Crucial match (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Crucial match

9:19am Friday 21st May 2004 in Sport By Dennis Aris

IT'S a huge weekend for Cumbrian rugby as the 1997 winners try to avoid relegation from the Tetley's County Championship for the first time in their history.

"We have never been out of the top flight of the county championship - and we will be pulling out all stops to ensure we don't go out this weekend," said team manager Roger Hackney.

Standing in the way of Cumbria's survival are Notts, Lincs and Derby, who were defeated 33-3 by North Midlands at Stourbridge last Saturday to miss out on a place in the final of the Tetley's County Shield.

The match takes place at Aspatria (kick-off 3pm) and Hackney added: "There are a lot of other distractions on Saturday, but we are hoping that the people of Cumbria turn out in their numbers and cheer us on."

However, injuries and those distractions have deprived Cumbria of eight members of the squad that lost 61-13 to Lancashire in the first round play-offs and they have several injury doubts.

"We don't know what the team will be yet, but we should be fairly strong, although it's going to be a busy few days finalising the squad," said Hackney.