RALPH Butterfield Primary School are the new holders of the Marston Moor Cup after winning the seven-team tag rugby tournament played on Knavesmire.

They thus completed a double having won the York Primary Tag Rugby Cup earlier in the year, while they also picked up silver at the North Yorkshire Youth Games.

The Marston Moor Cup, organised by City of York Council, has been part of the York International 9s rugby league festival since the event's inception in 2002, though this year it was played a week after the main York 9s tournament.

Almost 100 pupils from seven primary schools across the city took part, with each of them - Clifton Without, Dunnington, Ralph Butterfield, Tang Hall, Westfield, Wheldrake and Wigginton - receiving extra coaching sessions from York City Knights development officer Jason Ramshaw.

The seven teams played each other in a league format, and the eventual table-toppers were Ralph Butterfield, who won five and drew one of their six games.

Sam Byram was outstanding, Matthew Prosser excelled in defence and Emma Keaney also impressed, though all the 11-strong squad played superbly, the other members being Will Dunlop, Alice McPherson, Tim Jones, Sadie Sugars, Jack Law, Rosie Hoggart, Duncan Collins-Adams and Jordan Holt.

Westfield Primary School finished runners-up, while Wheldrake, the only team to take a point off the winners, were third, the same position as they finished at the Youth Games.

City of York Council's rugby league development officer, Neil Gulliver, said: "The players braved some atrocious weather early in the tournament to produce some exciting games and show some breathtaking skills.

"The games were closely contested with errors being few and far between, and everybody involved enjoyed themselves."

Marston Moor Cup

Westfield 8 Wheldrake 4; Wigginton 12 Tang Hall 8; Ralph Butterfield 16 Clifton Without 4; Tang Hall 4 Wheldrake 8; Westfield 4 Ralph Butterfield 12; Clifton Without 8 Dunnington 12; Wigginton 0 Wheldrake 8; Tang Hall 0 Westfield 4; Wheldrake 4 Ralph Butterfield 4; Tang Hall 0 Dunnington 12; Wigginton 8 Clifton Without 4; Ralph Butterfield 12 Dunnington 0; Wigginton 0 Westfield 4; Wheldrake 8 Clifton Without 12; Tang Hall 0 Ralph Butterfield 12; Tang Hall 4 Clifton Without 12; Westfield 4 Dunnington 4; Wigginton 8 Ralph Butterfield 12; Wheldrake 8 Dunnington 8; Westfield 4 Clifton Without 0.

TENNIS

Queen Margaret's School, Escrick, have been courting success.

For the first time in five years, both the under-13 and under-15 teams won the York and District titles and will go on to play in the Yorkshire County Knockout, which will take place next term.

Two under-15 players also aced the North Yorkshire Closed County Tennis Championships on Saturday.

Annabel Harrison and Isobel Jewson won the event at Ampleforth College and go through to the Yorkshire Counties Final at South Leeds Stadium in September.

Queen Margaret's also played host to the under-17 County Mixed Tennis Tournament last week.

A total of 32 pairs from across the county braved the weather with an Ampleforth duo taking the honours.

SCHOOLS' CRICKET RESULTS

Under 13 League

Fulford 151-4 bt Barlby 35-5 by 116 runs; Barlby 100-8 bt Minster 95-4 by 5 runs; Sherburn 44-4 lost to Fulford 49-1 by 9 wkts; Fulford 93-3 bt Manor 38 all out by 54 runs

Tadcaster 93-5 lost to Fulford 94-2 by 8wkts; Sherburn 86-3 bt Huntington 85-8 by 1 run; Lowfield 23-8 lost to Tadcaster 26-0 by 10wkts

Manor 97-7 bt Minster 38-9 by 59 runs; Lowfield 15 all out lost to Sherburn 16-1 by 9wkts

Minster 54-5 lost to Fulford 49-1 by 9wkts; Huntington 70-5 lost to Manor 73-4 by 6wkts; All Saints 56-4 bt Joseph Rowntree 24-8 by 32 runs; All Saints 63-8 lost to Millthorpe 64-5 by 5wkts;

Oaklands 21-5 lost to Archbishop Holgate 22-1 by 9wkts; Millthorpe 139-2 bt Archbishop Holgate 74-8 by 65 runs

Canon Lee bt Bootham by 35 runs; Bootham bt Burnholme; Oaklands 50-2 bt Joseph Rowntree 46-8 by 4 runs

Bootham 57-1 bt Joseph Rowntree 36-9 by 21 runs; Canon Lee 126-5 bt Joseph Rowntree 39-8 by 87 runs

Millthorpe 128-5 bt Canon Lee 91-6 by 37 runs; Joseph Rowntree 34 all out lost to Burnholme 35-1 by 9wkts; Bootham bt Archbishop Holgate.

