YORK will test their Yorkshire One promotion hopes tomorrow when they travel to Sheffield Tigers in the opening salvo of the new season.

The Clifton Park club have set their goals high after a disappointing 2001/02 campaign saw them finish mid-table.

And the recruitment of experienced former Otley captain Peter Curtis as player-coach, along with team-mate Gary Cassidy and the addition of young guns Rob Taylor, Jared Williams, Simon Cavey, Mike Westwood and Herman Louw, means hopes have been further buoyed.

"We are making no bones about it - we are going for promotion," said director of rugby Andy Gair.

"All the pre-season preparations have gone well, but the serious stuff starts now.

"Last year we showed we had the potential in coming close to beating Hull (the eventual Yorkshire One champions). The physical ability and the skill was there, but we weren't good enough mentally.

"We were too nave at times and perhaps too passionate as we got embroiled in the emotions of some games, especially against Selby when we should have treated it like any other game but got drawn into a derby battle."

The visit to the Tigers, a match originally due to be played at Clifton Park but switched because of cricket commitments, will not offer York a gentle return. The Sheffield club did the double over Gair's men last season.

But this time York are ready and know exactly what to expect.

"Last year we didn't give them enough respect," Gair added. "We thought because they had just come up from Yorkshire Two that it would be easy and we put out quite a lightweight side.

"It will be difficult to pick up a win over there as they have some good players, with David Holmes calling the shots at scrum-half, but we have been progressing nicely in pre-season."

Curtis and Cassidy are expected to make their first team bows, with Curtis set to play alongside another former Otley player, Lee Denham, in the back row.

However, an injured knee rules out centre Taylor with Williams also unavailable for the first three weeks of the season.

Selby, who took the tag of the area's top team, have a kicking dilemma ahead of the visit of Huddersfield YMCA.

The departure of Carl Paterson to Cleckheaton has left promotion hopefuls Selby without their influential marksman.

This has left veteran full-back Ray Adamson, assistant-coach Paul Scott, Toby Pemberton and Dave Batty all in the frame to fill the sure-footed boots.

The Sandhill Lane club, whose magic run of form from Christmas saw them climb from bottom of Yorkshire One to fifth, are hoping this won't stop them making a concerted push for the top.

Team manager Richard Besley said: "If we had started last season in the same form as we finished then we could well have been pushing Hull for the title, if not going for the play-off spot.

"We've had a good start this season with a win over Ripon, so the boys will be confident."

The visit of Huddersfield YMCA will also see Selby face one of their former players, with Tim Horner returning to the West Yorkshire outfit after an injury-ravaged spell at Sandhill Lane.

Malton and Norton coach Pat Stephenson is hoping the campaign in Yorkshire Two will provide him with the perfect send-off.

Stephenson plans to hand over the reins to assistant Richard John at the end of the season, but is hoping to go out on a winning note.

"I'm confident that we will be able to hold our own," he said. "I'm sure we will stay up, but I'm hoping that we will be up the top at the end.

"We've a tough opener against Keighley. We played them in the Yorkshire Shield last season at their place and got quite comprehensively beaten.

"They play a similar style to us so there could be a few tries in this."

The loss of Australian Phil Ryan until Christmas has been tempered by the arrival of another antipodean at the Gannock, New Zealander Willie Barber.

The goalkicking full-back will make his debut tomorrow, while Will Jones will play at scrum-half in place of vice-captain Jon Newsome, who is unavailable.

Chris Robson will in the back row for the injured Richard Webster.

Pocklington's blossoming youth policy will hold the key to the club's hopes of bouncing straight back to Yorkshire One.

Pock, who were relegated alongside tomorrow's opponents West Park Bramhope and Beverley, have recruited a number of players under the age of 25 as they look to continue the rebuilding process at Percy Road.

New coach Mick Watson, the former Harlequins star, is also set to play a key role alongside his commitments at Wakefield.

"We are looking to youth and local talent," said team manager Phil Gilbank. "A big emphasis will be on our new lads, with all but one of them under 25.

"We are optimistic that we can do better than last year, but a lot will depend on the quality of opposition."

Coming into the club are Andrew Wilson, Adam Pears, Mark Biggin, Rob Caley, Jonny Frank, Neil Ambler and Rob Trowler, while two French players - Thomas Jimenez and Rudy Louriac - will team up with the squad next week.

York RI make the trip to Stocksbridge, while Harrogate entertain Doncaster.

Recruits are needed for York RUFC's junior section, which boasts players aged from seven though to 16.

Registration will be opened on Sunday from 10am at the club's Clifton Park base.

The club has also invited anyone who would like to coach a youth section team to attend on Sunday.

Updated: 12:37 Friday, September 06, 2002