Competition: National Cup – Round 1
Final Score: Selby 78 – 0 Sandal (Official RFU capped score: 52 – 0)
Location: Selby RUFC

Selby kicked off their National Cup campaign in emphatic style, avenging last year’s agonizing three-point opening-round defeat to Sandal with a commanding 78–0 victory on home soil. While official age-grade regulations cap the scoreline at 52–0, the performance was a total statement, showing remarkable progression, set-piece resilience, and lethal execution.

Early on, the match was a tense, physical arm-wrestle as both teams fought for momentum. The defining moment came when Megan broke free with a sensational breakaway try. Slicing through Sandal’s defensive line with quick footwork, her score settled Selby's early nerves, swung momentum firmly in the home side’s favour, and opened the floodgates for the performance that followed.

In a fixture historically defined by tight margins, the exchanges up front were dominated by a heavy volume of scrums and fierce breakdown contests. Sandal brought their signature physical style, but Selby’s forward pack stood firm. A major highlight came when Selby's hooker, Jazz) struck cleanly to win a ball against the head, turning Sandal's put-in into instant turnover ball under heavy referee scrutiny.
Captain Tayla led from the front, continually organizing rucks and driving hard into contact. The pack got their reward when Lucy Moyes picked from the base of a breakdown and powered over for a well-deserved try.

Selby’s direct carrying proved unplayable at times. A standout moment came when Jazz took the ball in midfield, smashed directly through multiple heavy tackles, and burst out of the contact area to cross for an incredible solo try.

Sandal consistently tested the home side with high, deep restart kicks to pin Selby back. However, Selby’s Number 9, Maddie was outstanding in the skies all afternoon, repeatedly securing clean catches under pressure to hand Selby immediate forward momentum and clean exit platforms.

With solid platform ball secured, Selby’s backline ran wild in open play:

• Millie was rock-solid at fullback, fielding kicks with ease and sparking attacks—highlighted by a stunning solo effort where she caught a kick deep in her own half and ran the full length of the pitch to score.
• Emily C-I, was lethal on the flank, finishing off multiple team sequences. Her standout moment came via a coast-to-coast run, using rapid footwork and sidesteps to evade the cover defence and dot down under the posts.
• Dani showcased explosive pace out wide, repeatedly stretching Sandal’s defence down the touchline.
• Captain Tayla capped off a sweeping multi-phase move to cross for a try of her own as the attack clicked into top gear.

Sandal continued to battle hard throughout, creating late opportunities off turnover ball and pressing the blindside. However, Selby’s scramble defence reacted rapidly, closing down numerical overlaps with decisive tackling to preserve a flawless clean sheet.

A complete performance from start to finish. Twelve months after a heartbreaking three-point defeat to the same opposition in this very competition, Selby flipped the script with interest to advance into the next round of the National Cup