BARNSLEY RUFC’s survival hopes suffered a major blow as they lost 27-0 in their basement battle at Thirsk – leaving them bottom of Yorkshire Division Three.

The Shaw Laners have lost ten in a row since beating Thirsk at home in their second game of the season.

They are now a point behind Thirsk and ten off safety, with ten games left.

Barnsley now host seventh-placed Rotherham Phoenix on Saturday in their last game of the calendar year.

Barnsley Ladies lost 43-5 at Lichfield in Championship One North.

They are eighth in the second tier, nine points clear of the bottom two with 14 from eight matches.

They are now due to host leaders Buckingham Swans on Sunday – the halfway point in the season.

Wath lost 32-18 at Wensleydale in Yorkshire Division One.

Jack Whitlam scored all Wath’s first half points – two penalties and a converted try – as they led 13-8.

But the hosts came back with only a Jake Keogh try against them in the second half. Wath are now sixth with six wins and six losses from 12 games. They are due to host West Leeds on Saturday.

Dearne Valley are set to host a Yorkshire Division Four top-of-the-table clash with Sheffield Medicals.

The Goldthorpe based club are six points clear of the second-placed Medicals, having won nine of their ten games so far this season.

They won 36-8 at bottom club Knottingley on Saturday while their only loss came against Medicals in October when they were beaten 47-8.

Medicals have a game in hand.

Against Knottingley, Steve Mason scored a hat-trick of tries with Sam Oxley, Andrew Thorpe and Sam Holt also touching down. Steve Shaw kicked three conversions.

Wortley won 18-12 at third-placed Hessle. John Sedgwick, Steve King and Josh Carpenter scored tries after Luke Jagger kicked a penalty.

They moved up a place to fifth in the seven-team league and now are due to host bottom club Knottingley.