Tykes take the title in Tigers test
Leeds Tykes won the National League North 2 title by taking 5 points against their opponents Sheffield Tigers as their local rivals Sheffield RFC lost to Lymm.
Director of Rugby, Pete Seabourne, said: “Five points, job done. Promoted. I can’t thank the boys enough. They’ve done a really good job. The staff have worked hard for two years to get us where we are, and the players have earned their rewards.”
It was far from straightforward for the Tykes, who, despite scoring two tries in the opening fifteen minutes, found themselves behind or level until the seventy-fifth minute. Sheffield Tigers played to their strengths, disrupting Leeds’ rhythm and denying them any sustained momentum.
The visitors burst into life early when Tom Williams crossed following a strong run up the wing by Adam Brown, with Seremaia Bai Turagabeci adding the conversion. The hosts were reduced to fourteen men in the thirteenth minute after Tom Calladine was sent off for an altercation with Eddie Brown. Leeds immediately capitalised, Eliah Chityo slicing through the defence from inside his own half to double the lead.
Despite being a man down, the Tigers showed their stripes, clawing their way back into the contest. Will Archer powered over from a maul, and Louis Townsend scored when Leeds failed to scramble back in defence. Will Baker’s conversions were on target, giving Tigers a narrow lead. Baker then slotted a penalty to extend the advantage, before Turagabeci responded with a try following a break and slick hand-off from Charlie Venables. This levelled the scores at 17–17 just before the break.
Tigers began the second half strongly and edged ahead through Lee Monks after Jonny Teague was shown a yellow card. But the Tykes showed the grit and determination that has defined their season. Jack Smith crossed from a catch-and-drive, with Turagabeci’s conversion drawing the sides level once more.
With both teams battling fiercely and the game largely played between the 22s, a draw seemed to be on the cards. However, Leeds’ scrum began to dominate in the final stages, earning a crucial penalty. As Turagabeci began his kicking routine, a gust of wind threatened to intervene – only to ease at the perfect moment as he sent the ball sailing between the posts to seal a nail-biting victory and promotion to National League 1.
It was a fitting finale to a remarkable season for the Tykes, who showed resilience, flair, and composure in a game that had everything – tries, cards, comebacks, and ultimately, glory.
Pete Seabourne added: “We’ll have a good night tonight and then move on to next week. We’ve still got games against Harrogate and Tynedale to finish off the season. The performance wasn’t our best today, but we’ve done what we needed to do.
“I want to thank the supporters for everything throughout the year. I hope they’re as happy as we are right now.”
Head Coach, Pete Lucock commented: “It was a really tough game. They made it as hard as they could for us. Full credit to the boys—they played some excellent attacking rugby and have been resolute in defence all season. We needed to get the wins, and we’ve kept ticking off those goals. It’s probably happened earlier than expected, but it’s just reward for all the hard work over the season.”
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