Rugby Club Issue 54 | Page 21

harrogate Harrogate B ased on Rudding Lane in North Yorkshire, Harrogate RUFC currently competes in the National League 2 North. They are led by the team of Chairman James Smithies and President John Finnegan and the club has been progressing well under their guidance. Their first team has put together a strong campaign this time around, putting together a record of seventeen wins, three draws and ten defeats from their thirty matches. This saw them finish near the top of the table with 89 points on the board. This should provide them with the perfect platform from which to build as they look to put together a successful campaign in 2015/16. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of mounting a title challenge. One of the highlights of the team’s performances so far this season has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have been producing. This has been reflected by the fact that they have racked up 720 points at a rate of close to 25 per match. This will certainly have ensured that any supporters attending their games will have been well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the side in future. This in turn has the potential to provide them with a valuable source of additional revenue. One of the keys to the team’s successful season has been the reliable goal kicking of Joe Rowntree who finished as their top scorer with 172 points. Having a kicker that can be relied upon to keep the scoreboard ticking over gives Harrogate the ability to win “One of the keys to the team’s successful season has been the reliable goal kicking of Joe Rowntree who finished as their top scorer with 172 points.” www.harrogaterugby.com- Twitter : @Harrogate_Rugby www.sportip.biz 21