York City Knights Suspend Six

York City Knights have suspended their player-coach Paul March, his twin brother David, their director of rugby James Ratcliffe and three other players after they "over-indulged" at a club function at Headingley during the Leeds-Bradford Super League derby last Friday.

The Knights were hosting a group of supporters following their best result of the season against Oldham the previous night.

"On behalf of us all I would like to issue an unreserved apology to Leeds and its guests, York City Knights and all its supporters, and to anyone whom we may have caused offence to," Ratcliffe said. "Having had a fantastic victory on Thursday evening, we all possibly over-indulged during our weekend away from rugby."

The March twins and the other three players have been dropped from York's Championship One game at Blackpool on Sunday, and selected instead for a reserve team game against Dewsbury.

Barrow Raiders have made the most eye-catching move yet in their bid to bring Super League rugby back to Cumbria by signing the former England stand-off Jamie Rooney from Wakefield. Rooney has signed until the end of the season and will make his debut in a televised Co-operative Championship game against Toulouse tomorrow night, when the Raiders could go top of the table. However he will not be eligible for the Northern Rail Cup final against Widnes on Sunday week, which is now guaranteed to be an 8,800 sell-out at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road.

St Helens remain confident that Keiron Cunningham will be available for their Challenge Cup semi-final against Huddersfield on 9 August, after a minor knee operation that will rule him out for at least three weeks.