LKLEY Rugby Club will be hoping that they can maintain their winning habit at sevens and reach the national finals of a new competition.

The Dalesmen line-up on Sunday in the North Regional Final of the inaugural community sevens competition, the 24/Sevens series, at West Park Leeds’ Bramhope headquarters.

They qualified by winning the Caldy Sevens and have since won tournaments at Hemsworth and Olney.

Eight teams will be competing in two groups of four with the winners of each qualifying for the national final in Essex on July 24.

Ilkley will face competition from their National League Three North rivals Billingham, Caldy and Cardinals in Group One.

Sheffield Tigers, Red Panda Sports, Morpeth and Wigton will contest Group Two.

Two players who have been regulars for Ilkley in sevens this summer will miss the event. Pat Power is nursing a shoulder injury while Jack Maplesden is unavailable.

New signing Chris Gemmell and guest player Harry Barnard will take their places.

Head of rugby Rhys Morgan said: “We are looking forward to the event and realise that the competition will be tough.

“We have been playing well in our previous tournaments so we can take confidence from that. It will be a great boost for everybody at the club if we can make the national final in the first year of the competition.

“We have plenty of pace in the team with players like Ben Magee, Declan Jackson and Paul Petchey and we hope we can make full use of it on Sunday.”