The first warm up game of the new season took place at RAF Leeming Bar on Thursday night when 25 or so players from this years squad travelled up for a pre season friendly.

Last year the Bears played the same fixture at Eversley Park with a resounding win over the RAF boys, fielding former Bear and Sherburn lad Steve 'Cadbury' Buckle. This year however a much stronger RAF side gave a stern test of Sherburns resolve, and finaly came out on top 22-8 victors.

The Bears though were satisfied with a good, tough run out against physical opponents, Sherburn Coach Kev Booth commented. "It was an ideal run out in many ways, they were a very tough outfit and a lot of our boys had to stand up and be counted, its early days yet but the signs are that were taking on some of the ideas that we're training with, and starting to put them togther in a match. I was also impressed with the new lads who all tried hard and got involved."

The game started with the RAF on top as Sherburn struggled to find any rythm, several of the players turning up late caused a mix up with positions for the first 10 or 15 mins, during this spell the RAF scored three tries, but missing with all the conversions to lead 12-0. The introduction of more of Sherburns experianced players finaly saw the visitors start to apply some pressure, good work from Steve Denton and Joel Booth took the Bears to within 10 metres, halfbacks Sam Booth and Johny Kear linked up with Lewis Booth to move the ball wide, where centre Craig Thompson was tackled short, a quick play the ball saw substitue forward Matt Orford steam through some weak tackling before crashing over to score, no conversion 12-4.

The second half saw Sherburn continue on the attack, probing balls from Sam Booth created several breaks before Orford again broke the line in the oppositions 20, hauled down inches short of the line, the quick play the ball saw the ball swung right, full back Leahy supplying the final pass for centre Ray Boyes to crash over, again no conversion 12-8.

Sherburn then struggled to keep the pressure on as they swapped and changed to try and give all the players a run out, tempers flared somewhat as the frustration built, stand off Booth was the first to get a 10 minute rest after aledgedly using the forearm in a tackle, just as he returned second row forward Mickey Hansen incurred the refs wrath, and got sent off for dissent, whilst this went on the RAF scored two further tries and added a conversion to take the score to 22-8.

Sherburn though finished on top, applying pressure to the RAF's line the Bears with Sam Booth again to the fore, created several tri scoring oppurtunites, but dropped balls at the vital moment cost them dear, with light fading the referee called an end to the game, with the RAF boys deservedly running out winners.

Next match will be the unders and overs August Saturday 6th.