Sunday (26 December) sees one of Pocklington's major sporting occasions, the annual 'Town v Gown' Boxing Day encounter between Pocklington RUFC and the Pocklington School old boys side, Old Pocklingtonians, kicking off at 1.00 pm.
The game is scheduled to go ahead subject to government guidelines and continued monitoring of the situation, while an outside bar and additional clubhouse ventilation has been implemented.
The 'Town v Gown' encounter is Pocklington's longest standing sporting fixture - the first time the two played each other was way back in November 1879 when the Rev WHA Walters, one of Wales' top rugby players of his day, came to Pocklington as a young schoolteacher and organised the inaugural game between a Pocklington School XV and eleven players from 'Pocklington Town & District'.
For the next few years school and town combined to play against club sides, including recording a notable giant killing victory in 1881 against Hull FC, before the town players formed their own club at Percy Road.
The town club versus Old Pocklingtonians was established as a traditional Christmas fixture in the 1980s by the late Malcolm Milne; and has gone on to become one of the highlights of the Pock rugby calendar. They will be battling it out for the Bottomley Trophy, given by the family of George Bottomley who was both a Pocklington School old boy and a founder member of Pocklington RUFC.
If there are sufficient players looking to play a second game will also be organised, so anyone wanting a run out should bring their kit.
There was no 2020 encounter due to the lockdown, but the OPs are the holders of the Bottomley Trophy. An entertaining game on Boxing Day 2019 saw the teams all square at the break, before the Old Pocklingtonians pulled away in the second half to retain the trophy by winning 46-19.
Pocklington's league game against Bradford & Bingley last Saturday was postponed. The RFU belatedly gave clubs the option of not playing last weekend. Some did and some cancelled, and though Pocklington were keen to play their opponents decided not to travel from Bradford. The fixture will now be rescheduled in February.
Picture: Teams after an earlier Boxing Day.
