Royal Navy U23 Head Coach, PO Owen Salmon (RNAS Yeovilton) today named HMS St Albans' AB Will Cairns as the Royal Navy U23 team Captain for the forth coming Inter Service U23 Tournament. The explosive number eight will be supported by live wire scrum half Mne Jonny Stephen (CTCRM) as Vice Captain. Both players have been in excellent form this season and are among the most senior players within the squad. Though neither are capped at Senior level they were part of the Royal Navy's successful defence of the Babcock Commonwealth Cup and will be looking to keep the winning ways going throughout the Inter Services. Neither player would have been able to achieve what they already have this sea...
The first round of the 2009 Inter Command tournament for the Inverdale Cup saw the Fleet Air Arm make an uncertain but winning start against Portsmouth Command at Burnaby Rd. Much of the game was characterised by unforced errors from both sides as they struggled to get to grips with a damp ball in an otherwise perfect evening for rugby. Early misses at goal by B Buinimasi may well have cost the FAA dear as they watched Portsmouth recover from 6 - 0 down to take the lead 8 - 6 following a well worked try down the left. Further exchanges of penalties brought the game to 15 - 14 to FAA midway through the second half before Portsmouth Command scored the try of the evening from a perfectly ex...
RNRU President's Select XV - Babcock Commonwealth Cup 2009 By Lt Cdr Arty Shaw Due to the late withdrawal of the South African Navy team from the competition, a fourth team was put together at very short notice to fill this void, to ensure that the visiting teams were given more opposition and the public would still enjoy a good standard of rugby. The RN Rugby Union President's Select XV was thus born and was made up from RN Veterans, RN Under-23s, players on the fringe of the RN Senior XV and Navy Command level players. This was a truly mixed bag of talent but all gave of their best and provided good opposition for both visiting Navy teams. The Ancient Mariners' Management Team, the &ls...
ROYAL NAVY RETAINS BABCOCK COMMONWEALTH CUP 2009 The Royal Navy was looking to use its home advantage in the deciding match of the 2009 Babcock Commonwealth Cup against the Royal Australian Navy in Plymouth on Monday. The dry conditions did much to lift the spirits of the Southern hemisphere players and from the kick-off it was clear that both teams would compete to the final whistle, with the title at stake for the RN and honour on the line for their Australian opponents. The match was a keenly fought battle with the home side coming out on top by 34 points to 11. Having lost the opening encounter of the competition against the Kiwis, the Australians were clearly determined to put that ...
The Royal Navy have been forced into making a late change before today's match against the Royal Australian Navy. Fly half and playmaker Dane Smallbone has been unable to join the squad in time. As a consequence team captain Cowboy John (HMS Liverpool) moves to fly half with Jonny Stephen (CTCRM) taking the vacant 9 shirt. HMS Cumberland's Dale Sleeman moves to the bench. RN DoR, Lt Cdr Geraint Ashton Jones RN (Fleet) was upbeat about the change: "I don't think it alters the balance of our side at all. Jonny has been in excellent form all year and it is great for him to get the chance to start again in his perferred position. Many will recall how well he played against the French Navy at...
