Seaton have had to pull out their A team from the Holmen Iggesund Cumberland ARL because of a shortage of players.
A daunting crop of injuries, on top of four close season departures to the professional ranks, have caused problems in putting out two teams each week.
A spokesman for the Seaton club said: “As a club we’ve faced an unprecedented situation where we’ve lost four of last year’s first team to the pro ranks.
“In addition to that we’ve picked up a number of long-term injuries which has seen us lose 12 of the team that so successfully competed in a strong NCL Division Three last season.
“Our recent Conference League game with Eastmoor saw us lose five players and regrettably none of these are short-term injuries. It’s been the perfect storm.
“As a club we hope to regroup our A team and play friendly fixtures but we also have a duty to the CARL competition and we feel that by withdrawing a 10-team League offers the remaining clubs the opportunity to be playing rugby every weekend.”
They should have played at Wath Brow A on Friday night but that will be cancelled and the Seaton A record deleted from the records in compiling the League table. In fact they only played the one game when they were well beaten by Distington 60-4.
It leaves two games being played on Friday night and two tomorrow with Distington the side missing out as they were originally the spare team.
They are all interesting clashes, too, with some tight games in prospect starting with the Friday games which are headed by a town derby in Allerdale between Ellenborough A and Glasson Rangers.
Glasson go into the derby on the back of a narrow win over Hensingham A and will be favourites to follow-up but it will depend on how strong a team Elbra can put-out on the night.
Up at Gillfoot the all-Copeland clash sees Egremont A hosting Hensingham A.
There’s a tasty game in prospect at Highfield where Cockermouth Titans entertain Maryport, two sides who are expected to make big strides this year.
The Titans scored a good Cumberland Cup win over Egremont last week but they will be without their man of the match Ryan Scott who is away with Cumbria rugby union side for the start of the County Championship.
Maryport have had two good wins over Kells A this season and, like their hosts, are a team on the up.
The other game should be well balanced, too, as Lowca entertain Kella A.
