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LIONS’ FOUNDATION RE-BOOTS FOR BRIGHT FUTURE!

Swinton Lions’ Foundation announces strategic changes to maintain startling progress!

One of the great success stories at Swinton Lions post-covid has been the rapid rise and reach of the Swinton Lions Community Sports Foundation.

The launch of our Swinton Lionesses women’s team was a seminal moment in the history of our club. We have also seen the fantastic progress of our Lions Elite Athlete Player Pathway (LEAPP) programme, and also our Under 18s and Under 16s Lions Talent Pathway (LTP) programmes. These are perhaps the most visible of our ongoing projects, but they represent just the tip of the iceberg amongst so many great community success stories.

Such has been our Foundation’s progress, that we have undertaken a review of its management structure, to ensure its continued success and growth.

Damian Ridpath has now been appointed as the first ever CEO of the Lions’ Foundation, to enable him to concentrate more time on the strategic direction of the Foundation, rather than its grass roots delivery. Damian’s change of emphasis has created a new role within the organisation, that of Foundation Manager. Mark Robinson takes up that role, with a brief to manage and deliver the day-to-day activities of the Foundation.

Damian said, “I am delighted to be announced as the first Lions Foundation CEO. As part of our strategic vision for the club, in conjunction with the direction of Rugby League as a whole, getting the structure of the Foundation right is an important action to ensure its viability for future growth. I am also delighted that Mark Robinson has accepted the role of Foundation Manager, and together we will drive forward the Foundation’s services to the community. I also want to pay tribute to all those who are making such a fantastic contribution, with Steve Thirkell and his coaching and back-room team at the Lionesses, Dougie Owen, Gareth Pratt, Luke Waterworth who are central to our talent pathway, and indeed all of our community coaches and volunteers. I am also thrilled that the Swinton Lions Foundation is now so positively respected across the whole of Rugby League and beyond.”

Upon his appointment as Foundation Manager, Mark Robinson, said, “I’m absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the new Swinton Lions Foundation Manager. I feel as though this is the next step in my personal pathway in Rugby League, but more importantly in the pathway of the Lions Foundation itself. I’m looking forward to working with the Lionesses, our pathway programmes, and to growing the already amazing school projects that we deliver – and much more besides. My aim is to also start and grow our wheelchair rugby team, an LDRL team, as well as introduce Tag Rugby and Walking Rugby for the over 55s. Finally, I would like to thank Damian and all concerned for this opportunity.”

We are also delighted to announce that club director Andy Unwin will act in the role of Chairman of the Foundation. This is a temporary appointment whilst we seek an individual from outside of the current Swinton Lions set-up, which will not only help ensure good governance, but also the continued influx of fresh ideas from outside of the current overall club set-up.

Whilst our Foundation continues to have a positive impact in Manchester, Trafford and Bolton, our relationship with Salford City Council has arguably never been better, and this will enable us to continue to maintain a positive influence across the whole city into the future, including of course within Swinton & Pendlebury itself. With news of a specific City of Salford Rugby League strategy taking place, it’s imperative that Swinton Lions is in a position to play an influential role.

News

RAMPANT LIONS STUN ROVERS!

SWINTON LIONS 28 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 8

IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 8 September 2024

The Lions put in a superb performance to claim a season’s double over Rovers and move out of the bottom two. The last time the Lions did the double over Rovers was in the 1962/3 season. It was Rovers who took the lead in the fourth minute when Danny Addy put in a short kick and Greg Minikin scored on the right, but Dec Patton was unable to convert. Patton then tried to set up Greg Eden, but the kick ran dead with the fullback chasing. The Lions forced two goal line drop-outs, but nothing came from them and then Brad Day and Connor Barley had chances for Rovers, but both knocked on in good positions. The Lions took the lead on sixteen minutes when Gav Rodden, Jayden Hatton and Lewis Hall combined to send Richard Lepori in by the posts and Dan Abram converted. Good Lions defence thwarted Rovers twice before the Lions went further ahead when Jayden Hatton put in an arched run to latch on to a pass by Jordy Gibson to score by the posts and Abram again converted. It looked like Abram was going to add the Lions third try when he chased a Gibson kick but knocked on diving for the line and then kicked the ball away and was sent to the sin-bin for delaying the restart. Rovers tried to come strong again and Barley had a good chance for the corner but lost the ball near the line.

