THE first round of the Champion Schools years seven and eight tag rugby league tournaments were held last night at New Earswick All Blacks' ground.

Played as a festival of nine-a-side rugby, the top teams of these competitions go on to face the leading teams from the Hull area in a sub-region play-off.

The year seven event doubled up as the first round of the Yorkshire Water Schools Nines, with the victors again set to meet a Hull side for the chance to progress to the Grand Final at the Boulevard in Hull, in which the prize for winning is the opportunity to be VIP guests at the Ashes Test match between Great Britain and Australia at the KC Stadium in Hull next month.

An inexperienced Joseph Rowntree School went through from York.

The entertaining year seven event, which featured several close scorelines between Jo Ro, Oaklands and Archbishop Holgate Schools, saw Jo Ro and Oaklands progress.

The first round of the year nine Champion Schools was held last week, with five secondary schools - Burnholme, Barlby, Oaklands, Joseph Rowntree and Millthorpe - competing.

The two teams who progressed to the next round to compete against teams from Hull were Millthorpe and Jo Ro.

The final standings last week were: Millthorpe 16 points; Joseph Rowntree 13pts; Oaklands 10pts; Burnholme 7pts; Barlby 4pts.

Local school teams from years ten and 11 were set to compete in their Champion Schools first rounds this evening.

Updated: 09:50 Wednesday, October 22, 2003