The rain relented in the early hours to provide much better conditions than expected for this rearranged match. Ilkley started brightly when Charles Morgan kicked a penalty long downfield.  Middlesbrough failed to gather and illegally prevented Ilkley scoring from their kick ahead resulting in a penalty try and an early 7 - 0 lead. To their credit Middlesbrough came straight back and pushed Ilkley back via a penalty to their 5 metre line from which they mauled their way over

Ilkley travelled up to the murky hills of Cumbria for this return match which Ilkley won well in a rather one sided contest at Stack's Field back in October. It soon became clear that Penrith were looking to reverse the scoreline with their huge front row leading their charge. Early scrum pressure from Penrith forced a penalty and from the resulting kick Penrith were up to the Ilkley 10. However,  Ilkley's defence held firm and Ben Magee led Ilkley's response upfield on the a

We’re excited to once again welcome Sachi’s back for Sachi's at Stacks Curry Night at the IRFC Clubhouse on Sunday 8th March from 4.30 pm. Expect a full sit down meal featuring classics like chicken tikka masala, railway lamb curry, dal tadka, garlic naan and a proper sweet finish with gulab jamun. Vegetarian options available. Check out the full menu below. Tickets are £22 per person and as always they go quick so email Rhys on rhyshjm@googlemail.com or Derek on drichards50

The last match of the year and one for the Dalesmen to forget. Despite scoring four sparkling tries, team discipline was left on the bus and Sandal took full advantage, belying their lowly position in the league. An astonishing 11 penalties were awarded against Ilkley in the first half alone, compared to just the 1 against Sandal. Matters improved somewhat in the second half, but the ratio was still 7 to 4 and there is no doubt that the game was lost for that reason.Ilkley di

Ilkley got the second half of the season away off to a good start with a solid win against a lively Kendal side, the first of what is hoped to be a few doubles, having won the away fixture 24-27 back in September.  Still not at full strength, missing Magee, Morgan and Harrison, this was a great result for the squad as a whole and fourth spot in the league was maintained.  Ilkley made a great start and when a promising move was halted by a high tackle, the resultant line out e

So, half way through the season now and the Dalesmen remain in 4th position, despite losing their third game to a top three side, at the hands of a very slick Alnwick outfit. Still not at full strength and in some truly awful weather conditions, the Dalesmen can thank Louis Anderson’s boot for gaining a solitary losing bonus point, as he converted Harry Harrison’s try a long way out on the left wing with five minutes to play. Anderson had already hit the post twice and with r

A gutsy performance by a much depleted Ilkley squad unfortunately wasn’t enough to prevent league leaders Heath notching yet another win, making it ten out of ten in this season’s campaign. Furthermore, the West Vale side has added finesse to its attack, so it’s not just grunt and shunt any more, the side is strong from 1 to 15. Ilkley started well and were 3 nil up after 10 minutes, courtesy of a Harry Smith penalty, but the lead was short-lived as the Heath pack started to

The Dalesmen’s disappointment in the manner of their defeat at Harrogate a fortnight ago was shrugged off for this clash with old foes, Driffield, a club cut from the same cloth as Ilkley. As has become the norm this season, the home side had to withstand considerable early pressure before unleashing its potent attacking options and with five first half tries to just one from the visitors, the large well-lunched crowd could be forgiven for expecting more of the same in the se

Following a very brief light shower the match kicked off in bright, sunny weather with referee Tom Hurdley officiating. Ilkley's travelling support was substantial and made their presence known after each superb Ilkley try. Harrogate's pitch was a clear improvement from Ilkley's last visit and held up well. After an early exchange of penalties when Mr Hurdley's whistle made clear who was in charge, Ilkley's Harry Harrison caught Ilkley's kick off and scorched through several

After a disappointing visit to the North East last week, the Dalesmen were anxious to get their show back on the road against a side languishing at the bottom of the table. This is Cleckheaton though, a side that should never be taken lightly, despite their poor start to the season. Sure enough, the visitors starved Ilkley of possession and always looked dangerous when they got close to the Ilkley goal line. The home side was forced into giving penalties away - four in the fi