The second half started well for the Lions when Mitch Cox stole the ball one on one from Connor Jones and this put the Lions back on the attack. And in the forty-sixth minute Rodden put in a nice kick for the corner and Rhys Williams went in for a try but Abram was unable to convert. An incident was placed on report for a tackle on Jack Stevens and from the penalty play Williams almost got Rodden away, but he knocked on. Rovers then bombed a try when Patton kicked for the right corner, but Maddox Jeffery could not hold the ball to score. The next Lions try came on the hour when smart thinking by Jake Spedding went short side and sent Lepori in for his second in the right corner, but Abram could not convert this one. Just after the restart Lepori made a break down the right, but the Rovers defence held him short. Rovers added their second try on sixty-five minutes when Eden scored in the corner but again no conversion. The Lions were getting on top again and Lepori scored his third with thirteen minutes left when Jack Stevens kicked for the corner and the ball bounced nicely off his boot for him to score and claim his 100th point for the club with Abram adding the conversion. There was more and more pressure on the Rovers line as timed ticked away and the visitors could not get away, but it was the Lions who scored the last points of the match when Abram kicked a penalty for backchat. The game finished with the Lions on the attack in the Rovers twenty.

LIONS
1 Dan Abram
25 Richard Lepori
3 Jake Spedding
4 Jayden Hatton
5 Rhys Williams
18 Jack Stevens
7 Jordy Gibson
10 Gavin Bennion
14 Josh Eaves
13 Mikey Wood
11 Gav Rodden
12 Mitch Cox
16 Lewis Hall

Subs (all used)
20 Jack Houghton
26 Ant Walker
24 Jordan Case
8 Liam Cooper

Tries: Lepori (16. 60.67), Hatton (26), Williams (46)
Goals: Abram 4/6
Sin-bin: Abram (29) delaying the restart
Man-of-Match: Ant Walker

ROVERS
26 Greg Eden
31 Connor Barley
4 Greg Minikin
3 Josh Hardcastle
29 Maddox Jeffery
13 Danny Addy
30 Dec Patton
36 James Lockwood
9 Connor Jones
32 Ben Nabkubuwai
11 Brad Day
12 Jack Bussey
37 Jimmy Beckett

Subs (all used)
8 Gadwin Springer
14 Harry Bowes
23 Jack Arnold
15 Wellington Albert

Tries: Minikin (4), Eden (65)
Goals: Patton 0/2

Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 12-4
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 780

News

CHAMPIONS ELECT OVERCOME LIONS

SWINTON LIONS 0 WAKEFIELD TRINITY 60

IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 1st September 2024

An eleven try display by Trinity saw them overcome the Lions with a lesson in keeping the ball alive and excellent finishing. Before the game the Lions gave a guard of honour to their opponents, but also for their own player Mitch Cox who was playing his 100th game for the club. It started badly for the Lions when they knocked on at the very first tackle. Trinity took the lead in the fourth minute when Matty Ashurst went in at the corner and Max Jowitt landed the conversion. Too fast and too strong came to mind when Toby Boothroyd tore threw the centre of the Lions defence to send Lachlan Walmsley under the posts and Jowitt again converted. The third try quickly followed when a good passing movement saw Derrell Olpherts crossing in the left corner but no conversion from this one. The Lions defence was under constant pressure with the attacking style Trinity were playing and Jay Pitts was next to score when he crashed in by the posts with Jowitt on target again. Former Lion Liam Hood set up the next one this time sending out a short pass for Ky Rodwell to go over on the left and again the conversion was good. An incident not identified was placed on report in the build up to the try. The next try came to the returning Isaiah Vagana when he went in from short range on the half hour and again a good conversion. The Lions had a rare chance three minutes from the break but Brad Hammond going over on the right was pulled for a forward pass and in the last minute of the half good play down the left by Ashurst and Olpherts saw Liam Kay race over, but the conversion attempt hit the post and bounced out.

It was a much better performance from the Lions in the third quarter of the match and they played some good rugby and put in some great defence. They forced a goal line drop out on forty-six minutes but couldn’t do anything with it and then Ant Walker was held up a few minutes later. Max Jowitt had moved to full back in the second half, and he was being put under pressure with kicks from Jordy Gibson. When Trinity started the fight again the Lions defence was good until Olpherts scored his second after a good offload by Jowitt and he raced in at the corner with Jowitt converting. Hood knocked on at the restart but again the Trinity defence held out and with ten minutes to go Kay produced a try for the impressive Boothroyd on the right but again no conversion as it struck the post. Trinity were coming strong in the final minutes of the game and Rodwell scored a nice try running the angles and Jowitt converted. With just a couple of minutes left some good play and passing saw Rodwell complete his hat trick and Jowitt topped off a good afternoon with another conversion.

