Harrogate RUFC were a 'threat all over the pitch' during opening-day win over Middlesbrough RUFC

The Aces’ new director of rugby got his tenure underway in promising fashion with a bonus-point success on the opening day of the 2025/26 season.

Relegated from National Two North in dramatic fashion on the final day of last term, ‘Gate find themselves back in North One East, but made the ideal start to their task of trying to secure an immediate return to the fourth tier.

And Brady said he was encouraged by what he saw, particularly in an attacking sense.

“I am pretty pleased,” he told the Harrogate Advertiser. “We have got the five points, and the boys can’t do any more than that, so I can’t complain.

"I asked myself before the game, what was the best that I could hope for. In an ideal world, I wanted all five points, but I also wanted to come away feel excited by the thought that there was still so much more to come from us.

"And that is what I came away with in the end, because we do have a lot of potential and a lot of room for growth.

"The big positive was that we looked a threat all over the pitch. We scored a maul try, both of our wingers scored out wide, and we got two more coming through the middle with power plays.

"That just shows that we are not a one-trick pony, and means that opponents will have a lot to think about when they play us.”

Harrogate’s tries were scored by Mackenzie Scurr, Steve Maycock, captain Sam Brady, Amrit Sharma and Harrogate’s director of rugby himself, with Rory Macnab converting all five.

But, they did not have things all their own way.

On the things that ‘Gate could have done better, Jake Brady added: “We were a little bit shaky to start with before we grew into the game.

"There are some areas in our defence that we need to work on, but these are things that I had already identified as being issues in pre-season, and are a work in progress.

"In transition, we weren’t great. When we turned the ball over, we were too slow to react and that cost us for one of Middlesbrough’s scores.

"But, overall, I am still pretty pleased.”

This Saturday, Harrogate make the long trip up to Penrith for their first away fixture of the season.

The Cumbrians made a sideways move across from North One West for the 2025/26 campaign due to a reshuffling of the divisions.

They finished mid-table last term with eight wins in 22 league outings, but kicked things off with an impressive 40-20 success at Cleckheaton first up.

"It’s obviously a bit of a trip up there to Penrith, who will be confident because they had a good win at Cleckheaton on the opening weekend,” Brady said.

"I don’t know loads about how they play, but I know that it is going to be another tough test.

"I know that they have an artificial pitch, but that doesn’t worry me at all. If anything, I am excited by that fact.

"This type of surface make the game fairer, in my opinion. You know it’s going to be a flat track, and not have the home team gaining a big advantage from a hill or slope that they are experts in how to play.

“These pitches usually make for an open and fast-paced game. And, if you look at the way our backs performed against Middlesbrough, then you’d have to say that will suit us really well.”