The eleventh season of summer rugby league kicks off this weekend and Gloucestershire Warriors open their second campaign in the Co-operative Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier division with a potentially testing trip to Birmingham to face the Bulldogs (kick off 2.30pm)
The Warriors will face a side that has had an active pre-season behind it, one that has included friendlies against Derby City and Telford Raiders and a challenge match against Aston Old Edwardians played partly under league rules and partly under union rules.
While the results have not been encouraging, they have at least played, which is more than the Warriors have.
As is customary, the Warriors have been training hard for this fixture under coach Tom James who is looking forward to the coming campaign.
“I can’t wait for us to get started”, he said. “These first two games (against Birmingham and Nottingham Outlaws next week) will be a big test for us, but if we can do well, then I am confident we will have a good season”.
James is keeping team selection close to his chest for this week’s game and the only thing he would say was that it would be a new-look side from that which finished third in last season’s table.
“Interest in the Warriors is very high and there are a number of players who have shown up well in pre-season who I am looking forward to seeing out on the field”, he said.
Last season, the Warriors played twice in Birmingham winning a hard-fought 38-26 game in June before going down narrowly 28-24 in July in a game switched to the Midlands owing to the flooding crisis in Gloucestershire.
“The Bulldogs are a big side right across the pitch and they caused us plenty of problems in both games last season. We had an opportunity to win the second game but weren’t able to take it and I am hoping that we have learnt some lessons from that experience”, said James.
The Warriors will be debuting their long-awaited new kit complete with shorts and sleeve sponsors Clarkson Evans.
Warriors Chairman Chris Wilson said: “Clarkson Evans have been tremendously supportive of us and we are delighted to be able to bear their logo on our new kit. It has certainly proved to be an eye-catching design and I hope it will be lucky for us.”
The game takes place at Birmingham City University Sports Centre, Moor Lane, Perry Barr, Birmingham B6 7AA and kicks off at 2.30pm. The referee is Julian Critchley from the Southern RLRS.
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Chris Wilson
Media Manager, Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC
Tel: +44 (0)1684 850903
Mobile: + 44 (0)7905 931033
Email: gloswarriors2004@aol.com
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The Gloucestershire Rugby League is an organisation for local rugby league clubs in Gloucestershire. Our main activity currently is to promote rugby league through the County and give useful information about our sport to the public of Gloucestershire.