LIONS
1 Dan Abram
3 Jake Spedding
28 Brad Hammond
4 Jayden Hatton
5 Rhys Williams
16 Lewis Hall
7 Jordy Gibson
10 Gavin Bennion
14 Josh Eaves
13 Mikey Wood
8 Liam Cooper
12 Mitch Cox
33 Leon Cowen

Subs (all used)
31 Ciaran Nolan
24 Jordan Case
26 Ant Walker
20 Jack Houghton

TRINITY
5 Lachlan Walmsley
22 Jack Croft
4 Iain Thornley
3 Oli Pratt
32 Derrell Olpherts
1 Max Jowitt
14 Liam Kay
18 Ky Rodwell
9 Liam Hood
8 Josh Bowden
11 Matty Ashurst
20 Toby Boothroyd
13 Jay Pitts

Subs (all used)
10 Renouf Atoni
16 Matthieu Cozza
19 Isaiah Vagana
21 Thomas Doyle

Tries: Ashurst (4), Walmsley (8), Olpherts (16,62), Pitts (21), Rodwell (27,75,78), Vagana (30), Kay (38), Boothroyd (70)
Goals: Jowitt 8/11

Penalty count: 7-5
Half-time: 0-38
Referee: Michael Smaill
Attendance: 1048

News

LIONS IN LATE LOSS DRAMA AT BARROW

BARROW RAIDERS 20 SWINTON LIONS 18

IAN RIGG reporting, Craven Park, Sunday 25 August 2024

The Lions having fought the difficult conditions, and some controversial calls finally fell to defeat in front of the large following of Lions fans. Raiders were playing towards the gale force winds in the first half and they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts on four minutes but the kick from Ryan Shaw did not even reach the posts and held in the wind and came back into play but Jake Spedding managed to ground the ball. Raiders did take the lead three minutes later when former Saint Aaron Smith scored to the left of the posts but the conversion from Shaw again caught the wind and went off target. The Lions hit back on ten minutes when Dan Abram kept his kick low to convert a penalty for dumping in the tackle. Smith claimed his second Raiders try six minutes later going over from short range and Shaw managed to convert this one. The Lions came back strongly when a good move down the left sent Rhys Williams over for his 100th point for the club but the conversion from Abram sailed off target. Raiders went further ahead a few minutes later when the Lions were penalised for a ball steal in front of the posts and Shaw converted. Abram the added another penalty five minutes from the break and a few minutes later the Lions could have levelled the scores when Mikey Wood put in a kick for the corner and Williams chased it, but as it looked like it would roll dead, he knocked it backwards towards the chasing Jayden Hatton, but the Raiders defence got their first.

The Lions put Raiders straight back on the attack from the kick off to the second half when the wind caused Jordy Gibson to mis-judge the ball and it ran dead. Gav Rodden put the Lions into the lead for the first time on forty-five minutes when he stole the ball one on one with Luke Broadbent just on halfway and raced away to score by the posts with Abram keeping his conversion low to add the points. It got even better five minutes later when the Lions won a scrum in the Raiders twenty and Gibson sent out a lovely pass for Spedding to score on the right, but this time Abram was unable to convert. An incident went on report on fifty-three minutes when Josh Eaves appeared to be kicked on the floor when he dived on a loose ball. More pressure was coming from the Lions forcing two goal line dropouts, but they couldn’t take the advantage, and it was the Raiders who levelled the score when the Lions gave away a penalty and from the pressure Jarrad Stack crashed in on the right and Shaw added the conversion. Now it was game on again. Raiders took the lead again with six minutes left after George Roby was penalised and sent to the sinbin for a shirt pull and Shaw made no mistake with the kick. The Lions were battling to get out of their own half in the final minutes but defence from the home side kept them where they were. Another incident that involved Shaw and Ant Walker went on report in the final minute.

LIONS
Abram, Lepori, Spedding, Hatton, Williams, Hall, Gibson, Bennion, Roby, Houghton, Rodden, Cox, Wood. Subs: Eaves, Case, Walker, Cooper

Referee: Kevin Moore
Penalties: 11-8
Half-Time: 12-8
Attendance: 1,495

News

LIONHEART DEFENCE REPELS PANTHERS!

