Secondly I would wish to thank the Yorkshire Committee who have proposed my election to this esteemed post. I had no inkling whatsoever that my name was being discussed and I deem it a great honour for me personally and my club, Ripon, to serve you the Yorkshire members for the coming season.

I am not aware of any of my predecessors having achieved these dizzy heights so I believe it is a first for the Ripon club and an honour for the North Yorkshire District.

I have though served many years as Ripon's North Yorkshire representative and up until last season been Ripon's fixture secretary for 43 years having come across many of you and your clubs in that time. It has been a pleasure doing so to meet the many people who have done that job throughout the years.

A number of you may also recognise my touch flag carrying for Ripon over the last 32 years, a task which I hope to continue into the foreseeable future along with my role as your Yorkshire President.

It is my intention to visit as many clubs as practicable and to watch as many matches as I can from Age Grade, Women's and Girls, and Adult Men's at all levels of the game. If you wish me to visit your particular Club or Representative XV please contact me through the County Office who will be keeping my diary."

Here's all you need to know about Andy and his long dedication to rugby.

Andy is a Cumbrian by birth, born in Penrith and schooled in Whitehaven and an adopted Yorkie having attended Leeds University from '69 to '72, and lived in Ripon since 1974.

Whilst at school, he was always keen on rugby despite his diminutive stature sometimes playing 3 games at weekends, rugby union at school in the morning, Whitehaven RUFC in the afternoon and the occasional rugby league game for Wath Brow Hornets on Sundays.
When at Leeds he played for the University both during the week, and at weekends coming across many of the local club sides in the Leeds area.

He moved to St Albans where he played for Old Albanians and played in Jeff Probyns (the ex England front row forward) first senior game way back in 1973. On moving to Ripon in 1974 he joined Harrogate and played in the Georgians, with Bill Barrack for a number of years, until the travelling got the better of him and prompted a move to his home club Ripon where he has been a mainstay for many years.

Throughout his working life his enjoyment has been enhanced by living in Ripon and being able to contribute in a number of ways to the running and management of Ripon Rugby Club, and contributing to North Yorkshire rugby which he still does today. At Ripon RUFC he has been Fixture Secretary for around 40 years, and Chairman for ten of those years.
He has been Chairman of North Yorkshire rugby prior to Ray Kelly from Acklam and Jim McRobert from Wensleydale, and has served on the Yorkshire RUFC committee representing North Yorkshire for a number of years and is a past Chairman of YRFU Governance and continues to be a member of YRFU Competitions and Nominations.