🏉To say we are pleased about tonight’s press release is an understatement!🏉
?🏉Hollismen make return to the Yorkshire league system🏉
After three years of rebuilding Hornsea RUFC are delighted to announce that they have successfully applied, and been reinstated as a Yorkshire league side for the upcoming 2020/21 season where they will ply their trade in Yorkshire Division Four.
Three years ago, after a torrid couple of seasons with decreased playing numbers and some heavy defeats happening on a regular basis, a decision was made by the club to drop out of the Yorkshire league system and join the East District Merit League, in the hope that results would improve, playing numbers would pick up and confidence would return. The idea was to regroup as a club before returning to the Yorkshire leagues, we didn’t know how long it would take.
And three years of hard work and effort both on and off the field has seen the club finish in 10th place in their first season, 8th place in their second season and when the season was brought to an early close this season they were lying in 2nd place in the Merit League with hopes of winning the league and end of season play off competition.
So, improvement year on year has been made and huge credit should go to player / coach Steve Arnott and captain Gareth Laycock who have both been in their respective roles throughout this period and have been the main instigators in turning the club around on the pitch. Captain Laycock, delighted at the news, said, “All of the players should be thanked and mentioned for sticking to the task in hand and buying in to what we as a club were trying to do. Playing numbers have increased, results and performances have improved no end, and the feel good factor certainly seems to be back at the club. We know Yorkshire Four will be a tough league to join, but we are determined to give a good account of ourselves, and there is no reason why we can’t compete well”.
Hornsea have enjoyed locking horns with some old local adversaries such as Marist, BP and other local club 2nd XV’s in the merit league, but, as we’ve played 30 out of the last 33 years in the Yorkshire league system since it’s inception back in 1987, that is where we feel our home is.
Yorkshire Division Four is split into two with a South and East league and a North and West league. Hornsea will sit in the South and East league and will be joined with local rivals Hessle, York R.I, Rowntrees, Mosborough, Stocksbridge, Sheffield Oaks and Rotherham Phoenix, all of whom we’ve played before in the Yorkshire leagues. Each side plays everyone home and away, then the top four from the South and East league and the North and West league form a premier division again playing each other with the top 2 being promoted to Yorkshire Division Three. The bottom 4 in the South and East league and the North and West league form a shield division again playing each other with the top side winning the Yorkshire Division Four Shield.
Hornsea RUFC Chairman, Nick O’Mahony, said, “ Although we can only guess when rugby will return, this is great news for both the club and the very talented squad we have at present. Steve and I have been in favour of this return for some time and the guys making this decision is testament to their commitment. I am looking forward to some of our old friends returning to the Rec, along with some VP's reacquainting with Saturday afternoons at the club."
Hornsea RUFC President Steve Crook said of the news, “It’s a fantastic feeling to be returning to Yorkshire Four as we have always been a Yorkshire league side prior to the last three years. We made a brave decision as a club to join the Merit league back in 2017 and try to regroup as a side and a club, we wanted to return, and three years of hard work on the pitch and off it has seen us ready to move back. We know it’s certainly going to be a challenge back in Yorkshire Four, but we are up for it, and with Gareth and Steve still at the helm we are hopeful that we will be competing well again in the Yorkshire league system. I’ve been part of the club for quite a long time now and I’m finding it difficult to remember another squad of players who had such high spirits and togetherness as this current crop.”
The club would like to thank Chairman Nick O’Mahony as ever for all of his time and efforts carrying out all of the documentation and communications necessary to allow us to make our return.
Pre season training will be starting at the beginning of July (details to be announced shortly) and all players, new, existing and former are all very welcome to attend. If you are from the Hornsea / Holderness surrounding area and would like to give Yorkshire league rugby a good at a traditional progressive grassroots club, Hornsea RUFC is worth a try!