SWINTON LIONS 20 HALIFAX PANTHERS 6

IAN RIGG at Heywood Road, Sunday 18 August 2024

Swinton Lions completed a league double over the Panthers with a superb defensive effort and some very enterprising build up play creating some great tries. Right from the off it was clear that the Lions wanted to bounce back from recent weeks, and they took the lead from a Panthers play when they were attacking the line on the left, but Jake Spedding managed to intercept and race ninety metres to score on the right with Louis Jouffret trying to close him down and Jordy Gibson added the conversion. There was more pressure on the Panthers line, but handling errors let them down. They did go further ahead on twenty-one minutes again from a Panthers mistake and from the scrum pressure George Roby found a nice, floated pass to Rhys Williams and he scored in the corner but no conversion this time from Gibson. The Lions were then put under pressure and Panthers had several plays near the line but superb defence from the home side held out. The clearest chance came to Clement Boyer when he looked to be scoring but ten metres out, he lost the ball in the Lions ten and from the next play Ben Crooks went for the corner, but the defence showed him the touchline.

Panthers were first to show in the second half and it was Gareth Widdop who made a nice break down the middle but loose handling forced him to drop the ball just inside the Lions half. The Lions forced a goal line drop out on the next play, but a horror knock on from the kick by Jordan Case on halfway handed the ball back to the visitors. Some great defence by Richard Lepori stopped another attack before Adam O’Brien went for the line and knocked on by the posts. Gibson looked an all-out scorer on fifty minutes but just lost the ball as he tried to touchdown. Keelan Foster then had a good chance for Panthers but knocked on with the line open. The Lions then forced four goal line dropouts in the space of as many minutes but on the fourth one they lost the ball inside the Panthers thirty with a knock on. It was then Panthers turn to start putting the pressure on again and it took a good line clearance from Lepori to stop Joe Keyes from going over. Jayden Hatton then put the Lions further ahead on sixty-four minutes when he scored on the right dipping past Crooks to touchdown, but Gibson was just off target with the conversion. Jouffret then tried to get Charlie Graham away down the left, but the pass was forward. The try that secured the victory came with nine minutes left when again Panthers were on the attack on the right and another wayward pass found Williams but as he was being tackled, he offloaded and gave the pass to Gav Rodden who raced eighty metres to score under the posts and Gibson added the simple conversion. Panthers had been trying to break the line all afternoon and finally succeeded with six minutes left when Widdop followed his own kick to score under the posts and Jouffret converted too little too late.

LIONS
25 Richard Lepori
3 Jake Spedding
21 Andy Badrock
4 Jayden Hatton
5 Rhys Williams
16 Lewis Hall
7 Jordy Gibson
10 Gav Bennion
9 George Roby
20 Jack Houghton
11 Gav Rodden
12 Mitch Cox
33 Leon Cowen

Subs (all used)
14 Josh Eaves
24 Jordan Case
26 Ant Walker
8 Liam Cooper

Tries: Spedding (11), Williams (21), Hatton (64), Rodden (71)
Goals: Gibson 2/4

HALIFAX PANTHERS
23 Gareth Widdop
5 James Saltonstall
17 Ben Tibbs
4 Ben Crooks
28 Charlie Graham
6 Louis Jouffret
7 Joe Keyes
8 Adam Tangata
20 Tom Inman
34 Keelan Foster
11 Ben Kavanagh
19 Connor Davies
25 Corey Johnson

Subs (all used)
9 Adam O’Brien
13 Jacob Fairband
30 Joe Hird
29 Clement Boyer

Tries: Widdop (74)
Goals: Jouffret 1/1

Penalty count: 3-10
Half-time: 10-0
Referee: Scott Mikalauskas
Attendance: 1,037

News

SUPER LIONESSES OVERWHELM WAKEFIELD!

Wakefield Trinity Ladies 0 Swinton Lionesses 62

Belle Vue, Wakefield, 11 August 2024

Alan Dixon reporting

Swinton Lionesses got back to winning ways with a brilliant performance against bottom of the table Wakefield Trinity at the DIY Kitchens Stadium.

