The busiest of Autumn programmes for Navy Rugby continues on Sunday when the U23XV travel to play Ealing Trailfinders at Old Merchant Taylors ground near Northwood. They will seek to continue the progress they made against Hampshire and Havant before they host Chichester on Wednesday night at HMS Temeraire, Portsmouth.
Ben Roberts has been given the responsibility to captain the team, with the Number 8 having enjoyed a couple of very strong performances already this season. Sam Norton retains his position at prop with Isaac Salt continuing at hooker and Harrison Marsh completing the front row. Alex Cragg and Dan Mason remained unchanged in the second row with Mark Do...
For wingers to shine others in the team have to graft and the match against Japan was no exception. Ben Chambers and Dave Fairbrother may well have caught the headlines with the five tries they shared between them but it started from the very front, where skipper Kyle Mason, with the number 1 on his back ensured that his front five provided the platform from which the Navy could build its all court game.
With the ball on the front foot, Johnny Stephen exploded into life with numerous trademark sniping runs. When he did move the ball, flyhalf Richard Cadywould, provided width and variety in attack along with a sublime cross-field kick for Ben Chambers second try. Like...
The Royal Navy have made a number of changes for their final pool game against Japan with a number of players suffering knocks after two very physical matches. Ben Priddey is named as a replacement and Kyle Mason steps in as captain and leads the team for the first time in a competitive game. With both teams looking for their first win of IDRC2015 the Royal Navy know that Japan will pose very different challenges than those posed by Fiji and New Zealand.
In the front row Tom Blackburn comes in at tighthead with both John Court and Josh Terry unavailable joining Kyle Mason and Harry Collins with the second row pairing, of John Lamsin and Edd Pascoe, remaining unchanged for the third ma...
Though both sides were without a number of players, away with Senior XV at IDRC2015, the opening game of the 2015/16 Inverdale Challenge produced some excellent flowing rugby and no little drama as, down to thirteen men, the Royal Marines dug deep to withstand the Fleet Air Arm’s late onslaught. For the Fleet Air Arm they left ruing the amount of possession kicked away when playing with wind whilst for the Royal Marines they will learn that when seemingly in command of a match a lapse in concentration can cause a few heart stopping moments.
With a fresh breeze and the slope in their favour the Fleet Air Arm knew they had to start briskly and soon had the Royal Marines unde...
Burnaby Road hosted a full-blooded encounter between the Royal Navy and New Zealand Defence Forces in the 2nd Edition of the International Defence Force Rugby Competition. The Royal Navy knew it was a game they had to win and were looking comfortable until, within quick succession, both skipper Ben Priddey and centre Matt Tichias were sent to the sin bin. In just under nine minutes with thirteen men, New Zealand turned the game and established a lead that they refused to relinquish. It leaves the Royal Navy’s qualification for the quarter finals dependent on Australia not getting anything out of their match against Canada and the Navy getting all five points again...
