A fiercely contested encounter with local rivals Wetherby Rugby Club went down to the final whistle, with the final score of 26-33 giving Pontefract a five-point away win, enough to move above Wetherby in NE 2, who now must face Old Crossleyans RUFC in a relegation play-off on 25 April 2026.

The hosts opened the game with clear intent and had the best of possession and territory, scoring two early tries and moving into a 12-0 lead, before Sam Gilbert took a lovely line in the centre to crash over after 20 minutes. Then, on the stroke of halftime, Tom Papworth joined the line at pace to create an overlap for Josh Milthorpe to exploit, scoring under the posts and giving Pontefract a 12-14 lead at half time.

They say forwards win games, the backs by how much – and the close exchanges on the gain line, both in attack and defence, were brutal. The Pontefract pack, including 33-year-old second row Callum Rogers in his last game before retirement, traded with Wetherby some heavy carries and crunching tackles. Brodie was imperious in the lineout and the front row of Potsy, Steve-O and Luke Townend had to dig deep, with Tom Webley bringing fresh legs to the battle. However, it was the Pontefract backs that proved decisive, with the back three having pace to burn, steel and guile in the centres and man-of-the-match Liam Kay and Linden orchestrating the game at halfback.

Second half and all to play for
The second half opened at a frantic pace as Wetherby came out firing, scoring first to take a 19-14 lead. Pontefract tightened their defence, forcing two critical errors: the first led to a Liam Kay interception on halfway and a 50 metre gallop to avoid the cover and score in the corner, which he, of course, converted, regaining the lead, 19-21; the second was a Tom Papworth interception in similar circumstances which gave Pontefract a 19-28 cushion. But the game was far from over. When Callum received a harsh yellow card Wetherby brought the score up to 26-28 with ten minutes to go.

The tension was relieved somewhat when Josh Milthorpe in his trademark style outpaced the opposition defence to score in the corner, making it 26-33. Nonetheless, the hosts threw everything into the final stages, knowing that a converted try would draw the game and be enough to ensure their survival in NE2. So, it was a nail-biting end, but Pontefract hung on in style to the final whistle which brought a mixture of relief and celebration.
Both sides contributed to a gripping contest with the lead regularly changing hands. It was another fine example of grassroots rugby: physical, passionate and the game decided by the smallest of margins. Wetherby played their part, and we wish them all the best in their play-off match in two weeks’ time.

Early end to the season
So, that’s the end of the 2025/6 season for our First XV and our Director of Rugby, James Grant, will be giving an analysis of the season in due course. However, our Second XV will be in action next week and, don’t forget, Tom Papworth will be playing for Yorkshire Under 20s at Huddersfield on Sunday 26 April.