Libby Clarke was first to score to give the Lionesses a 4-0 lead. The conversion was missed. It soon became 10-0 when Amelia Newton scored and Eve Ashcroft converted. Libby Clarke scored her second try of the game and this was followed by a try from Lottie Meacham. Both tries were unconverted. Eve Ashcroft finished the scoring in the first half with her first try of the game. She converted her own try to give the Lionesses a 24-0 half time lead.

The second half started like the first half finished. Eve Ashcroft scored her second try of the game which she also converted. Alexsis Smith and Ellie Thirkell both scored unconverted tries to increase the lead to 38-0. Alexsis Smith got her second try which was converted by Eve Ashcroft before Libby Clarke completed her hat trick which was also converted by Eve Ashcroft. This made the score 50-0. Emma Dwyer and Jodie Morris completed the Lionesses try score. Both were converted by Eve Ashcroft.

Swinton Lionesses
Eve Ashcroft, Olivia Harborow, Lottie Meacham, Libby Clarke, Alexsis Smith, Mollee-Anne Pickering, Ellie Thirkell, Jodie Morris, Emma Dwyer, Helena Ryan, Maddie Price, Emily Haley, Amelia Newton. Subs: Aimie Toher, Lydia Elstone, Leah Christian, Libby Heyes, Chloe Lyons

Tries: Clarke 3, Ashcroft 2, Smith 2, Newton, Meacham, Thirkell, Dwyer, Morris
Goals: Ashcroft 7

Wakefield Trinity Ladies
Rochelle Liddle, Destiny Sampson, Natalie Ward, Tarren Williamson, Courtney Strachan, Jessica Barker, Leanne Candler, Olivia Sharp, Rose Willoughby, Gabrielle Cocks, Danielle Omoregie, Holly Whitaker, Bethany Cain. Subs: Hannah Hickey, Katie Paul, Sian Spence-Boocock, Ellie Sykes, Mary Tetley, Emily Brown

Half Time: 0-24

(Photos from the Lionesses’ recent game at Manchester Regional Arena)

News

LIONS DISAPPOINT AT BATLEY

BATLEY BULLDOGS 26 SWINTON LIONS 6

IAN RIGG at Fox’s Biscuits Stadium, Mount Pleasant, Sunday 13 August 2024

Batley Bulldogs claimed the points, but it was one of those games where you were made to fight for everything, and Batley did it better. The home side took the lead in the second minute after a good pass from Kieran Buchanan and Joe Burton went over, but Josh Woods was unable to convert. Andy Badrock was then held up for the Lions on six minutes and then he was grounded just short five minutes later after some good build up play. Ant Walker made a nice break up centre field soon afterwards but ran out of support. Bulldogs went further ahead on twenty-one minutes when Adam Gledhill went close, but Brandon Moore darted over from the play the ball and Woods converted from in front. The Lions young full back Joe Purcell had to leave the field on twenty-seven minutes being injured in a heavy tackle and banged his head on the floor as he went down. Badrock had another break just after the half hour and was clear when he was pulled for a forward pass in the build-up. Burton added his second try seven minutes from the break after he finished off a good passing movement, but Woods again was off target with the kick.

Bulldogs made a good start to the second half putting pressure on the Lions line, but it was the Lions that opened the scoring when Jack Stevens took on the Bulldogs defence to sell a couple of dummies before scoring by the posts and he also added the conversion. Just after the restart Bulldogs forced a goal line drop out and Alistair Leak was held up. The home side then got back on top of play having a few chances and stretching the Lions defence before eventually Leak sent Luke Cooper over by the posts on seventy minutes and Woods converted and the game was slipping away from any Lions chances. There were though a couple more Lions chances with Rhys Williams having one chance, but he was held out. Another attack down the left was stopped by Dale Morton when he knocked down a pass meant for Badrock. Jonny Vaughan then had a good chance down the right when Leon Cowen tried to set him up, but good defence stopped it. Bulldogs scored the final try with seconds left when Luke Blake went close and as the ball moved to the left former Lion Ben White crossed under the posts and Woods converted as the hooter sounded.

