THE 2018 Yorkshire Men’s Rugby League Forty-20 Cup has been cancelled because of the number of games that have already fallen to the weather.

As a result, cup holders New Earswick All Blacks will not have a chance to defend their trophy – although player-coach Jack Stearman has bigger issues with the competition write-off.

The slew of weather-enforced game cancellations, with no chance for rearrangements, has all but removed the group stage of the competition, with teams having just one match left to decide the group winners. The table-toppers in each of the eight pools were due to go through to the knockout stages.

It all means that, unless they can organise a friendly at short notice for this Saturday to replace their cancelled cup tie against Nottingham Outlaws, All Blacks’ first competitive fixture for over a month will be the opening game of their premier division campaign on Saturday, April 7, at Batley Boys.

Stearman - whose team enjoyed a super debut campaign in summer rugby last year after switching from the winter Pennine League - said of missing out on the Forty-20 Cup: “We’re more disappointed to not have played pre-season.

“Going into the season with four or five weeks without a game is a tough test.

“It’s very frustrating as we were planning on using the Forty-20 Cup as practice. But you can’t do anything about it.”

All Blacks won promotion from division one last year, during which, at one point, they harboured hopes of a quadruple.

After winning the Forty-20 Cup final against Oulton Raiders, they finished top of the table but missed out on the title after losing to Norland Sharks in the play-off final. They also qualified for the York & District ARL Community Cup final, although they lost 32-18 to York Acorn in a clash which was rescheduled for February this year.

Heworth and Acorn 'A' also miss out on Forty-20 Cup games, although the villagers did get one played, beating Keighley Albion 14-6.

Heworth 'A', meanwhile, have a friendly at Sheffield Forgers this Saturday (2.30am).

Meanwhile, fixtures will still go ahead in the new Steeden North Yorkshire Invitational Cup competition after last week's postponements. Two confirmed games for this Saturday see Selby Warriors host New Earswick 'A' (2pm) and Catterick Crusaders entertain York Lokomotive (2pm).