The 2023 Iggesund Holmen CARLA season gets underway this weekend as the league action kicks in with a full programme of fixtures.
The EB Lamb and Son Amateur Cup started the season and has seen Wath Brow A and Maryport progress to a final to be played at a date to be confirmed.
The new season promises to be a keenly contested one with teams capable of beating each other on any given day.
Distington are the reigning champions and will be looking to lift the title again, despite having lost many experienced heads.
They still have the likes of Tyrone Dalton, Scott George and newly appointed captain Jamie Friel leading the team around and look to have unearthed another gem in the form of lightning quick young winger Lewis Whitehead.
Wath Brow Hornets have had a talented young team building over a number of years that look to be maturing in time to make a real fist of challenging this season.
With the experienced heads of Peter Caddy and Jamie Devine helping steer the ship and stand out young half back Devon Sharp making his mark already they go into the season already a cup finalist having dispatched of Distington along the way and will be full of confidence
The team that’s arguably had the biggest spring in their step for the new season is Maryport, who have been revitalised under the new head coach Mark Foster.
A series of highly promising pre-season displays were taken into the EB Lamb and Son Amateur Cup where they dispatched Kells A in a fantastic team display.
With the additions of Craig Foster and Garry Taylor and the continued emergence of Josh Pattinson they have high hopes for the season ahead.
Last years all-conquering Kells A team may have got off to a bad start but such is the prolific conveyor belt of talent that they will no doubt bounce back in style as the season progresses with young guns like Dylan Grears and Ashton Sice ones to keep an eye on.
One team who have made excellent progress over the last few seasons has been Lowca. Under the guidance of club stalwart Lee Allen they’ve done a great job of bringing talented youngsters through their ranks and in Mitchell Todd they have a stand out centre, to complement the likes of Emerson Allen and James McNally
After a disappointing 2022 both Glasson Rangers and Cockermouth Titans will be looking to bounce back and prove a point in 2023.
Glasson have had good numbers in pre-season and have got several games under their belt and will be looking to their talisman Matthew Burns to keep driving them forward,
Cockermouth will be looking for members of their talented young squad to shine and take them forward.
For the respective A teams at Seaton, Hensingham, Egremont and Ellbra it will be a case of continuing to provide a pathway to progress through their club structures whilst picking up wins on the way.
All round 2023 promises to be a fantastic season of amateur rugby league in the CARLA Iggesund Holmen Premier Division with many twists and turns ahead.
The stand out fixture of the first week-end will see reigning champions Distington, host Cup finalists Maryport at Grass Road 14:30pm kick off.
Also on Saturday – Glasson Rangers v Seaton Rangers A. Cockermouth are the spare team.
The season actually starts on Friday night with three games – Ellenborough A v Egremont A; Hensingham A v Lowca; Wath Brow A v Kells A.