LIONS
23 Joe Purcell
25 Richard Lepori
4 Jayden Hatton
21 Andy Badrock
5 Rhys Williams
18 Jack Stevens
7 Jordy Gibson
26 Ant Walker
9 George Roby
10 Gavin Bennion
11 Gav Rodden
29 Jonny Vaughan
16 Lewis Hall

Subs (all used)
14 Josh Eaves
33 Leon Cowen
20 Jack Houghton
13 Mikey Wood

Try: Stevens (49)
Goal: Stevens 1/1

BULLDOGS
1 Robbie Butterworth
2 Dale Morton
24 Jonny Mitsias
3 Kieran Buchanan
18 Joe Burton
6 Ben White
7 Josh Woods
8 Adam Gledhill
25 Brandon Moore
10 Luke Cooper
11 Dane Manning
12 Lucas Walshaw
17 Luke Blake

Subs (all used)
9 Alistair Leak
15 Nyle Flynn
13 James Brown
20 Ben Kaye

Tries: Burton (2,33), Moore (21), Cooper (69), White (80)
Goals: Woods 3/6

Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 14-0
Referee: James Vella
Attendance: Not Given

News

LIONESSES EDGED OUT ON HISTORIC DAY

Swinton Lionesses 14 Fryston Warriors 26

Alan Dixon at Manchester Regional Arena

On a historic day for the Swinton Lionesses, they took to the field at the fantastic surroundings of the Manchester Regional Arena against opponents Fryston Warriors Women.

Injuries in the warm up caused Steve Thirkell to adjust the Lionesses line up, but they still put up a commendable performance against a strong Fryston team.

The Lionesses were the first to threaten the try line. Back to back penalties allowed the Lionesses to threaten the Fryston line but, they could not get through the defence and had to hand the ball over. Fryston tried to move the ball away from their own line but could only knock on. From the scrum, the ball was moved out to Lottie Meacham to race 20 metres to score near the posts. Libby Clarke added the extras to give the Lionesses a 6-0 lead after 7 minutes. It was now Fryston’s turn to put pressure on the Lionesses line. They forced the Lionesses to drop out in the 17th minute. Two minutes later they were in when the ball was moved out to Alice Pye who scored in the corner. Lillie-Grace Sutton was unable to convert.
Fryston went into the lead in the 23rd minute. The Lionesses gave away a penalty. This allowed Fryston to drive the ball to line. Ellena Powell sliced through the Lionesses defence to score. Again Lillie-Grace Sutton was unable to convert and Fryston now led 8-6. The Lionesses went back downfield and put pressure on Fryston’s line. A good handling move by Emma Dwyer, Ellie Thirkell and Mollee-Anne Pickering ended in the latter being tackled just short of the line. The pressure paid off in the 36th minute. Fryston were penalised for a high tackle. From the tap, Emma Dwyer passed the ball out to Lucy Baggaley who crashed over in the corner. Emily Haley was unable to convert and the Lionesses now led 10-8.

The second half started brightly for the Lionesses. They won a penalty for a high tackle in the 42nd minute. The ball was moved downfield. Emily Haley went for the corner but the covering defence tackled her into touch in goal as she tried to score. Six minutes later Fryston recovered a Lionesses kick and moved the ball out wide for the winger to go on a run. A great cover tackle by Olivia Harborow took the winger into touch. The Lionesses lead was extended in the 57th minute. Fryston knocked on near their own line. From the scrum, Emma Dwyer fed the ball to Ellie Thirkell who raced through the Fryston defence to score under the posts. She could not convert her own try. The Lionesses conceded back to back penalties which allowed Kirsty Higo to crash over by the posts in the 67th minute. Lillie-Grace Sutton converted to level up the scores. Fryston went back in front in the 74th minute. The Lionesses knocked the ball on near their own line. From the scrum, Skye Robinson broke through two tackles to score. Lillie-Grace Sutton converted. The Lionesses were back on the attack in the final minute but their kick through went straight in Fryston hands and Ellena Powell went on a 70 metre run before being tackled. From the play the ball, the ball was moved out to Evie Gray to score. Lillie-Grace Sutton converted to increase the Fryston lead.

Swinton Lionesses:
Lottie Meacham, Tiffany Ho, Olivia Harborow, Libby Clarke, Alexsis Smith, Mollee-Anne Pickering, Ellie Thirkell, Aimie Toher, Emma Dwyer, Lucy Baggaley, Lydia Elstone, Emily Haley, Maddie Price. Subs: Isabel Birds, Laura Bent, Catherine Sweeney, Chloe Lyons, Leah Christian.

