Underbank Rangers are hoping for a big crowd as they carry the flag for Huddersfield rugby league in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup first round on Saturday.
It’s a 2pm kick-off at The Cross for the Holmfirth-based side, who take on Yorkshire Men’s League Premier Division champions Batley Boys in what promises to be an entertaining clash.
Underbank coach Richard Knight is without back-injury victim Chris Harrop and scrum half Luke Pogson, who is sidelined with a knee injury, but he says the rest of the 20-man squad are raring to put the club in next Wednesday’s second round draw, which will be made at Warrington (5pm).
“We need to start this match like we need to start the season – being pretty professional, sticking to what we know wins us games and putting an 80-minute performance together,” said Knight, whose side launch their National Conference Premier Division campaign at Wath Brow Hornets on Saturday, March 3.
“The lads know we will need that sort of approach to be competitive throughout the season and we have trained well in pre-season, right from when we started at the beginning of December.
“With a couple of months of work under their belt, the lads have trained well this week, too, and we’ll have another run-through on Friday just to make sure everyone is ready.”
Underbank were last in the Challenge Cup in 2016, when they were drawn away to the then National Conference Premier Division champions Leigh Miners Rangers and won!
Unfortunately they came up against Kells at the next stage and were knocked out.
Knight hopes home advantage this time around will prove crucial.
“To be fair, Batley Boys won their title last year but I don’t know much about them at all,” explained Knight.
“They are bringing two coach loads of supporters with them, so they must be confident, but we are hoping the public of the town and the whole area will come and support the only Huddersfield team in the first round while we await the arrival of the Giants into the competition later on.
“We have home advantage and, for us, that is usually pretty strong.
“We like to play on our own pitch, we really enjoy it and we’ve always played pretty well in front of our own fans – so we are hoping for a busy day with a lot of supporters turning up.”
Underbank have their two England Under 23 Commonwealth Championship tourists to Australia in the starting line-up, back Owen Restall and hooker Sam Rochford.
They are in England’s 15-man party for the Nines tournament in Moreton Bay, Queensland, next month.
By then, Restall, 22, from Almondbury, and 22-year-old Rochford, from Meltham, will have hoped to have played for Underbank in the Challenge Cup second round over the weekend of February 10-11.
Underbank Rangers: Owen Restall, Sam Ansell, Alex Chatterton, Courtney Allette, Will England, Jakob Garside, Danny Hirst, Mikey Holmes, Sam Rochford, Jordan Williams, Craig Williams, Darren Hawkyard, Dan Ferrand. Bench (from) - John Burt, Luke Roberts, Jon-Lee Sanderson, Nathan Robinson, Tom England, Matthew Byatt, George Clough.