Under 15 League

Tadcaster 148-1 bt Barlby 46-7 by 102 runs; Manor 67-7 lost to Fulford 68-4 by 6 wkts; Tadcaster 96-4 bt Huntington 40-9 by 56 runs; Barlby 80-2 bt Sherburn 63-7 by 17 runs

Huntington 37 all out lost to Sherburn 38-1 by 9wkts; All Saints 82-7 bt Burnholme 68-7 by 14 runs; Archbishop Holgates 80-3 lost to Oaklands 81-4 by 6wkts

Archbishop Holgates 112-4 bt Millthorpe 70 all out by 42 runs; Bootham bt Burnholme; Archbishop Holgates 75-7 lost to Bootham 76-6 by 4wkts.

Under 12 Cup

First round: Oaklands bye; Bootham bye; Tadcaster 79-7 bt Archbishop Holgates 42 all out by 37 runs; Canon Lee 93-3 bt Sherburn 37 all out by 56 runs

Huntington 83-0 bt Joseph Rowntree 46-6 by 37 runs; Manor bt Burnholme (conceded); Fulford beat Millthorpe; All Saints bt Read, Drax.

Second round: Bootham 15-8 lost to All Saints 16-1 by 9wkts; Manor 82-2 bt Huntington 51 all out by 31 runs; Canon Lee bt Fulford; Oaklands 15 all out lost to Tadcaster 16-0 by 10wkts; Manor 82-2 bt Huntington 51 all out by 31 runs.

Under 14 Cup

First round: Bootham bye; Sherburn bye; Huntington 115-2 bt Oaklands 57 all out by 58 runs; Millthorpe 60-5 lost to Manor 63-2 by 8wkts; Fulford 49-2 lost to Archbishop Holgates 53-0 by 10wkts; Joseph Rowntree bt All Saints; Burnholme bye; Tadcaster bye.

Second round: Huntington 131-7 bt Sherburn 99-6 by 32 runs; Manor bt Bootham by 13 runs; Tadcaster bt Burnholme.

Kilmartin does the trick for Hempland

HAT-TRICK hero Jonathan Kilmartin helped Hempland Primary school reclaim the York and District Kwik Cricket Trophy, writes Claire Hughes.

The Stockton Avenue school batted first in Monday's final at Bishopthorpe and managed a 139 total in answer to the Poppleton Road bowling attack, with Chris Bilton and Jack Leaning pushing on the score towards the end of their 16 overs.

Poppleton Road made a good start in reply until the introduction of Kilmartin, who took a hat-trick in the middle of the innings to cause the run chase to falter to a total of 84.

Hempland headteacher Stuart Outram said: "We went into the final as the holders so we regained the trophy and are now looking forward to next year.

"It was an enjoyable tournament and good to see so many children out there playing cricket."

York's Under-13 District cricket team has qualified for the second round of the Yorkshire Cup by beating Scarborough by 23 runs.

York District totalled 176-7 with the main run-makers being L Graham (Tadcaster) with 41 and G Cox (Brayton) 40.

The pair also starred with the ball, Cox taking 4-23 and Graham 2-14 as Scarborough were bowled out for 153.

Enjoying the high life

TWO Queen Margaret's School pupils had high hopes of making the grade at the English Schools' Track and Field Championships in Newcastle last week.

High jumpers Annabel Sampson, 14, and Laura Jarvis, 17, were both in the North Yorkshire team for the blue riband schools' athletics competition.

Sampson jumped 1.55metres and Jarvis 1.69m to qualify for the English Counties event and leave them just one step away from the national final.

Sampson achieved 1.52m to finish eighth in her age group at Newcastle.

The under-13 team added the Woodleigh tournament to their growing list of success last week after fending off opposition at Huntington Stadium.

They even made it through to the final of the tug-of-war contest where they faced the all boys team from Pocklington, winning one pull to make it 1-1 before Pocklington eventually won.

Updated: 10:14 Wednesday, July 14, 2004