Harrogate Rugby Club has appointed Martyn Wood as its new director of rugby.

The former Harrogate Grammar School student will replace David ‘Doc’ Doherty, who announced he will step down at the end of the season.

Wood joins Harrogate following a long playing career with Wasps, Bath and England. He also had coaching roles at Hull Ionians and Yorkshire Carnegie.

The club will end this season bottom of National League 2 North.

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• Harrogate’s director of rugby resigns
• Harrogate rugby to face local rivals in final home game

The club has also announced that Sam Fox will continue as head coach next season.

Fox was appointed to the role at the start of this season after previously being head coach of the academy.

Aled Jones will take up the role of head of rugby transition.

Jones will be responsible for supporting young players as they move from the academy to senior rugby and will manage and coach the Georgians next season.

A bumper crowd is expected at Harrogate Rugby Club today for the last home game of the season.

The club will welcome local rivals Wharfedale RUFC to Ruddling Lane in what is expected to see the largest crowd in more than five years at the ground.

The match will also be David “Doc” Doherty’s last home game after six years’ service. Doherty will step down after serving as director of rugby, as well as a player and coach.

Harrogate and Wharfedale faced each other just five weeks ago, when the latter ran out 23-21 winners.

As well as the first team match, the day will also see touch rugby and a mini-tournament take place ahead of the local derby.

A spokesperson for the club said:

“Besides the first XV match, there’s lots more happening on Saturday.  At 1pm it’s the tap-off of Harrogate Touch Rugby team’s first game of their season versus Catterick. Seen as an area of considerable future growth, Pitch 2 has been specially marked out for Touch Rugby matches over summer. New players of all ages are very welcome.

“At 1.30pm on Pitch 3, Harrogate’s U13 Boys kick off in a three-way round robin mini-tournament against touring side Chester and local rivals Moortown.”

Adult entrance to non-members is £10, all juniors have free entry. Kick off is 3pm.

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Harrogate Rugby Club has announced that its director of rugby is to step down at the end of the season.

David ‘Doc’ Doherty will resign from the position after being at the club since 2016.

He helped to rebuild the first team squad and secure promotion back to National 2 North in 2019/20, as well as establishing an academy. However, the first team is currently at the foot of the table with just three wins from 24 fixtures this season.

Doherty also took on commercial chair duties and helped to bring a number of new sponsors to the club.

– David Doherty – Director of Rugby. It is with regret that Harrogate RUFC announce that our Director of Rugby, David ‘Doc’ Doherty, has decided to resign his position at the end of this current season. https://t.co/c2edMeXCMm pic.twitter.com/VjBlSw7Uxj

— Harrogate Rugby Football Club (@Harrogate_Rugby) March 23, 2022

Speaking following the decision, Doherty said:

“I have always loved my six years leading Harrogate Rugby Club. I have consistently strived to leave the club in a better place than when I joined.

“We now have a long-lease on our land and have a sustainable business model, with the academy at the heart of what we do. This has already started to bear fruit with a huge number of players transitioning into 1stXV and senior rugby.

“Planning is well on the way for our ground redevelopment and the club can kick-on to future success, as we have created solid foundations.

“I would sincerely like to thank all the players, coaches and members who have supported me at the club during my time, and look forward to sharing a beer with them at the end of season dinner.”

The club are now reviewing options to replace Doherty, with an announcement on a new director expected by the end of the season.

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• Harrogate rugby club dedicates memorial bench to fan who died

Former Harrogate Rugby Union Football Club chairman and president James Smithies has died.

The club released a statement this week saying Mr Smithies passed away on Monday following a long illness.

Mr Smithies spent over 10 years at the club and played a key role in negotiations to move from the old ground on Claro Road to the present site on Rudding Lane. The former ground has now been redeveloped for housing.

Mr Smithies was elected chairman in 2012 and in 2017 received the highest honour that the club can bestow when he was elected president.

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The club said he was a generous financial supporter of the club and ensured the success of the first XV.

The club’s statement added:

“We send our condolences to his wife Chris, his son Edward and his family.”

Players at Harrogate RUFC say it is “great” to finally be able to get back on the pitch.

The club is having to train in much smaller groups with the players focusing specifically on their fitness and ball skills. Despite not being able to play competitively yet, the players are getting match fit for when the time finally comes.

The players have enjoyed getting back into the swing of things.

Director of Rugby at Harrogate RUFC, David Doherty, told The Stray Ferret:

“It’s brilliant to have the players back. It’s obviously challenging given the government guidelines, but the boys have embraced it.”

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Training takes place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings with both the men and women playing in small ‘pods’ with no contact.

A drive-in cinema is being held at Harrogate Rugby Club over the August bank holiday weekend, August 29-30.

The event is being held by Impulse Decisions, a charity auction company based in Harrogate. The drive-in cinema will be showing Grease, Rocketman, Incredibles 2 and Dirty Dancing.

The screenings will take place across both days, with one film showing at 1pm and another at 7pm. You will be able to ‘tune in’ to the film’s sound through your car radio and watch on a large LED screen.

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Project Manager at Skylit Cinema, Amy Seed, told The Stray Ferret:

“Lockdown and social distancing have been a drag for most of us, so our ‘Skylit Drive-In Cinema’ will bring back some good old entertainment. Whilst social distancing will still be in place at the event, our aim is to create a relaxed atmosphere where everyone can enjoy great movies from the comfort of their own car.”

This is the first event of its kind for Impulse Decisions.

Guests will also have the chance to order a range of food and drink throughout the film. Toilets and hand-wash stations will be available at the venue.

For more information and to book tickets visit https://www.impulsedecisions.com/skylit/