“I’VE never felt so proud of a great group of young men,” said coach Craig Lucas after his York Acorn ARLC Under-14s side celebrated title success.

The junior Blue and Golds beat city rivals Heworth to the Yorkshire Junior League division four crown by three points after victory on the final day over Elland.

With three U13s players in the side, Acorn went through the season with only two defeats from 14 games. Their 11 wins included a mammoth 86-4 hammering of Stanley Rangers.

"We punch above our weight," Lucas said of that result. "They (Stanley) were big and aggressive, but they came up against these little lads with big hearts."

Lucas, who has headed the group for eight years, said: “Since I’ve coached them, we’ve always come second - always the bridesmaid, never the bride. We’ve had so much bad luck, but they’re a tough group.

“We started the season with 14 men. We were going to teams like leaders Castleford with just 13 and no substitutes.

“Personally, as coach, I've never felt so proud of a great group of young men, and I can't wait until pre-season starts to get back at it.”

The team, heading into under-15s next term, are looking for more players. Training at the club’s Thanet Road headquarters starts on November 1 and takes place every Tuesday and Thursday thereafter from 6pm to 7pm.