Army senior men's rugby league team deliver impressive display against Crosfields

The Army men's senior team's impressive 40-14 victory over Crosfields was the highlight of a superb Armed Forces Day rugby league celebration in Warrington.

Leigh Paul-Rientoul's team put in a much-improved performance from their disappointing results in 2024, and the win will give the players and coaching staff a boost of confidence ahead of September's Inter Services.

Earlier in the day, the Army's development team also impressed to beat the Royal Marines while the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment comfortably won a 'War of the Roses' against the Yorkshire Regiment.

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Army's young guns dismantle strong Royal Marines team

The opening match of the day's festivities on the main pitch saw an Army development team continue their rivalry with the Royal Marines.

This year's Marines team packed a heavier punch with the inclusion of a number of Royal Navy senior team blockbusters like Rhys Joel, Dave Brown and Harry Vorweg.

A back-and-forth pattern became the story of the game as both sides showed their scoring abilities, but it was the Army's surging second-half performance that saw them pick up a 24-10 victory.

'War of the Roses' becomes one-sided pummelling

The physical nature of a clash between the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment and the Yorkshire Regiment was never in doubt, but not many predicted the dominant clobbering that the Lancs team put on their rivals.

From the first whistle, they won each battle and quickly pulled away into a big lead.

It ended 27-4 and saw the Yorks on the losing side and deservedly so.

Army senior team back to form in main event

Last year's match between Crosfields and the Army was a sobering one for the forces outfit.

They were well-beaten after a performance filled with errors, while Crosfields showed the confidence that saw them gain promotion from their national division.

However, this year's game was a completely different story. Crosfields were lacking in confidence after struggling for form recently, while the Army are determined to prove their worth at the top of forces rugby league.

Crosfields kept it competitive, but the Army's ability to keep on the front foot, complete sets routinely, and finish off tries in style saw them deliver an impressive win with a 40-14 score.

If this Army team can repeat a performance like this, or better it, at the Inter Services, they may be back in the conversation at the top.