Tries: Meacham (7), Baggaley (36), Thirkell (57)
Goal: Clarke 1

Fryston Warriors Women : Sophia Liu, Alice Pye, Kaitlyn Pycroft, Isabella Naylor, Ebony Sutton, Ellena Powell, Lillie-Grace Sutton, Kirsty Higo, Skye Robinson, Millen Downs, Lacey Sefton-Appleyard, Mataya Dale, Evie Gray. Subs: Marnie Wrigley, Ruby Lockwood, Kacey Davies, Chloe Nash, Bethany Simpson.

Tries: Pye (19), Powell (23), Higo (67), Robinson (74), Gray (79).
Goals: Sutton 3

Penalties: 11-7
Half Time: 10-8

News

IN FORM TOULOUSE TOO STRONG FOR LIONS

SWINTON LIONS 4 TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE 48

IAN RIGG Heywood Road, Saturday 3 August 2024

Swinton Lions maybe the only side to have beaten Toulouse in France this season but visitors put in a very strong performance to run in nine tries to take the points home with them. The Lions should have taken the lead in the third minute when Jake Spedding made a sixty-metre break but with Richard Lepori he decided to go for glory and Olly Ashall-Bott managed to stop the danger. From the play the ball the Lions tried to force a goal line drop out and Josh Eaves delayed the restart, and he was sent to the sinbin. Anthony Marion had to leave the field for a head assessment but was soon to return and cause lots of problems for the Lions defence. Paul Ulberg put the visitors ahead on ten minutes after he took a high ball to score in the corner and Ryan Rivett converted. Five minutes later they were in again when Ruebenn Rennie finished off a good passing movement on the left and this time no conversion. The Lions right side defence was struggling with the Toulouse attack, and they scored again on that side when Rennie collected his second and Rivett converted. Rivett thought he was going to score on twenty-five minutes but a brilliant tackle by Andy Badrock held him up, but from the play the ball moved swiftly left and Ulberg grabbed his second of the afternoon. The Lions had very few chances in the first half and when they did some great defence frustrated them.

A bad start for Toulouse in the second half when they knocked on in the very first tackle. The Lions finally got on the board on forty-three minutes when Badrock put out a nice pass for Rhys Williams to score his 200th career try in the corner, but Dan Abram could not convert. Abram thought he had scored the Lions second try on fifty-one minutes when Ashall-Bott was trapped in goal from a kick and appeared to lose the ball as he was tackled and Abram dived on it, but it was judged the ball had been grounded before it ran free. Maxime Stefani added the next Toulouse try three minutes later when he latched onto a Rivett short kick to score by the posts but amazingly Rivett shanked his conversion to the left of the posts. Pierre-Jean Lima then added a brace of tries in a three-minute period but set up by Marion who was playing his two hundredth career game and this time Robin Brochon who had taken over the kicking made no mistakes with the conversions. Williams for a few seconds thought he was going to race away to score on sixty-six minutes when he went for an intercept but couldn’t control the ball. Guy Armitage who had come on as a late substitute then made a long break and from the play the ball his wing partner Paul Marcon crossed on the right and Brochon converted. The final try came with six minutes left when another good passing movement and powerful running saw Lima cross for his third by the posts and Brochon again made no mistake with the kick.

LIONS
1 Dan Abram
25 Richard Lepori
3 Jake Spedding
21 Andy Badrock
5 Rhys Williams
18 Jack Stevens
7 Jordy Gibson
10 Gavin Bennion
14 Josh Eaves
13 Mikey Wood
11 Gav Rodden
12 Mitch Cox
16 Lewis Hall

Subs (all used)
9 George Roby
24 Jordan Case
20 Jack Houghton
36 Jordan Brown

Tries: Williams (43)
Goals: Abram 0/1
Sin-bin: Eaves (3) Dissent

TOULOUSE OLYMPIQUE
1 Olly Ashall-Bott
5 Paul Marcon
4 Mathieu Jussaume
3 Reubenn Rennie
2 Paul Ulberg
6 Ryan Rivett
23 Robin Bochon
17 James Roumanos
9 Calum Gahan
10 Harrison Hansen
11 Maxine Stefani
12 Dom Peyroux
13 Anthony Marion

Subs (all used)
20 Greg Richards
22 Dimitri Biscarro
24 Pierre-Jean Lima
18 Guy Armitage

Tries: Ulberg (10,26), Rennie (15,20), Stefani (54), Lima (58,61,74). Marcon (70)
Goals: Rivett 2/5, Brochon 4/4

Penalty count: 9-3
Half-time: 0-20
Referee: Ryan Cox
Attendance: 629