Silloth will be back playing competitive rugby union again this month after effectively three years out of action.
The club last functioned seriously the season before Covid struck and they were not ready to resume last season.
Phil Scott, a long-serving Silloth player is one of three seniors who are organising the comeback. Bobby Benson, another former player, is involved while Gareth Nicholson, who has moved from Maryport to Silloth is overseeing the revival.
Scott says: “We’ve been training for about a month now and are gearing up for our first game. It’s going to be a Cumbria Cup preliminary round tie at home to Whitehaven before the Cumbria League season starts in September.
“We’ve had around 20 lads training, the vast majority who used to play at the club, but there have been others on holiday and we have at least half a dozen who play rugby league for Glasson Rangers who will be joining us when their season finishes.”
One of those is Joe Kirkup who has just signed on trialist registration for struggling Workington Town but will be playing union again when Silloth start their Cumbria League campaign.
“We tried to join the Shield League last season, but were too late in applying, so we tried to arrange friendly fixtures which proved easier said than done. We only managed one against a Penrith side,” says Scott.
Silloth have a proud history in the game and their ground is named in honour of Jim Brough, the finest dual code international to come out the town. When he made his England debut he was referred to as the Silloth fisherman.
Back in the 1930’s Silloth twice won the County Cup and more recently, in the 2014/15 season they won the Cumbria League before beating Moresby 35-24 to win the Cumbria League Cup in the final at Cockermouth. That earned them promotion to North Lancs Cumbria, the highest level they have played.
“Everybody is keen to get started again and looking forward to regular, competitive rugby back at the Jim Brough Park,” said Scott.
