WHARFEDALE kick off their home campaign with their final warm-up game when Cleckheaton visit the Avenue on Saturday (3pm).

A squad of 22 will be given a run out, among them four new signings but Chris Malherbe and Anthony Capstick will be missing.

Malherbe is rested - a campaign with Yorkshire and then the tour with the England Counties team in South America saw him playing until well into June - while Capstick has a slipped disc, the severity of which will be watched anxiously by the club.

The four new faces are Mark Bedworth from Mowden Park in Darlington, Adam Whaites from North Ribblesdale, Steve Graham from Percy Park and Gavin Thompson from Kirkby Lonsdale. Bedworth has already caught the eye in warm up games against Kendal and Sedgley Park. A goal-kicking full back and centre he looks like succession planning as Jonathan Davies nears the end of his career.

Whaites is well known to the local rugby scene and was a Yorkshire under-20 representative last season. He is fairly new to rugby, having completed just two seasons with Ribb having joined them from the local soccer club.

Thompson, a Cumbrian representative winger and Graham, a hooker, complete the quartet of newcomers while back rower Dave Clements has come through the club's junior ranks. Now at Loughborough University, he was a Yorkshire under-20 representative last season.

The Greens maintained their hold on the Peter Kremer Memorial Trophy, contested when Wharfedale meets Kendal, in emphatic fashion. The speed of the Dalesmen's backs was too much for the Cumbrians (currently in National 3 North) to handle, fully reflected in the final score of 56-8.

New signing Mark Bedworth, this time at outside-centre, had another excellent game, offering the selectors problems of choice that they no doubt welcome! He missed out on the try-fest, however, the eight touch-downs being shared by Simon Horsfall (2), Frazer Lovatt, Oliver Renton, Adam Whaites, Jonathan Davies, Rob Weir and Chris Meehan. All tries were successfully converted, the honours going to Bedworth (5), Davies (2) and Whaites.

Wharfedale squad: Full backs - Bedworth, Davies; three-quarters - Horsfall, Hutchinson, Baggett, Whaites, Thompson; half backs - Oldfield, Meehan, Newton, Luccock; front row - Lovatt, Peel, Dickenson, Hindle, Graham; second row - Lister, Renton; back row: Hargreaves, Allen, Baldwin, Clements.

o Wharfedale's Development XV beat Aireborough 45-22 in a warm-up game.