QUALITY and quantity are both on the up in the York City Knights Primary School Tag Rugby stakes as 66 teams have been whittled down to 16.

Another major increase has seen the number of entrants up by 16 on last year, with many of the new additions coming from the Easingwold area after a teacher-training session run by Jason Ramshaw and the York City Knights development coaches.

A cluster festival gave them a first taste of the competitive game with Alne coming out on top - and later going on to qualify for the main finals after topping their group.

Five days of heats have now been completed with 16 schools winning a place at finals day on the Huntington Stadium pitch on May 14, the day the Knights host Leigh Centurions.

Ramshaw said: "The standard was excellent. All the teachers were commenting on how much more even the competition was.

"In York, there were six or eight teams that had much more tag rugby in school and they tended to dominate over the last couple of years but this year the quality was much higher and nobody ran away with it."

Heat 1

Group 'A': Alne 8, Skelton 0; Alne 4, Hemplands 0; Skelton 8, St Wilfrid's 4; Park Grove 0, Hemplands 8; Skelton 0, Park Grove 8; St Wilfrid's 0, Hemplands 8; Alne 8, Park Grove 0; Park Grove 0, St Wilfrid's 0; Alne 12, St Wilfrid's 0; Skelton 0, Hemplands 0.

Group 'B': Burton Green 4, Robert Wilkinson 0; Linton-on-Ouse 0, Robert Wilkinson 0; New Earswick 4, Robert Wilkinson 4; Robert Wilkinson 4, Stockton on Forest 0; Linton-on-Ouse 8, Stockton on Forest 0; New Earswick 0, Linton-on-Ouse 0; Stockton on Forest 0, New Earswick 8; Burton Green 8, Stockton on Forest 0; Linton-on-Ouse 0, Burton Green 8; New Earswick 8, Burton Green 4.

Group 'C': Osabldwick 4, Huby 0; Clifton Without 4, Headlands 4; Huby 8, Clifton Without 4; Headlands 0, Lord Deramore's 4; Clifton Without 0, Lord Deramore's 0; Headlands 4, Osbaldwick 8; Huby 4, Lord Deramore's 0; Lord Deramore's 8, Osbaldwick 0; Huby 4, Headlands 4; Clifton Without 0, Osbaldwick 4.

Heat 2

Group 'A': Acomb 0, Hob Moor 8; Poppleton Road 4, Tadcaster East 0; Hob Moor 4, Tadcaster East 8; Poppleton Road 12, Long Marston 8; Acomb 0, Tadcaster East 8; Tadcaster East 12, Long Marston 0; Acomb 0, Poppleton Road 0; Hob Moor 4, Long Marston 4; Acomb 4, Long Marston 4; Hob Moor 0, Poppleton Road 0.

Group 'B': Westfields 12, Our Lady's 4; Appleton Roebuck 8, English Martyr's 0; Westfields 0, Appleton Roebuck 0; Westfields 4, English Martyr's 0; Our Lady's 4, Appleton Roebuck 8; Our Lady's 8, English Martyr's 0.

Group 'C': St Oswald's 8, Tockwith 0; Wheldrake 12, Riverside 0; St Oswald's 0, Wheldrake 4; Tockwith 8, Riverside 4; St Oswald's 8, Riverside 0; Tockwith 4, Wheldrake 8.

Heat 3

Group 'A': Huntington 12, Haxby Road 0; Huntington 4, Elvington 4; Haxby Road 0, Easingwold 4; Huntington 0, Easingwold 0; Haxby Road 4, Tang Hall 0; Huntington 0, Tang Hall 0; Haxby Road 4, Elvington 8; Tang Hall 4, Easingwold 12; Tang Hall 0, Elvington 4; Easingwold 0, Elvington 0.

Group 'B': Yearsley Grove 12, Dunnington 0; Yearsley Grove 4, Sheriff Hutton 4; Dunnington 0, Sheriff Hutton 4; Badger Hill 0, Sheriff Hutton 4; Wigginton 8, Badger Hill 0; Wigginton 8, Sheriff Hutton 0; Badger Hill 0, Dunnington 4; Badger Hill 4, Yearsley Grove 4; Wigginton 8, Yearsley Grove 0.

Group 'C': Fishergate 0, Clifton Green 0; Sand Hutton/Warthill 8, Husthwaite 0; Fishergate 8, Sand Hutton/Warthill 0; Clifton Green 8, Husthwaite 0; Fishergate 8, Husthwaite 0; Clifton Green 0, Sand Hutton/Warthill 4.

Heat 4

Group 'A': Ralph Butterfield 8, St Lawrence's 0; St Aelred's 4, Sutton on Forest 12; Ralph Butterfield 12, St Aelred's 0; St Lawrence's 0, Sutton on Forest 12; Ralph Butterfield 8, Sutton on Forest 0; St Lawrence's 0, St Aelred's 0.

Group 'B': Heworth 8, Knavesmire 4; Copmanthorpe 4, Crayke 12; Heworth 12, Copmanthorpe 4; Knavesmire 0, Crayke 8; Heworth 4, Crayke 8; Knavesmire 4, Copmanthorpe 12.

Group 'C': Derwent 8, St George's 4; Woodthorpe 12, Forest of Galtres 4; Derwent 0, Woodthorpe 12; St George's 0, Forest of Galtres 16; Derwent 0, Forest of Galtres 8; St George's 0, Woodthorpe 16.

Play offs: Ralph Butterfield 8, Crayke 0; Woothorpe 4, Forest of Galtres 0.

Heat 5

Group 'A': Dringhouses 0, Scarcroft 4; Rufforth 16, St Joseph's 4; Dringhouses 0, Rufforth 16; Scarcoft 16, St Joseph's 0; Dringhouses 16, St Joseph's 0; Scarcroft 4, Rufforth 12.

Group 'B': Carr 0, St Paul's 28; Escrick 28, St Barnabas 0; Carr 4, Escrick 16; St Paul's 24, St Barnabas 0; Carr 4, St Barnabas 8; St Paul's 0, Escrick 8.

Group 'C': Archbishop of York 12, Poppleton Ousebank 4; St Mary's 4, Naburn 0; Archbishop of York 8, St Mary's 16; Poppleton Ousebank 4, Naburn 12; Archbishop of York 8, Naburn 12; Poppleton Ousebank 0, St Mary's 4.

Updated: 10:10 Wednesday, April 12, 2006