By Alexander Fynn.
Bridlington RUFC will be determined to return to winning ways this weekend as they travel to face Doncaster Phoenix, with the Blue and Golds looking to put last week’s disappointment behind them.
It has been an action-packed return to Counties 1 Yorkshire for the Blue and Golds, who kicked off their campaign in thrilling fashion with a hard-fought 47-31 victory over Wensleydale at Dukes Park. However, the Blue and Golds were brought back down to earth last weekend, suffering a 44-13 defeat against Harrogate Pythons.
This weekend presents another opportunity for Bridlington to show their character, with the first team travelling to a Doncaster side who are enduring a difficult run of form, a second team who are at home taking on a touring Maldon side and a Colts team who are welcoming Sandal RUFC to Dukes Park.
The Phoenix have struggled to find their feet in recent times, having failed a register a league victory since April 2025. After going the entirety of last season without a win, their fortunes have shown little sign of improving in the opening weeks of the new campaign.
A heavy 96-0 defeat against Yarnbury in their opening fixture was followed by a 62-10 loss to Wensleydale last weekend, leaving the Doncaster outfit desperate to end their lengthy losing streak.
The last time the two sides met was in 2015 in Counties 2 Yorkshire where the Phoenix beat the Blue and Golds 57-18, but 11 years on, the Blue and Golds will be hoping to turn the tables and write a different chapter in the fixture’s history.
Head Coach Callam Sanderson has his thoughts on this weekend’s clash on the road.
“We’ve reviewed the footage from the Harrogate Pythons game, I don’t think the scoreline truly represents that game, from an outsider, you would look like at that and say we were second best by a long way, but in reality, we were right in that game until the last 10 minutes.”
“This is Doncaster’s first home game of the season, I’m sure that they’ll be licking their lips, because it’s an opportunity to get the monkey off their back against a side that have just been promoted and also it’s clear that there conceding a few points, but we know not to take anything for granted.”
“We’ve got a strong side out this week, a bit of rotation, a few lads picked up a couple of knocks and we’ve got some returning from their unavailability’s, and I said it last week that were getting three teams out, with the first team obviously away at Doncaster, the second team taking on Maldon Rugby Club from Essex a touring team.”
