THE University of York’s men’s rugby union first team ended their losing run with a superb 33-15 victory over Loughborough seconds, writes Alex Mc Donald.

The York ranks finally kick- started their first season in the North Premier ‘B’ Division against a team which beat them in a pre-season match.

The victory came on the back of a strong back row display, with captain and number eight Adam Gaskill the star of the show.

Winger Conan Osborne celebrated his call-up to the Jamaican national sevens team with a brace of tries, while centre Hugo Watson also touched down twice.

Fly-half Tom Chadwick gave his best display of the season, controlling the attacking and defensive lines superbly and finishing off the match with an athletic try of his own.

York women’s football firsts secured a 4-4 draw at home to Northumbria. A goalless first half, punctuated by ambitious long-range efforts, was followed by an eight-goal second period.

Anty Cole opened the scoring for York in the 53rd minute, with Craig doubling the lead 12 minutes later. However, Northumbria came storming back with four goals in the next 20 minutes, leaving the home side two goals down entering the final few minutes.

All seemed lost until strikers Cole and Craig combined to deliver the third goal and, from the restart, Cole capped her player of the match display with a superb curling shot into the top right-hand corner.

The women’s hockey firsts were unable to tap into the same comeback spirit, falling short in a 4-2 defeat to Sheffield Hallam.

York quickly slipped two goals behind and, with their defence scrambled and out of position, Northumbria were able to claim two more goals before the end of the half. York began the second half the stronger, but goals from Warr and Hartley were not enough to alter the outcome.

The men’s volleyball firsts crashed to a disappointing defeat to Leeds despite winning the first set.

The women’s team fared little better, losing 3-1 to Durham.

That was one of several successes for Durham, as they also beat York’s women’s basketball side and the men’s badminton second team.

Meanwhile, the university also announced a new Key Contacts Scheme.

The volunteer-led arrangement works in conjunction with ten of the largest sports clubs at the university to try to make sport more accessible to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and disabled communities. The aim is to remove stigma and prejudices which may have hampered student participation in the past.