THE THREE KINGS made the red-eye, long haul journey famous ..and Kendal Rugby Union Club keep up the seasonal tradition when they set off on Saturday morning to make almost a 600-mile round trip to Newbury for a National League Division 2 match.

The Mint Bridge club are seeking to consolidate their place in the top six after last weekend's 20-14 victory over Lancashire rivals Preston Grasshoppers, but it is no secret they would have preferred to stay closer to home.

Kendal coach Peter Kremer said:"It seems crazy when there are so many juicy derby matches in this division that people would enjoy around around the Christmas period, to be sending a team 300 miles.

"It's just typical of a situation where numbers have been put into a computer and just crunched out irrespective of what the clubs want.

"We should have been playing Fylde, Preston or Wharfedale this weekend."

Full back Mike Scott was having a fitness test on a hamstring pull but was expected to be fit along with Jason Balmer, out with an eye injury, for this Saturday's match which kicks off at 3pm with floodlights to be used if required.