Fylde have arranged three pre-season games ahead of the start of the 2022-23 season.
We’re delighted that old friends Blackburn RUFC travel to the Woodlands on Saturday, 13th August. This will be the first meeting of the clubs at 1st XV level for many, many years.
Blackburn has gradually strengthened its 1st XV position in recent years and was unlucky to finish one place short of promotion to the National League for the first ever time from the North Premier Division at the end of last season. Otley and Preston Grasshoppers bossed the league but Blackburn pressed them hard.
A number of former Fylde players have had periods at Ramsgreave Drive in recent seasons including Tom Lavelle, Greg Nicholls, Tom Burtonwood, Jamie Brookes, Jake Foster. Adam Joyner and Sammy Russell.
This match will be a good test of the fitness and coherence of the Fylde squad ahead of another tough National League campaign.
The following Saturday, 20th August, the Fylde squad will travel to National One’s Sale FC in a reverse of the game last August at the Woodlands which Sale shaded 27-29 in an exciting contest. Sale went on to have a brilliant season during which they chased Caldy for the single promotion place to the Championship. They lost out but this went down to the wire when Caldy pipped them as a result of their tense 13-9 home victory on the penultimate Saturday of the season.
This time the game will be at Heywood Road and will be a severe challenge for Fylde’s squad.
Both these games will be preceded by the visit of a touring Perthshire RFC squad to the Woodlands who will play a pre-season warm-up against a Fylde XV on Saturday, 6th August.