HISTORY will be made on Saturday when New Earswick All Blacks ARLC kick off a summer campaign for the first time in their 35 seasons - with a derby to boot.

The White Rose Avenue club have switched from the winter Pennine League to the Yorkshire Men's League and begin with a Forty20 Cup group game against holders York Acorn 'A' (2.30pm).

The clash will be the first of potentially five between the two teams this year, including in the York & District Cup, as All Blacks have been placed in division one alongside Acorn, who were relegated from the premier division last term.

Neighbours Heworth are also in division one - and in the same Forty20 Cup group - making for a glut of York derbies this summer.

Acorn 'A' narrowly won their last meeting against New Earswick, in the York Cup final in June, taking that trophy off the All Blacks, the 2015 winners. The Thanet Road side have also reached the final of the pre-season Forty20 Cup competition in each of the four seasons in which it has been held.

Player-boss Jack Stearman said: "We are really looking forward to testing ourselves in these (cup group stage) fixtures coming up.

"Acorn at home, Featherstone Lions away, Heworth at home and Doncaster Toll Bar at their place - it will really put us through our paces and test us prior to the league campaign."

He added: “The prospect of these local derbies, of which we will potentially have seven this year in the Yorkshire Men's League, excluding the York Cup, really whets the appetite for rugby league in York again and gives us a chance to showcase the talent we have here at New Earswick to the local community."

The All Blacks have not played much rugby since the end of the 2015-16 winter season but have enjoyed a good pre-season since the turn of the year.

“After nine months off, the lads are raring to go, as am I," said Stearman. "They have worked hard in the off-season and will reap the benefits of their hard work this year."

Heworth begin their Forty20 campaign away to Yorkshire Men's League newcomers North Hull Knights, the former Hull & District League outfit who reached the BARLA Yorkshire Cup final in 2015-16 - losing to Fryston in a contest marred by a brawl and reports of police being called to an altercation in the clubhouse.

Meanwhile, New Earswick's new ‘A’ team will also have a derby run-out on Saturday, at home to York Lokomotive (11.30am) prior to the first-team cup game.

The Lokos, who have lost some experienced players to retirement, have dropped from division three to division four of the YML as they look to rebuild.

All Blacks' reserves line-up is likely to include several youngsters, though Stearman says he has selection headaches after a busy registration evening.

“Pre-season has gone really well and some of the under-18s lads are really making an impact," he explained.

"This friendly should give us a better idea of what we have to work with and also see how the lads respond to the open-age environment.”

“The (junior and youth) coaches have done, and continue to do, an excellent job coaching these lads up to where they are today.

"The way I see it at the moment, there is no ‘open age’ ‘A’ team divide and no player is making up numbers. It will be a great test for those involved and a chance for them to stake a claim for an open-age shirt.”