Royal Navy Women v Royal Air Force Women Preview
ROYAL NAVY WOMEN v ROYAL AIR FORCE WOMEN
The Royal Navy Rugby Union (RNRU) will start its 2012 Inter Service Campaign on Wednesday 18 April 2012. The RNRU will face the Royal Air Force (RAF) at United Services Sports Ground (USSG), Burnaby Road, Portsmouth.
The first game of the day will start at 2pm and will feature the Royal Navy Women and the RAF Women.
It has been a difficult season for the RN Women as poor weather and player availability has meant that they have only played 3 fixtures before facing the RAF Women, a win over Paignton 21-7 in the early part of the season and an encouraging encounter against Trojans.
This left the RN Women with a trip to France to face an International laden Marine Nationale Women's Team in Toulon a week before their first Inter Service game of the 2012 Competition. This fixture was a ‘baptism of fire' for some of the newer players to the squad, but although the women were beaten they continued to pressurise the Marine Nationale Women scoring in the final minute of the game.
Lt Kirsty Marlor RN, Chairwomen of the RN Women Marlor said of the RN Women recent trip to France, ‘The RN Women come to this fixture on the back of a challenging game against the Marine Nationale in Toulon, a match which helped the Navy Women focus their minds to this year's Inter Service competition.'
The last time the RN Women hosted the RAF Women in Portsmouth it lead to victory for the Navy Women 14-11. However, the following year the RAF Women took revenge at Newbury RFC beating the RN Women 26-0.
The fixture against the RAF Women also sees the return to the squad of Navy and Combined Service Capped players Lt (Victoria) Percival RN (Abbeywood) and LAET (Pam) Williams (HMS Sultan) who will be keen to bring their experience to bear in this game.
Marlor said of the RAF fixture, ‘This fixture is the main focus of the RN Women's season and should be an exciting one. Over the decade that this fixture has taken place the RAF lead 7 - 3. However, the RN Women are planning to improve these statistics on Wednesday.'
For the RAF Women have already played the Army at RAF Halton last week, in a commendable performance they eventually lost the game 7-24.
This will also be the last game for Hd Coach Lt (Sam) Cuff RN (RNAS Yeovilton) who moves on at the end of the season to assist with the Navy Sharks as well as taking up a coaching position with Bath Women. Cuff coached the RN Women to victory 2yrs ago and hopes that home field advantage will bring another victory.
RN Women:
1. LAC (Emily) Park (MASF-RNAS Culdrose)
2. Wtr (Charlotte) Lewis ^** (COMPORFLOT)
3. LET(WE) (Emily) Atkins (HMS Raleigh)
4. NA(AH)(Caroline) Penrose (RNAS Culdrose)
5. LPT (Andrea) Marshall (HMSSt Albans)
6. AB(SEA) (Stacey) Hargrave (HMS York)
7. Lt (Charlotte) Fredrickson RN (Capt)** (849 NAS)
8. Lt (Helen) Leach RN (824 NAS)
9. Wtr (Loz) Morton ** (HMS Nelson)
10. LET(WE) (Sarah) Jenkins (V Capt)** (HMS Richmond)
11. Lt (Caroline) Oakes RN (854 Sqn)
12. LS(AWT) (Emma) Swinton * (HMS Dragon)
13. SA (Fiesha) Greene (HMS Nelson)
14. ET(ME) (Erin) Marner (FPGRM)
15. ET(ME) Lavinia) Vakuruivalu (HMS Northumberland)
Replacements
16. LAET (Pam) Williams* ** (HMS Sultan)
17. Lt (Paula) Bennett-Smith RN** (NATO Northwood)
18. DSA (Bonnie) Brown (42 Cdo RM)
19. ET (WE) (Sarah) Mitchell (HMS Ocean)
20. LET (WE) (Vicky) Thomas (HMS Nelson)
21. NA (SE) (Kat) Cullen (RNAS Yeovilton)
22. Lt (Victoria) Percival RN* ** (Abbeywood)
Denotes:
^ International
** Combined Services
* Royal Navy