Maryport have a home tie in the second round of the BARLA National Cup with one of the biggest names in amateur rugby league.
Thatto Heath Crusaders run more teams than any other rugby league club in the country and the first team have been prominent members of the National Conference Premier Division for a number of years.
But that senior side have a home game with Salford Reserves in a pre-season warm-up game so it will be the A team who will be travelling up to west Cumbria.
Even so their visit to the Athletic Ground (ko 2pm) is a tie which should certainly bring out a good contingent of amateur rugby league aficionados in the area.
Coach Andrew Cartwright knows it will still be a tough test for his side but is looking for his squad to give a good account of themselves.
“We’ve been training for five weeks and have played one friendly,” says Cartwright. “That was a 44-10 win over Aspatria but was a decent work-out.
“I’m expecting us to be fairly strong for this one and give a good account of ourselves although the Thatto Heath club has a good record in the competition.”
In fact the St Helens club has lifted the National Cup on three occasions, the most recent in 2018/19.
There’s also another amateur game going on this afternoon with Egremont and Hensingham going head to head at Gillfoot in an annual clash.
They are competing for the Jackie Davidson Memorial Trophy, silverware created in memory of the popular character who coached both clubs as well as Whitehaven, Workington Town and Cumbria.
He had started his rugby at Wath Brow before signing for Whitehaven in 1968 and says his greatest memory of playing for the Recreation Ground club was teaming-up in the second-row with the legendary Dick Huddart when he came back to play briefly for Haven in the twilight of his career.
In an interview in later years Jackie, who died in 2017, said: “Coaching wise I gave it my best shot and as a player I always played the game hard and honestly, even if my heart was on my sleeve.”
The match kicks off at 2.30pm and entry is a minimum of £3 with all proceeds split equally between both clubs and donated to the respective club youth sections.
