Harrogate RUFC Ladies' wait for a win goes on after mauling by Leicester Tigers

The Rudding Lane outfit remain rooted to the bottom of Women’s Championship North One as a result, however Zoe Clarke says that despite the disappointing scoreline, the chance to play at one of the most famous rugby stadiums in the country meant that ‘Gate’s players were still able to take plenty from the experience.

“The opportunity to play at Welford Road Stadium made this an unforgettable day,” she said.

"This difficult match showed the grit and determination of Harrogate Ladies.

"Leicester Tigers were expected to be a challenging team to play against, however the players have much to be proud of in terms of their performance.”

The first half saw the Harrogate players defend well as they were forced to make a serious number of tackles by their unbeaten hosts.

Some particularly intense play resulted in the visitors winning several rucks and holding off the league leaders on a number of occasions.

Particularly notable were tackles from Kel Morgan, Sarah Foster, Georgina Youlden and Charlie Goode.

The score at half time was 36-0 to the Tigers, though ‘Gate worked hard to make sure that the home team did not have things all their own way.

Harrogate continued to perform well in the second half of the match and came closest to getting on the scoreboard when a long pass from Georgia Briggs set Georgina Youlden away on a dangerous run downfield.

Next up for ‘Gate Ladies is a home showdown with third-placed West Park Leeds on December 3.