DURFC 1st XV – BUCS Cup 1/4 Final v Bath Uni – Charity Match K.O 6.30pm

With a third unbeaten season in the league and a BUCS title wrapped up by the Durham 1st XV in the last three years, all eyes now turn to the impending BUCS Cup competition and the road to Twickenham.

For the last two years the palatinates have made it through to rugby’s HQ, being successful in 2011. However the final in 2012 was a match to learn from for Durham’s top team as they were handed an unexpectedly harsh beating by a resilient and fearless Hartpury team. But this year there is a desire to rectify this anomaly from the eleven players left over from last year as Captain, Josh Beaumont, reveals;

“It was a hard day of mixed emotions at Twickenham last year, after an incredible season, for it to end like that was a bitter pill to take. However, it provides us with the perfect footing in which to enter the knock-out stages. We know the feeling of success and failure, and know how we need to play to achieve the former.”

This Wednesday sees the first stage of the 2013 Cup, with Durham hosting Bath University at Durham City under the lights. Durham head into the game as favourites but Bath, with ties to premiership club Bath Rugby, will be a stern challenge. The Bath side contains many players with Aviva Premiership A-League experience, the tournament in which current England internationals Twelvetrees and Tulagi once plied their trade. The West Country outfit possess a very mobile pack with some strong running backs who will look to cause the Durham defence some problems. DURFC head into the game on the back of a very encouraging game against a very strong Newcastle Falcons’ A team, and with four boys gaining more international experience with England Students, the palatinates are in a good place ahead of this knock-out game.

The game is also being played as DURFC’s second charity game raising money for Sport in Action, Zambia. After the weather had its say in the last charity match in November, the palatinate powers that be are hoping that the spring weather and attraction of a BUCs quarterfinal against a relatively unknown opposition will draw a big crowd and raise plenty of money for the charity.

Tickets are available at £2 before or £3 on the door with all proceeds going to the charity. Members of DURFC will be flyering and selling tickets around the university over the days leading up to the game, so make sure you pick yours up then.

Wednesday Night Lights returns to Durham city this Wednesday in a north v south clash, so make sure you get down to watch the boys play and cheer them towards that coveted Twickenham final.

Durham Captain, Josh Beaumont, in action in the last charity game versus Northumbria.