Rugby union clubs below North Division Two launch themselves into their first Thwaites league games tomorrow.

Harrogate got their Jewson's National League One season under way last weekend with a dramatic 16-16 draw against Wharfedale and tomorrow travel to London to take on Blackheath.

In a bid to arrest a long string of disappointing results, York have taken stock with a view to a new approach being adopted to regaining their old pride.

There will be a change of emphasis this season that will hopefully bring out the best in players in terms of enthusiasm and encourage them to enjoy a more open running style.

York have undergone some hard and well-attended coaching sessions in the hands of former Morley coach John Shepherd, who is looking for a standard of commitment from his players that should breed success.

They travel to Halifax tomorrow to a club that has followed a similar downward drift from North Division rugby as York in the last few years.

They last played Halifax two seasons ago in North Two before Halifax were relegated the season before York.

But team manager Allan Robertshaw, new club captain Nigel Durham and Shepherd will have to wait a few weeks to assess the quality of their new intake and the way they blend in with the players left over from last season.

Next Saturday, September 18, York, in common with many of the area's clubs, take their first steps on the road to Twickenham when they feature in the first round of the NPI Cup.

They travel to Castleford while Selby go to Hull Ionians. There are home games for Pocklington v Yarnbury, Malton and Norton v Old Brodleians and Goole v Hull

Pocklington and Selby stage an old fashioned 'derby' after being brought together in North East Division Two.

Pocklington are hoping that former Goole hooker Neil Cawood will come through a late fitness test on a knee injury to make his debut against Selby in a Pock side that has Ben Connolly on the wing.

Denzil Styche misses the opening games of the season because of a dislocated shoulder but former Hull Ionian player Jason Nicholson has made a quicker recovery than expect from a groin strain.

Tom Bayston makes his welcome return as hooker to Selby after a long spell with Rotherham, otherwise the Selby team will largely be the same as the one that drew 35-35 at Leos last Saturday.

After their 24-5 triumph at Thornensians, a Yorkshire League One club, last week York RI have a bevy of former Harrogate players to help them continue their climb back up the Yorkshire League tables.

RI open their Yorkshire Two league programme at home to Halifax Vandals with Andy Taylor, Alex Pride and John Cookley, all from Claro Road, making their New Lane debuts at centre, wing forward and prop forward respectively. They will feel very much at home in an RI side led by former Harrogate club captain Steve Fawcett.

Player coach Andy Morse returns from holiday and Pete Carr also returns after a season out with an ankle injury.

Two Malton and Norton players are missing from their side at Otliensians because of unavailability - David Knaggs and Carl Rushworth. In addition, both Pat Stephenson and Ed Gwilliam are on the injured list along with Steve Varey who has returned to The Gannock from Nestle Rowntree.

Chris Marston captains Ripon for the second season running and has two players making their debuts against Gateshead at Mallorie Park - Ben Taylor, a centre based at Claro Barracks with the 38th Engineering Regiment, and Jason Bell, who has moved to Ripon from the Upton area.

Mark Lonsdale captains Wetherby against Rotherham Clifton in Yorkshire Four while Andy Downes leads Scarborough at Bradford Salem in the absence of Shaun Fearne, who has a calf injury.

Scarborough have several newcomers in the squad including centre Graham Fordy, who has finished at university, and Scott Saunders, who returns to Boro's back five after a number of years absence.

Another new face, Neil Steyn, a Zimbabwean U21 prop, is also named in the Scarborough squad.

Yorkshire Division Five has now been split into two parts - North and South - in order to cut down on travelling. Nestl Rowntree open their league season at Garforth with Darren Sidebottom making his debut after many years absence from the area.

Brothers Peter and Dan Clarke have moved back to York from university and make their debuts in the three-quarter line. Jim Baldwin captains the Rowntree side in the absence of Dave Sowray who is busy farming.

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