Harrogate Overpower Middlesbrough in High-Scoring Season Opener
Harrogate 35 – 26 Middlesbrough
Date: Saturday 6th September 2025
Competition: RFU Regional 1 North East

Harrogate kicked off their 2025/26 campaign with a thrilling 35–26 victory over Middlesbrough in a match that delivered end-to-end action, standout individual performances, and a dramatic scoring sequence that kept supporters on the edge of their seats.

First Half: A Fierce Exchange
Middlesbrough struck early through winger Carney, who crossed the line in the 5th minute and converted his own try to give the visitors a 7–0 lead. Harrogate responded with a well-worked try from Scurr in the 17th minute, converted by Macnab, levelling the score at 7–7.
Carney continued to be a thorn in Harrogate’s side, adding a second try and conversion to restore Middlesbrough’s lead at 14–7. But Harrogate’s resilience and powerful pack shone through, with Maycock powering over in the 26th minute from a driving maul. Macnab again adding the extras to tie the game at 14–14.
Just before the break, Skipper Sam Brady added a crucial try for Harrogate, and Macnab’s conversion sent the hosts into halftime with a 21–14 advantage.

Second Half: Harrogate Take Control
Harrogate came out firing in the second half. Brady added his second try in the 52nd minute, followed by another pinpoint conversion from Macnab. Sharma then extended the lead with a try in the 66th minute, and Macnab’s flawless kicking continued, pushing the score to 35–14.

Late Middlesbrough Rally
Despite the deficit, Middlesbrough refused to go quietly. The visitors secured two more tries in the final ten minutes, narrowing the gap to 35–26. However, Harrogate held firm in the closing stages, with Macnab missing two late penalty attempts but ensuring the scoreline remained in their favour and securing the maximum 5 points from their first run out.

HRUFC Director of Rugby, Jake Brady, commented
I am encouraged by elements of our first showing. We looked dangerous across the pitch, from scrum, maul power play and out wide. Each of our wingers got a try as well as our maul and Sam with a brace through the middle. This is important going forward as teams have to respect us in all aspects of the game. I feel we gave up points quite easily though and Middlesbrough weren’t made to work too hard for some of their scores.
We took control in the middle part of the game where we scored 4 consecutive tries. With a bit more maturity and accuracy we could have extended that and finished the game more comfortably, but Middlesbrough fought their way back into the game and made us really work for the victory.

HARROGATE: Rory McNab, Amrit Sharma, Conor Miller, Kodie Brook, Mackenzie Scurr, Thomas Steene, Dan Wilson, Jacob Percival, Steve Maycock, Eoin Harrison, Jacob Brady, Samuel Brady (capt.) Martin Dodds, Benedict Richrdson, William Hill
Replacements: Dominic Dalby, Zac Seboual, Toby Jones

MIDDLESBROUGH: Matthew Marsay, Brendan Hill, Charlie Bourne, Jack McPhillips (Capt.), Rob Carney, Ste Jones, Chris Lord, Josh Lynas, Joe Sawdon, Miles Calvin, Rio Davies, James Walker, Ali Lang, Rohan Brown, Marcus Lang
Replacements: Jack Cook, Matthew Helm, Te’Kari Moore

Referee: Kristian Garland