield Tigers, Hemsworth.

Yorkshire Three: Malton & Norton, Halifax Vandals, Sheffield Oaks, York RI, Heath, Old Otliensians, Leeds Corinthians, Moortown, Hullensians, Bramley Phoenix, Skipton, Barnsley.

Yorkshire Four: Thornensians, Knottingley, Old Rishworthians, Hessle, Stocksbridge, Old Modernians, Mossborough, Baildon, Stanley Rodillians, Edlington Granby, Wetherby, Burley.

Yorkshire Five: Aireborough, Rotherham Clifton, Hornsea, Wakefield Cougars, Danum Phoenix, Marist, Sheffield Medicals, Ossett, Adwick-le-Street, Wickersley, Exel.

Yorkshire Six: Wibsey, Knaresborough, Garforth, Rawmarsh, Rowntrees, Withernsea, Wharfedale Rams, Thirsk.