MATES will become enemies this weekend when one of the biggest and best student rugby league tournaments comes to York.

The University of York

stages the student regional RL championships, featuring sides from around the country.

No fewer than four members of the high-flying York Tigers side - a combined team from York University and College of Ripon and York St John, based at the latter - will be involved, having been selected to play for their respective regions.

However, they might end up lining up against each other - and they have admitted that, if so, there will be no love lost.

Callum Irving and Dan Hewitt are set to represent Scotland Exiles while Billy Greensides and Gavin Smith will be playing for Yorkshire.

The draw for the knockout competition is made on day one.

York Wasps' trialist Irving said: "It will be a cracking tournament. There has been a bit of ribbing already and there will be some big hits going in. I can't wait.

"We played each other last year and Scotland won, which was a shock because Yorkshire are traditionally the favourites. I think they will be favourites again but we'll see what happens."

The first day of the tournament, Saturday, will see the eight competing teams - namely Yorkshire, North East, North West, Midlands, South, Scotland Exiles, Ireland Exiles and Emerging Wales - compete in 25-minute each-way knockout matches.

The four winners will qualify for Sunday's semi-finals, with the four losers going into a plate competition. The finals of both will take place on Sunday afternoon, with every team awarded a ranking.

In last year's championships, which were held in Salford and saw several hundred spectators turn out, Irving and Hewitt's Scotland team eventually finished third, with Yorkshire fifth. The winners were the North West.

Irving has since featured seven times for Wasps' first team, including one brief substitute appearance this season, and is now likely to join their Academy. His York Tigers' team-mate, Smith, also turned out twice for Wasps last term.

With the Tigers on form this season - they lie second in their Yorkshire One league - this tournament offers the York-based quartet a major chance to catch the eye.

Several professional scouts are likely to be in attendance, while an added incentive for the players comes from the fact these championships double up as trials for the national and Great Britain student squads.

Irving added: "The Tigers play at a high standard and are doing well, while the competition this weekend is of a great standard involving the best student players and has often been used by scouts to sign up student talent. We're looking forward to it."

Saturday's matches start at 1.30pm, while Sunday's action kicks off at 10.30am with the plate final at 1pm and main final at 2pm. There is no parking allowed on the roadside near the pitches, but free parking is available in the campus car park.

Updated: 12:04 Thursday, February 21, 2002