DURHAM were last night still trying to resolve whether county cup holders Darlington Mowden Park can begin their defence of the trophy.

Mowden were due to play their delayed first round tie at Stockton tonight, but asked for a week's delay because of their injury crisis.

That was unacceptable to Stockton because they need to win their final game in North Two East on Saturday week to be sure of avoiding relegation.

But if Stockton are handed a bye to the semi-final and are unwilling to play next Wednesday that would mean playing the semi-final in the same week as the final, which is scheduled for April 24.

Altering the final date would upset Blaydon, who are already through to the final and have been told it takes precedence over their National Three North match against Waterloo, which has been put back to May 1. Darlington were expecting to visit the winners of the Stockton v Mowden tie in the semi-final next Wednesday and would not relish playing it only three or four days before the final.

Rearranged league matches have so far prevented Mowden from beginning their campaign to retain the cup, which they also held from 1998-2000.

Now they find they are unable to raise a team, with particular problems in the front row as Ian Keeligan has taken the casualty list into double figures.

He developed a groin strain in Saturday's match at Blaydon but soldiered on because he knew that Danny Brown, who was on the bench, wasn't fully fit.

Mowden's team secretary Jim Dyson said: "We didn't want to demean the cup by simply withdrawing. But we understand that if our request for a delay isn't acceptable then we will be out of the competition."

* Billingham have become one of the first clubs in the country to receive an award from the RFU's community club development programme. The money will enable them to install floodlights at their Greenwood Road ground.

Terry Burwell, the RFU's community rugby and operations director, said: "Billingham have already invested in resources to increase membership, in particular getting more young people and women and girls playing the game since opening their new clubhouse.

"This will help us to achieve our vision of having more people enjoying their rugby at better clubs which are open to all.