QUEENSBURY, a rugby league club on the up, are spreading the gospel this summer.

The village club, who play summer rugby in the Yorkshire Men's League Premier Division and Division Five and have a winter team in Pennine League Division Four, as well as age-group sides from under-sevens upwards and a women's team, are going to Ireland.

Thanks to Irish kit manufacturer O'Neill's, Bury will face Athboy Longhorns on Friday, June 16.

Queensbury, who have been revitalised under new club chairman Liam Ruff and his dedicated band of volunteers, including 26-year-old director of rugby Greg Worthington, hope to take up to 50 players, club officials and supporters to the County Meath venue.

Bradford-born Worthington, who previously played for Featherstone Rovers (2011-14) and Leigh Centurions (2015-16) before signing for Brighouse-based Toronto Wolfpack for this season, is just the latest name player to be attached to Queensbury or the Longhorns.

The latter have current international Casey Dunne, who helped Ireland qualify for this year's World Cup, in their ranks, while Queensbury, who were formed in 1938 and were formerly known as Littlemoor All Blacks, Bradford Bulls captain Leon Pryce, as well as former Bradford Northern stalwarts in Brendan Hill, Stuart Reardon and Martin Potts as former players.

A mixture of emerging young talent and seasoned regulars means that Queensbury, who have endured years of uncertainty prior to their overhaul, will be up for their Irish challenge as the new committee and the club's sponsors, both locally and further afield, steer the club in the right direction.

Meanwhile, Queensbury's well documented battle to find a permanent pitch and clubhouse which has been stymied by red tape, seem to be coming to an end - for the time being anyway.

They have struck a deal to use Halifax RUFC's Ovenden Park ground for the Yorkshire Men's League this summer.