POCKLINGTON RUFC are preparing for their final game of a busy Christmas week today with their annual 'Town v Gown' game and reunion.

The centrepiece is the match between Pocklington and the Pocklington School old boys side, Old Pocklingtonians, kicking off at 1pm.

At the weekend, Pock played their delayed Yorkshire Shield first round game against Bradford Salem at Percy Road.

The hosts will miss out on a quarter-final meeting with local rivals Malton & Norton, however, as Salem came away with a 47-29 win.

Salem are due to host the Gannock outfit on Saturday, January 25. Malt progressed past the first round with a 31-10 win over Scarborough.

Today's town v school fixture is among Pocklington's longest-standing sporting occasions, with the first game between the two being held in 1879.

A club spokesperson explained: "Since being established as a traditional Christmas fixture in the 1980s, it has gone on to become one of the highlights of the Pock rugby calendar with a number of old Pocklingtonians who only come back home once or twice a year always making it down to Percy Road to meet old friends on Boxing Day afternoon, with the game invariably drawing a crowd of 500-plus in recent years.

"Pocklington and Old Pocklingtonians will be battling it out for the Bottomley Trophy, given by the family of George Bottomley, who was both a Pocklington School old boy and a founder member of Pocklington RUFC.

"The clubhouse reunion afterwards has also become as much a part of the day as the rugby, with the Old Pocklingtonian Association also supporting the proceedings by sponsoring the post match buffet."

Meanwhile, Yorkshire Four outfit Nestle Rowntree kept in trim with a trip to Clifton Park, which ended in a 29-14 to York 3rds.

The game started with Trees on top but once the ball went wide, York scored a try after eight minutes but missed the conversion.

Trees tried to keep the ball tight but were undone again on 20 minutes, going 12-0 down.

The visitors were playing well but the York defence held up until the 35th minute, when Trees' forwards drove upfield and prop Marc Ford charged over, with returning fly-half Dave Harder converting.

It was then Trees' turn to defend, but after 35 minutes from a York scrum, the hosts scored to lead 19-7 at the break.

The second half seemed to be even but after an hour York scored again out wide.

Some good open rugby saw wing forward Reece Carlyle cross for Trees, and Harder converted again.

Hosts York sealed victory after breaking and scoring another unconverted try.