On Saturday, 14th February, rugby came together to honor a long-standing member of Ripon RUFC. A true gentleman - John Bell.

The 'Hornblowers' were at home Vs Harrogate Pythons in the Merit Table. Captaining the side was Jason Bell, so an emotional minutes' applause was always going to be on the cards.

A massive thank you to Pythons who sent across 12 players to make sure the game went ahead. Ripon ensured we evened up the teams, and it was a testament to the players that we had so many players offering to step across so we could get the game on.

Despite a score line of 55:0 to Ripon, the true winner of the day was 'Rugby'. However, Jason Bell rolled back the years and scored 2 tries in the 1st half to show he still has that quality that age can't degrade.

The 'Hornblowers' are now 2nd place in the Merit Table and have a great chance of pushing for 1st by the end of the season. Experience and youth are the hallmarks of a season that is building with every game and also pushing the 1st team for places. Man of the Match was awarded for another outstanding performance by Will Mountford.