After a weekend of mixed fortunes for Park's teams we look ahead to the three senior games taking place this Saturday.
Broughton Park 1st XV vs Stockport 1st XV
Park’s 1st XV will be looking for a return to winning ways at Hough End, following last week’s away loss at Blackburn. This week’s opponents will be Stockport RUFC whose aim for this season will be to be in contention for promotion, following a fifth-place finish last campaign. After a few difficult seasons following their relegation from National Two North in 2014/15, Stockport started the season strongly with a 36-50 away win against last season’s North One East fourth-placed side Penrith. They were then scheduled to play at home against Douglas last week, however the match was postponed due to the Manxmen experiencing travel issues.
It has been a long time since Stockport and Park faced one another in a league match, the last time the sides met was back in the 2007/08 season. In the old North 2 West league, Park and Stockport played out a closely fought game at Hough End with Park running out the 12-5 winners. A victory on Saturday will give Park a good opportunity to finish the weekend in the top half of the table, with only Carlisle and Warrington having won both their opening matches.
1st XV Squad v Stockport 1st XV
Askew, Blackeney Edwards, Booth, Cairns, Cibula, Edgar, Edwards, Hodkinson, Kelly, Kerr, Lacey, Maddocks, J Noone, C O’Donnell, P O’Donnell, Raybould, Smith, Tribley, Tully
Glossop 2nd XV v Broughton Park 2nd XV
After their narrow opening game defeat to Kirkby Lonsdale last week, Park’s 2nd XV travel to the Derbyshire Peaks to take on Glossop at Hargate Hill. This will be the first time Park and Glossop’s 2nd XVs face each other in the league in many years as the teams have competed in different leagues for over a decade. Last season saw Glossop promoted from Division 2 after finishing runners up to Altrincham Kersal on points difference. Their return to this level of rugby has been a mixed bag for the Derbyshire side, picking up a big opening game victory at home against Penrith. However last time out they were then on the receiving end of 47-13 defeat away at last season’s fourth placed side Sandbach.
Park find themselves in the top half of the table going into this weekend’s game knowing that a victory will ensure they are in mix at the top come Sunday.
Broughton Park 3rd XV v Dukinfield 2nd XV
Having won their opening two matches Park’s 3rd XV will welcome Dukinfield’s 2nd XV in the other game at Hough End on Saturday. A return of maximum points in their opening games finds Park sitting in second place behind Ashton-on-Mersey, who have a better point’s difference. Dukinfield themselves are only two places behind in fourth following a bonus point defeat to Rochdale and a win over Kersal in their first two games. With bragging rights secured in their derby victory over Burnage last week Park will look establish themselves as the league’s early pace setters with a third win on the bounce.
Both Broughton Park Ladies and the Senior Colts have no games this weekend, but both will be back in action on Sunday 23rd September when they’ll face Crewe & Nantwich and Wigan respectively.
