For information on the 2012 Commonwealth Navies Cup in Sydney click here.
I have added a list of previous player of the tournaments.
Royal Navy Rugby League provide perfect lead out for Union team.
Royal Navy Rugby League – Inter Services 2012
Very many congratulations to the RNRL Academy side who have been recently crowned Inter Service Champions. The Brothers (RNRL Senior side) also finished their campaign with a strong win over the Army at Aldershot and will be rueing a below par performance at home in the first round when they succumbed to the RAF side. A draw between the RAF and Army in round 2 means that the RAF are 2012 Rugby League Champions.
The Navy Rugby League’s Academy side featured a couple of familiar faces to those who follow the Union code. Sharks captain Ian Cooper, former Senior XV stand off Dane Smallbone and the ever young Manoa Satala all played. Manoa was on the score sheet with two tries whilst Coopz crossed for one and Dane kicked a couple of goals.
The Brothers can also be satisfied with a resounding win in the Army’s own backyard which I am sure they dedicated to the memory of Rugby League and Rugby Union stalwart B Buinimasi’s brother who tragically died in a accident back home in Fiji shortly before the game. B played a full part in the game before returning to Fiji to be with his family.
Playing alongside B were Navy Rugby Union capped players Lewis Taylor and Darren Bamford who though both very good Union players are League first and foremost. Darren Bamford took in to the League season the excellent form he showed in Union colours last season where his vision and timing of the pass were a joy to behold. He is a player who will be missed by the team, currently in Sydney, both during the CNRC 2012 and also throughout the season where it looks as if deployments may make him unavailable.
Two wins for the RNRL teams at Aldershot is always an occasion to celebrate – BZ and in a moving and fitting end Navy Brothers’ captain, Mark Robinson, invited B to collect the Jack Harrison VC trophy on behalf of the team
The Royal Navy Rugby League website has full reports of the matches which can be viewed by clicking here.
Navy Rugby Under 23s
Hopefully the RNRL Academy’s success will provide suitable inspiration when new U23s Head Coach, Scott Ashley, finally gets a team on to the pitch. With the United Hospital team pulling out of yesterday’s scheduled fixture their first game is not until 10th October when they play Chichester on the Wednesday night. Scott will be joined behind the scenes by Kai Blackett and Billy May. Billy has recently returned from the Safariacom Sevens, Kenya, where he helped coach the Samurai VII to victory in the Plate competition. No doubt having watched the South African Development side win the event and worked with a Samurai side containing New Zealand VII’s Internationals Billy will be hoping to introduce some ‘cutting edge’ skills in to this season’s U23 back line.
Though United Hospitals pulled out of the fixture this weekend, the weekend was by no means lost. In fact the squad may be a little further a head that they would otherwise be as it has allowed Scott to fully bed in some of his ideas that he hopes the players will build upon as the season develops. Already Scott believes his back room coaching team have bedded in well with Billy’s experience proving valuable to both himself and Kai. Whilst the role that Coopz is filling, as player mentor, is not only proving a hit with the players but Scott also feels is developing Ian and his undoubted, if raw, leadership skills.
Last season’s match against Chichester, played in autumnal sunshine, was an absolute cracker and two of the stars of that day, Kye Beasley (captain) and Tyler Smart are currently in Australia with the Senior XV. This goes to show the perfect spring board that the U23s can be in unearthing and launching fresh talent.
With the CNCRC 2012 squad having a good proportion of U23 players in it, the 2012 Inter Service campaign will no doubt be challenging for the coaches but will hopefully allow the selection spotlight to uncover some more hidden talent, and Scott firmly believes he has found one or two that we may soon be eagerly talking about.
New Coaching Team for Army U23s
It is not just the Navy U23s who have a new coaching team for this season’s U23 Inter Service championship. With the former Army U23 Head Coach, Axel Rees being promoted to the Senior XV Head Coach role the Army Rugby Union have been forced to reshuffle their resources at U23 level. Andy Cambell has been promoted from forwards coach to Head Coach, former Army scrum half Daryl Slade-Jones remains backs coach and they have recruited former Army lock/backrow Lee Soper as forwards coach.
34 year old Lee was part of the powerhouse 7RHA side that used to dominate Army unit rugby and ended up with 9 caps at Senior level. He also won representative honours for Cornwall and through them he won four caps for the England Counties XV. If the Army pack play in the mould of their coach they will certainly be an uncompromising abrasive unit that will demand respect.
Sappers Retain Corps Festival Title
Ben Hughes, most capped Army player , had the perfect start to his coaching career when he watched his Sapper team defeat the RLC 17-5 in the final of the Army Rugby Union Corps Festival. A full match report can be viewed here. What caught my eye though was Army centre and captain of their Sevens team Gerrard Wessells playing in the back row. Is he planning to follow Greg Barden’s lead and make a permanent move to the pack?
Rugby4Heroes Invitational XV v Royal Engineers
Fresh from their success in the Army Rugby Union Corps Festival the Sappers were unable to win the charity match played against A Rugby4Heroes XV at Henley on Sunday 30 September. However if there is ever such a thing as a good loss then a charity match for such a worthy cause would be it. The final score was 26 – 5 to the R4H team. Further details about the good work of the Rugby for Heroes can be found on their website at rugbyforheroes.org.uk
I hope to have a little more on this game during the week.
Leave a Reply