RUGBY UNION: Magic 1,000 points for Wath's Jack Whitlam

Jack Whitlam reached the milestone for Wath as they made a winning start to the season last weekend.

“It’s nice to get to 1,000 points and good to get over the milestone. I don’t know if anyone has done it at Wath before,” said Jack, the first team’s goal kicker.

“I sat down at the end of last season and counted so I knew I was close to 1,000.

“I’ve had a good team around me as well."

Jack slotted a penalty and then a conversion in the early stages of Saturday’s 43-10 win away to Leeds Corinthians in Yorkshire Division Two to take him past the 1,000 mark for a club he holds dear.

He joined Wath as a junior aged 11 and then played for the second team from 17 and made his first team debut not long after.

“It’s my true home-town club. It would take a lot for me to go anywhere else,” said the 25-year-old fly-half, who now has sights on promotion.

“We feel like we have a bit of unfinished business,” he added. “We felt we should have gone up last year.

“We started well last Saturday and we don’t want to leave as much making-up to do at the end this time.”

Jack struck a late penalty to win the Papa John's Community Northern Plate for Wath against Ripon at the Darlington Arena back in May and he also kept the scoreboard ticking over in last week’s victory.

After missing an early conversion attempt to James Thompson’s early try, he made amends with a penalty before a try under the posts from Patrick Selkirk gave him the chance to bring up the 1,000 mark.

Leading 15-3 at half time, Wath pulled away to win comfortably with further tries from prop Brandon Coult, second row Jake Keogh and two from back row Joe Earp, all converted by Whitlam.

Dinnington, relegated down from Yorkshire One, had a losing start, going down 26-10 at home to Hemsworth. 

Rotherham Phoenix, promoted up to Yorkshire Three, were beaten 59-0 by Halifax Vandals.

Saturday’s fixtures: Wath v North Ribblesdale, Ossett v Dinnington, Rotherham Phoenix v Wheatley Hills.