National Conference new boys Distington started life in Division Three with a hard-earned 6-0 win at neighbours Hensingham.
In tough conditions, which were common around Cumbria for the opening day of the season, it was a hard slog for both sides.
“Roll on summer,” was Distington coach Aiden Worthington’s verdict after his side had pocketed their first League points.
“I don’t think the game should have been played in truth. It cut up badly during the warm-up and really the ball didn’t bounce at all.
“We scored early on and then Hensingham really tested our goal-line defence but we stood up to it well. I was really pleased with how we defended,” said Worthington.
Nicky Cook scored the only try of the game as early as the fifth minute, converted by Scott George, before the heavy rain started.
The third Cumbrian side in Division Three, Seaton Rangers had a free weekend and will start on Saturday at East Leeds.
In the top flight Kells must wait for their first game as their trip to Herworth was called off because of a waterlogged pitch.
Only three games went ahead in the Premier Division with Wath Brow’s 14-0 win over Rochdale Mayfield good enough to give them top spot in the first League table.
The visitors had started strongly but floundered on a solid Wath Brow defence and it was the home side who went in front with an unconverted try from Sam Curwen.
A second try for Curwen was again too wide out to be converted but when Aiden Dawson got ovetr for the third try Cole Walker-Taylor was able to add on the extras.
That was the score at half-time and in increasingly difficult conditions there were no further points scored in the second-half.
Egremont, back in the Premier Division, were given a big test for their opening fixture at home to last season’s runners-up West Hull.
However the Cumbrians acquitted themselves well in the testing conditions and were narrowly beaten 10-6.
New coach Rhys Davies said: “I was proud of the lads’ efforts in atrocious conditions. Pre-season has paid-off as we looked very fit.
“Just a couple of costly errors and penalties caught us out but there were plenty of positives to take into the Kells game on Saturday.”
West Hull had taken the lead on eight minutes with a try from Ben Arbon, converted by Ryan Wilson and it was still 6-0 at the interval.
Nine minutes into the second-half Kack Watts scored a second try for the visitors which went unconverted.
In a big finish Matt Bewsher got over for an Egremont try, which he converted, five minutes from time but they couldn’t break through again.
Cumbria now have three teams in Division Two with two of them meeting-up for the opening fixture.
Typical of the conditions it was a tightly contested affair before hosts Ellenborough claimed the points over Barrow Island with a 12-10 victory.
Sam Jones had kicked the visitors ahead with an early penalty but Elbra were in front 10-2 at the break.
John Todd and Jordan Ostle went in for home tries with Keenan Winter adding a conversion.
The Islanders came back strongly in the second half and a try from Shane Sanderson, with two goals from Jones pulled them level.
But it was Ellenborough who claimed the points late-on with a penalty from Winter.
Millom were also involved in a tight contest at Wigan St. Jude’s, finishing on the wrong end of a 14-12 score-line.
The Woollybacks had actually gone in at half-time with a 6-0 lead after Jonty Peters went in for a try, converted by Lee Postlethwaite.
St Jude’s responded well in the second-half and fought back to lead 14-6 with tries from Callum Palmer and Reece McNally (2), one of which was converted by Andrew Holt.
Millom put in a late flurry with Connor Terrill scoring a try, converted by Postlethwaite, but they couldn’t break through again.
