Foresters named Wharfedale’s Team of the Year

2:27pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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Wharfedale concluded its 2007-2008 season by holding its club dinner on Friday night.

Wharfedale, whose first team went on a late season run to avoid relegation and finish in mid-table, gave credit to all of its teams.

The club's chairman of rugby, Michael Harrison, said the second team, the Foresters were the Team of the Year, posting the best record at the club to claim the Cath Harrison Trophy.

The Foresters were captained for most of the season by Dave Charnley, who credited a defeat in pre-season by Skipton's first team as the catalyst the Foresters needed to go on to win the Yorkshire Premiership League and the Northern National 2nd XV League.

Wharfedale's third team finished second in the Cath Harrison Trophy and the fifth's team coach, Mick Greenwood, was named an honorary life member for his services to the club over the years.

The Most Improved Player went to first team forward Tom Horner, who just pipped Foresters' player Will Bell to the award. Len Tiffany received an RFU award for volunteers.

First team captain Andy Baggett addressed those in attendance by talking about the Greens' success, despite being a small town club.

He said: "It shows what a bit of bottle and heart will do over money any day."

Baggett, who said the Greens often get off to a slow start, added: "We're looking forward to next season. Let's get a good start and hopefully if we have a good second half we'll be up there in the mix."

The skipper said the highlight of the season for the Greens was the play of the forwards and pack leader Rob Baldwin, who is also the vice captain.

Baggett said: "The forwards as a unit have played really well this year but the backs haven't played up to their potential."

Baldwin, sporting a massive black eye and broken cheekbone sustained in a clash of heads with Baggett in the Yorkshire Cup, said: "Everything we did was spot on. We get stick every week about being a small pack but we scored loads of pushover tries which proves we're not a weak team."

The MC of the evening, Ian Douglas, paid tribute to the other local clubs who all had representatives in attendance: Otley, a fellow National League Two side, achieved promotion back to the First Division.

Ilkley finished second in Yorkshire One but won a play-off against Northern and earned promotion to North East Two.

Skipton, one of the oldest clubs in the county, achieved their second promotion in a row, this time to Yorkshire One.

North Ribblesdale have a group of very young, very good and committed players in Yorkshire Two.

Keighley chairman Bob Swift helped hold together a side that managed to avoid relegation from Yorkshire One.