The Combined Services have recently announced the teams who will take part in the Remembrance Day fixture in Plymouth on 12 Nov; two cracking fixtures are planned for this year; the men’s fixture will be against the Barbarians, whilst the ladies will play against the current English University champions Exeter Uni. Both fixtures should provide the CS teams with a challenge and one in which the head coaches are relishing the opportunity to portray Service rugby at its best.
The process for selection began as soon as the Army retained the Inter-service trophy in both competitions, as well as actively engaging with the respective Head Coaches and Directors of Rug...
With apologies to Mike Burton’s famous book of the same title but this time the balls belong to the Combined Services and the travel is being undertaken by five Navy Referees – Si Aldridge, Tim Bailey, Andy Coles, Jamie Edwards and Dave Prentice – on their charity cycle. However a rugby tour is a rugby tour so perhaps the book would be a good companion.
With a month to go until the Combined Services v Barbarians fixture, the route of the charity cycle ride, from Poppy Fields to Brickfields, has now been finalised and released. The culmination will be to deliver the match balls to both the CS matches taking place in Devonport on Tuesday 12th Novembe...
Navy U23 XV fullback, so used to being the last line of defence, will be first out of the changing room as he is selected to lead the team in the next two matches and through the 2013 Inter Service U23 XV Championship.
As the short U23 season reaches its mid point Head Coach, Scott Ashley has started the difficult task of paring his squad down. He has also announced that experienced fullback, AET Matt Horton (HMS Seahawk) will be the team’s captain for the Inter Services.
Matt has always been acknowledged as a very talented, and natural, rugby footballer. Already this season he has played at both scrum half and fly half for the U23 side. However he has al...
To play rugby for the Royal Navy is an accolade that many strive for but few achieve. I always find it slightly disconcerting when some are described as only having one cap. The one cap wonder. Well for all those players who achieved that still remarkable honour you belong to a club that has, in its midst, a true ‘one cap wonder’. A man who holds a unique place in English rugby – Arthur Leyland Harrison .
The 58th player to represent the Royal Navy, Harrison played more times for England than he did for the Royal Navy. His home club was Rosslyn Park but he also graced Burnaby Road in US Portsmouth’s colours before being one of ...
Over the weekend of 28/29 Sep, 65 females attended the RFU Senior London & South East Academy Trials, including 3 members of the RN(W) Squad, AB Stacey Hargrave (HMS Richmond), LWtr Lauren Morton (RNPDT&MC) and SLt Helen Stevenson (HMS Collingwood). This was an extremely tough trial; 90% of attendees play for Premiership clubs, including 15 females who have achieved International honours at either U20 or senior level.
The RN ladies held their own and competed strongly throughout the Trials. Loz Morton was successful at trial and has been invited to join the Academy for the 2013/14 season. Although Stacey and Helen did not make the squad, they have been giv...
