On the playing front, we were always there and about, and in the summer of 1994 we applied for National Conference Membership after having good cup runs in the County Cups under Johnny Hairpins astute coaching. These were magic days for Thornhill. Christmas 1994, we played Blackpool and qualified for the very first time into the Rugby League cup. May 1st all drunk Blackpool’s club dry! January 1995 we drew Hull KR away on Sunday 13th January. The game was called off at approximately 10.30am. Twelve buses were fully booked for this historic day. We were told to play the game on the Tuesday night, 15th January at 7.30pm. We took seven Stanley Gath’s buses to Humberside to make the Thornhill players feel at home. Andy Smith became the first Thornhill player to score a try in the Rugby League Cup. Thornhill got beat, but what an occasion.

Following on from this, the club secured promotion in its first season in the NCL. At the end of the year we qualified for our only appearance in the County Cup Final versus Skirlaugh at Rams Stadium on December 23rd 1995. In front of 2500 spectators Thornhill never got going and Skirlaugh took the trophy 11-6. Further big games were to follow, and Thornhill went to Swinton in 1996, Featherstone in 1997 and Dewsbury in 1998. At the beginning of 2000 the ultimate game in the Rugby League Cup happened. Thornhill travelled to Sheffield to play the 1998 victors over Wigan. Yes, there had been some disruption at Sheffield over the amalgamation with Huddersfield, but that January day, Thornhill pulled off the biggest shock by beating the Eagles and becoming the toast of the amateur game. This being the first time a Heavy Woollen Club had achieved this.