Kells' under-16s played their first league game of the season since leaving the Cumberland League and moving into the North West Counties League.

Having been placed in Division Two for their first season, instead of local derbies in West Cumbria Kells will now face a different test as their opponents will now be from a far wider spread of clubs and include Barrow-based Roose Pioneers, Askam, and teams from Lancashire and Manchester.

Their first competitive game of the season was away from the league though, when they entertained Hull side Myton Warriors in the first round of the BARLA National Cup.

It was an excellent start for this year's campaign and the Kells team ran out healthy winners with a 32–0 victory, which set up another home tie in the second round against Leeds based Methley Warriors which is due to be played on March 15.

On Sunday it was the team's first taste of league action, with an opening match against Roose Pioneers at the Pit Field.

While this ended in a win, Kells were given a really tough game which was nip-and-tuck first 20 minutes until the 15-minute mark when Sam Fulton dived over the whitewash to get the first points on the board for the hosts.

Blaine Graham ran the length of the field seven minutes later to add a second try.

As the Kells lads began to pull away they played some lovely rugby in very cold blustery conditions, and despite building up a substantial lead, remained disciplined and defended magnificently, keeping the visitors off the score all game despite phases of Pioneers pressure.

Kells now boast an ever increasing number of scholarship players in the squad, including players at Newcastle Thunder and Wigan Warriors, and in the end the home side were simply too good on the day.

They ran out healthy winners, running in eight tries, with a 48–0 final score through tries from Graham, Fulton and Jack Ainley with two each, Billy Murray and the final try from Ashton Sice.

In strong winds, an impressive show of kicking from Kells resulted in them landing all eight of their conversion attempts, with Graham kicking five, Sam Murtagh adding two and Sice adding another.

This coming weekend Kells are on the road to play Leigh Miners Rangers in the first round of the North West Counties Cup.