Littleborough are this weekend’s visitors to Ballafletcher for Vagabonds’ final home game of the season in Women’s NC2 North (South).

Its International Women’s Day too and all the stops are being pulled out.

At 12.45pm there’s a sponsor lunch with Vagas’ Patron Lady Philippa Lorimer, Unity Dance School providing the pre-match entertainment, while afterwards Vagas’ under-15s play Ramsey.

And, if that wasn’t enough, the afternoon’s 6 Nations will be shown on in the clubhouse.

Littleborough is near Rochdale and the team are currently bottom of the standings.

Vagas have to play them twice too but a top-two finish seems unlikely for the Manx side with a couple of narrow defeats meaning they’ll probably come up short of the points total needed for promotion.

The Manx squad has, however, come on leaps and bounds this season and are pretty competitive in all areas.

The front five is solid, the back row is explosive the half-backs have got all the tricks and the back-five have pace and power.

With a full-strength side out they’re more than a match for anyone in the league and with birthdays for captain Leona McGovern and vice-captain Becka Hicks midweek, the team will want to deliver a nice present for them. On paper at least, they should do it.

Men’s side travel to Ormskirk

Vagas’s men’s head side to Ormskirk this weekend in search of some points on the road.

The two met on day one of then current season way back in September with Ormskirk taking the points 3-13 at Ballafletcher.

Since then, neither side has really prospered. Ormskirk have six wins from 17 outings while Vagas are three from 17.

The islanders also suffered last week when their crippling injury list meant they conceded against Bury and have suffered a five-point deduction in the process.

Vagas’ results don’t make good reading but they are consistent.

Ormskirk by contrast are something of a rollercoaster. Wins have come against supposedly bigger teams like Bury, Clitheroe and Burnley , but there are also defeats against some of the struggling teams like Ashton-under-Lyne, Dukinfield and Orrell and it gives the impression that they struggle with consistent team selection.

Vagas desperately need some of their sick list to be well again.

Last week they were counting more than 15 unavailable with one niggle or another.

On the plus side, Jed Snell was fine and in fair form too for Western Vikings against Southern Nomads.

Vice-captain Matt Rockwell is rumoured to be indestructible as is second row Jon Ferguson. If they get lucky with a few returnees, they can build a team around these guys and if it’s the right day, maybe, just maybe sneak something from Ormskirk.

Fixtures: Saturday, March 8

Regional 2 North West

Crewe & Nantwich v Douglas @ Crewe & Nantwich ko 1.30pm

Counties 3 ADM Lancashire/Cheshire

Ormskirk v Vagabonds @ Ormskirk ko 1pm

Women’s NC 2 North (South)

Vagabonds v Littleborough @ Ballafletcher ko 1.30pm

MEC Crossfield Tens

Ramsey, Castletown and Western Vikings @ Mooragh Park ko 2.15pm

DAVE CHRISTIAN