Last season’s Co-operative Championship winners Halifax RLFC faced an away trip to Toulouse Olympique in their opening game of the season but it was the French side who took the spoils in a 26-12 contest.

Toulouse shot out of the blocks with Andrei Olari opening the scoring after just six minutes and prop Ged Corcoran added a second near the half-hour mark to take the home side into the interval with a 14-0 lead.

It wasn’t until the 50th minute that Halifax found their attacking potency when winger Rob Worrincy’s converted try made the scores 14-6 but Craig Cook responded for the home side to restore their 14 point cushion with 20 minutes to go.

Halifax’s Sean Penkywicz scored just after the 70 minute mark to make the score 20-12 but a last minute try from Toulouse’s Timothy Wynn ensured the home side clung on to victory.

Last season’s Northern Rail Cup winners Batley Bulldogs began their Championship campaign at home to local rivals Dewsbury Rams in the Heavy Woollen derby and it was Batley won got the three points.

Batley enjoyed a dominant performance in the first half, with Daley Wiliiams and Ash Lindsay both crossing the whitewash to give the Bulldogs a 10-0 half time lead and they continued their domination into the second half, with tries from Paul Handforth, Ian Preece and a last minute score from Jason Walton giving the home side a comprehensive 28-0 victory.

Leigh Centurions welcomed visitors Featherstone Rovers to the Leigh Sports Village for the first game of the 2011 Co-operative Championship season and it was the home side who came out victorious after a 36-10 win.

Leigh went into the game with a 100 percent win record following their performances in the Northern Rail Cup group stages and it was they who broke the opening deadlock, when Tom Armstrong scored the first try of the 2011 competition after just 10 minutes. Centre Mick Nanyn scored a second for the Centurions three minutes later for a 10-0 lead and the first of what would be a 20 point haul for him.

Both sides struggled to find the killer touch in offence until Zak Hardaker crossed to give Featherstone their first points of the game in the 32nd minute, but Jamie Ellis responded for the home side moments later to take Leigh in to the half time break with a 10 point advantage at 16-6 It was the Centurions again who got the first points on the board in the second half with winger Dean McGilvray scoring just before the 50 minute mark to take the scores to 22-6 before Bryn Powell crossed for Featherstone to leave the scores at 22-10 going into the last 20 minutes.

Any hope of a Featherstone comeback were quashed when Mick Nanyn scored his second try of the game on the 70 minute mark and Stuart Donlan completed the scoring for Leigh when he crossed under the posts with only five minutes left on the clock.

Widnes Vikings, the only side along with Leigh Centurions to maintain a 100 percent record following the Northern Rail Cup group stages, began their campaign away to Sheffield Eagles.

Sheffield made history in the game by becoming the first sports team in the UK to wear a shirt brandishing an anti-homophobia slogan, but it was the Vikings who sealed the three points following a 44-16 victory.

In an opening half that saw the sides share six tries, it was Widnes winger Steve Tryer who opened the scoring before Dane McDonald cancelled out his score for the Eagles. Three tries in 10 minutes, including a second of the game for Tryer, opened up a 16 point gap for the Vikings but a converted try from prop Alex Rowe kept the Eagles within 10 points as the sides went into the break.

It took Widnes under a minute to get on the scoreboard in the second half with Dave Allen crossing for his first of the game and the Vikings pressure told as they ran in three more tries, including two more for Allen, to ensure the Vikings eased home to a comfortable victory.

Hunslet Hawks played hosts to fellow promoted side York City Knights in their opening game of the season in a true tale of two halves.

Hunslet dominated in the opening half, scoring four tries to one to take a commanding 20-4 half time lead and a try from Danny Grimshaw left the score line 26-4 in Hunslet’s favour with just over 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

York then sparked an impressive comeback, scoring three tries in ten minutes to leave the scores at 26-22 going into the last five minutes. York’s Matt Garside looked to have secured a dramatic win for his side when he scored his second try of the game in the 78th minute, but Hunslet’s Danny Ratcliffe kept his composure to land a last minute penalty and secure a 28-28 draw for the Hawks.

Results

Leigh Centurions 36 Featherstone Rovers 10

Toulouse Olympique 26 Halifax RLFC 12

Batley Bulldogs 28 Dewsbury Rams 0

Widnes Vikings 44 Sheffield Eagles 16

Hunslet Hawks 28 York City Knights 28

Co-operative Championship One

Keighley Cougars completed the most impressive victory in the opening weekend of the Co-operative Championship One, after they put 66 points past visiting side London Skolars.

Keighley ran in 12 tries in the game, including a hat-trick from centre Danny Lawton who finished the game with 30 points after scoring 9 kicks as well, to complete a comprehensive result over the Skolars.

Last season’s beaten play-off finalists Oldham Roughyeds got their campaign off to a wining start after they also scored 66 points against opponents Gateshead Thunder.

Oldham ran in five unanswered tries in the first half including doubles from Mark Brocklehurst and Andy Isherwood to take a comfortable 30-0 half time lead and the Roughyeds continued to build on that performance in the second half, scoring seven more tries, including a two more from Brocklehurst and a third for Isherwood.

Gateshead managed to get on the score sheet on the 64 minute mark when winger Robin Peers crossed the line and ten minutes later hooker Ryan Clarke scored a second to make the final score 66-12 in favour of the Roughyeds.

Swinton Lions recorded a win in their first game of the season against visitors Workington Town in a close 22-10 contest.

Tries from Martin Ainscough and Tommy Gallagher in the first half gave the Lions a 12-0 half time lead. Workington looked to be pulling their way back into the game when Marc Shackley scored on the 54 minute mark to bring the score to 12-6 but a quick fire double from Swinton’s Gavin Dodd and Lee Wingfield ensured Jason Mossop’s final minute score was only a consolation for the visitors.

Doncaster RLFC recorded a 40-10 victory in their opening game of the competition against South Wales Scorpions at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Doncaster got off to a quick start, scoring three tries including a Scott Spaven double in just seven minutes to set up a commanding win. A score from South Wales’ Steve Parry in the 36th minute ensured the Scorpions didn’t go into the break without anything to show for their efforts.

However, Doncaster added three more tries in the second half to give themselves a comfortable winning margin.

Whitehaven RLFC recorded a 30-22 victory over visiting side Rochdale Hornets in their opening game of the 2011 Co-operative Championship One campaign.

Whitehaven looked to be in complete control of the game as they ran in six unanswered tries to gain a commanding 30-0 lead with under 20 minutes remaining in the game, but a resurgence from Rochdale saw them respond with four tries of their own in the space of ten minutes to bring them back within 8 points, but the Hornets couldn’t find a final surge and the game finished 30-22.

Results:

Keighley Cougars 66 London Skolars 6

Oldham Roughyeds 66 Gateshead Thunder 12

Swinton Lions 22 Workington Town 10

Doncaster RLFC 40 South Wales Scorpions 10

Whitehaven 30 Rochdale Hornets 22