YORKSHIRE’S oldest rugby union seven-a-side tournament will again take centre stage on Good Friday.

The 57th John Smith’s Pock 7s will be staged at Percy Road and England coach Stuart Lancaster drew the Pocklington School old boys’ side, Old Pocklingtonians, first out of the hat to meet Bridlington in the opening tie tomorrow at 1pm.

Six hours of non-stop sevens will follow with the final at 6.40pm.

The event has been held at Pocklington on every Good Friday since 1959 and sees many ex-pats return home to the area for one of the county’s major rugby occasions.

This year’s tournament sees 24 entries - a mix of local clubs, teams from further afield and invitation sevens. They will fight it out for the main competition and plate.

Malton & Norton, York, Hull, Pocklington, Goole and Selby are among the Yorkshire sides to take part.

Last year’s winners, Norfolk-based Oxfam Crusaders, are one of seven former victors back to try to win the Fowler Trophy again.

The Crusaders, formed to raise funds for charity, won the tournament at the first attempt when they beat Northern Exiles - a group of ex-Pock lads studying at university in Newcastle - in a thrilling final. The plate last year was lifted by Driffield.

Draw, round 1: A: Old Pocklingtonians v Bridlington (1pm), B: Burton Sounds (Burton on Trent) v Three Feathers (1.20pm), C: Goole v Ionians Hawks (1.40pm), D: Brookfield v Hullensians (2pm), E: Old Tridents (Nottingham) v York Peterites (2.20pm), F: Newitts Centurians (Darlington) v Parisi Mustangs (2.40pm), G: Selby v Thorne Stingers (3pm), H: Catterick Fijians v Yapham Badgers (3.20pm)

Round 2: Sedgefield Squirrels (Durham) v Winner A (1.40pm), Oxfam Crusaders (Norfolk) v Winner B (2pm), Northern Exiles (Newcastle) v Winner C (2.20pm), Driffield v Winner D (2.40pm, Stingers (South Yorkshire) v Winner E (3pm), Malton & Norton v Winner F (3.20pm), Pocklington v Winner G (3.40pm), Hull Ionians v Winner H (3.40pm)