History will be made in Betfred League One this weekend as Cornwall RLFC play their first-ever match, a trip to face North Wales Crusaders at 5.30pm on Saturday, with the game shown live and for free on Our League.
The club was founded on November 2 last year and moved quickly to appoint a Head Coach in the form of one-time Super League Coach of the Year Neil Kelly.
Kelly has assembled a squad full of locally-based talent as well as young players from the north, with the headline arrival that of 2017 Super League Grand Final winner Anthony Mullally, the Widnes-born former Leeds and Huddersfield prop who relocated to Cornwall in 2020.
They face a stiff test in their first outing however in North Wales Crusaders, who boast the reigning League One Coach - Anthony Murray - and Player of the Year - Rob Massam - amongst their ranks.
North Wales finished third in the league last year before coming unstuck in the play-offs, but they kicked off the current season in style, edging out Rochdale Hornets 36-34 away from home last weekend, so will have their sights firmly set on making it two from two.
Elsewhere on Saturday, West Wales Raiders are at home to Rochdale Hornets, a 3pm kick off at Stebonheath Park.
West Wales began the 2022 campaign with a comprehensive 82-4 loss at promotion chasers Swinton Lions and will hope to fare better on home turf. Rochdale meanwhile will be looking to bounce back from opening-day disappointment to North Wales.
On Sunday, three more League One fixtures are set to take place with Keighley Cougars vs Doncaster arguably the pick of the action.
The pair finished in the play-off places last year and went on to play out one of the most dramatic games ever seen as Doncaster claimed a place in the play-off final with a 28-26 win thanks to two tries in the final five minutes.
Will Keighley get their revenge or do Doncaster claim a Cougar Park scalp again?
Otherwise, Hunslet face a home tie with Oldham. Hunslet claimed a 28-10 win at London Skolars in week one and will be keen for two wins in a row.
But they will face a determined Oldham side who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 32-6 home defeat by Keighey in round one last weekend.
Finally, Midlands Hurricanes are set for their first-ever home match as they take professional Rugby League to Birmingham,
In a 3pm kick off on Sunday, Swinton Lions make the trip and will be looking to back up their opening-round win at home to West Wales.
But the Midlands are set to provide a stern test - they ran in 20 points at Doncaster a week ago and the historic occasion would well bring the best out of their new team.
This week's Betfred League One Fixtures
Saturday:
- West Wales Raiders v Rochdale Hornets - 3pm
- North Wales Crusaders v Cornwall - 5.30pm - live on Our League
Sunday:
- Hunslet v Oldham - 3pm
- Keighley Cougars v Doncaster - 3pm
- Midlands Hurricanes v Swinton Lions - 3pm
