York Wasps may not be an official feeder club for Castleford Tigers, but there is no doubting the links between the clubs.

The Tigers Alliance team for Thursday night's clash with Wakefield included no fewer than seven players who have turned out for the Wasps this season.

Jamie Benn, approached by the Wasps to return to Huntington Stadium last month, is the latest to go back to the Jungle.

He was in the Alliance team along with Paul Couch, who played two games on trial with York in April; Paul Butterfield, who spent the first part of the season on loan at Huntington Stadium; Ryan Hardy, a strong-running centre whose short stint with York was ended due to travelling difficulties; winger Tim Rumford, a regular with the Wasps for the first part of this season; utility back Chris Allen, who left in March before having trials with Doncaster; and Spencer Hargrave, who quit the club back in February after two years with York. Lee Badauskas also left York last week to return to Castleford.

However, Thursday's 16-10 defeat was Hargrave's last game for some time. He has been handed a five-match ban for brawling against London a couple of weeks ago following an incident which left Butterfield injured.

A parachute jump organised by former Wasp Steve Hill has raised more than £2,500 for research into spinal muscular atrophy.

As reported in the Evening Press, Steve's baby daughter tragically died from the rare muscle wasting disease, which is passed to a child from its parents only if both mother and father carry a defective gene.

Steve did not take part in the sponsored jump - he's too heavy for an accompanied jump with an instructor - but attracted several players from the rugby league world, including his Sheffield Eagles team-mates Chris Judge, Mark Aston and Gavin Brown.

A sportsperson's dinner to raise money for the Wasps' Academy team is being held later this month.

It will take place at the Gimcrack Rooms at York Racecourse on Wednesday, June 27, with entertainment from Master of Ceremonies Dave Kendall, a top comedian and a famous sportsman, as yet unnamed.

Tickets, which cost £25, also include a four course dinner. Tables can hold ten people.

Contact the club on 01904 634636 for further details or write to York Wasps, Huntington Stadium, Jockey Lane, Huntington, York YO32 9XX.

One less than happy man at Huntington Stadium last week was half-back Gareth Oulton.

He was aggrieved at being substituted by coach Lee Crooks after half an hour of the clash with Dewsbury so got changed and proceeded to watch the rest of the match from the stands.

Revealing the reasons for the substitution, Crooks said: "Gareth wasn't doing what I told him to do.

"We were kicking the ball into the open side and not kicking it into the corners. I've talked to Gareth constantly about that but he went away from what we'd said so I brought him off."

I Bet Mark Cain and Damian Ball didn't expect to be back in Wasps colours this season.

But that was exactly what happened last week when Dewsbury were forced to wear York's away shirts after forgetting to bring their own to the Huntington Stadium encounter.

Apparently Dewsbury, whose first choice kit is all-white, did not realise that York also played in white so did not think they would need their away strip.

As a result they had to turn in the Wasps green shirts for the first half until someone could return to Dewsbury and pick up their own black, red and yellow stripes.

Playing in York shirts certainly seemed to affect the Rams as they were dreadful in the first half - what a shame a return to their own colours coincided with a much improved performance.

Just four days to go to the big event that's capturing the whole nation - no, not the election, but Alan Pallister's latest testimonial event.

The York Acorn amateur club is hosting a double bill of comedy and music on Thursday, June 7, to raise funds for the Wasps skipper's campaign.

Des Martine, billed as the number one Rod Stewart tribute act in the country, and comedian Chris McGlaid will provide the entertainment.

The club opens at 7pm and has a late bar. Tickets, costing £3, are available from Ann Wright on 07808 030544 or the Acorn club on 01904 330351.