Penrith’s successful season could even scale further heights over the last month of the campaign.
Having won the Regional 2 North title and the Cumbria Cup the Winter’s Park side could cap it with an appearance at Twickenham.
They are involved in the RFU’s new competition the Papa John’s Trophy which will have it’s final at the home of English rugby union.
Competing clubs are involved in four-team mini leagues and Penrith will compete against Bowden (away), this season’s main rivals Morpeth (home) and Moortown (away).
The group winners will contest the semi-final and the two successful clubs will battle it out at Twickenham.
On Saturday they travel to Bowdon who were runners-up in Regional 2 North West behind Anselmians winning 19 of their 22 games, with just three defeats. Penrith have a W19 L2 record with one game still to play at Durham City.
That will be fitted in next week-end before the Papa John’s clash with League rivals Morpeth on April 15. The north east side finished their League campaign with a record of W18 L4 and two of those defeats were against Penrith – handsomely thrashed at Winter’s Park.
The final game will be at Moortown, runners-up in Regional Two North East where the Leeds side had the same record as Morpeth – W18 L4 – but were only a point behind champions Pontefract.
Kendal are also involved in the same competition and start their pool fixtures at home to Regional 1 North West rivals Wirral on Saturday. They also have to travel to Ilkley on April 15 and to Stoke-on-Trent on April 22.
Further down the pecking order county clubs are involved in straight knock-outs, although there are several byes because of a shortage of entries.
Top match locally will be a double header at Pennine Park where Upper Eden are entertaining Cockermouth. It will count as the final Counties 1 Cumbria Conference game as well as in the Papa John’s Plate.
Upper Eden won their final game of the season 59-26 in a points feast at Millom last week which clinched the League title and promotion. They have only lost one League game in three years – and that was to Cockermouth last month so there will be every incentive for them to win that.
Cockermouth will be second in the League whatever happens and they are also still waiting for information whether they will also gain promotion as one of the best runners-up
Wigton will go through in the Papa John’s Plate as opponents Ponteland have withdrawn, even though they had ground advantage. Millom are set to travel to Copley in Halifax to take on Old Richworthians.
In the Shield competition both Silloth and Creighton have first round byes.
