Warriors aim for glory
Gloucestershire Warriors conclude their preparations for this summer’s Co-operative Rugby League Conference season with a trip to Swindon St George for a friendly game this Saturday (kick off 2.30pm). The game will be the first at Swindon’s new home at Croft Sports Centre. This will be the Warriors’ eleventh campaign and one where the club harbours hopes of glory.
With their first league game being a tricky-looking trip to Coventry Bears on 9 May, the Warriors were keen to have a run out prior to the big kick off. Coach Tom James explains: “The result is not really important but a win would be a nice boost. The game will be a chance to get some combinations going and put into practice what we have been doing in training while we have a chance to change things with the pressure off.
“It’s been a while since the guys played league so it’s good to dust off the cobwebs particularly with the Coventry game first on the schedule”.
The Warriors last full game coincidentally was also against Coventry back in July at Chosen Hill when they lost 24-22 to finish outside the play-off places for the first time in a number of seasons.
Chairman Chris Wilson added: “We were a little disappointed last season and felt we underachieved. However, I sense a very positive mood in the camp now. Everyone is keen and raring to go and we are looking to be challenging for the division title”.
The game will be the first ever meeting of the two sides. Swindon joined the Co-operative Rugby League Conference in 2008 and enjoyed a positive debut season. Chairman Tony Ellis is a veteran of the Swindon Bulldogs – a previous incarnation of rugby league in the town – and he is hoping that his side can continue their development as they look forward to their second campaign.
The side is coached by former Gloucestershire Warriors player Neil Greenwood and hooker Richard White was recently appointed captain of ‘The Dragon Slayers”.
Both sides had a run out in last weekend’s Cheltenham 9s with the Warriors finishing as losing semi finalists in the All Golds Cup and Swindon being placed ninth.
The Warriors will be competing in a new-look Midlands Premier division this summer. The 2008 champions Nottingham Outlaws have been promoted to the Co-operative Rugby League Conference National division following their Harry Jepson Trophy triumph and Bedford Tigers have moved to the RLC Southern Premier division.
Telford Raiders, Redditch Ravens and Bristol Sonics move up a level to the Premier division and Wilson is particularly pleased that the Gloucester-Bristol rivalry is back on the calendar. “The Sonics have done really well over the last two seasons, winning back to back titles and earning a place in this year’s Carnegie Challenge Cup. Their promotion is well deserved”, he said. “They will be a force in this division, I’m sure of that”.
While the Sonics are tipped to challenge for the play-offs, the favourites are likely to be the Coventry Bears. Despite losing players to Warrington Wizards and Hemel Stags in the RLC National division, they have a deep talent pool and should still be challengers particularly if young loose forward Matt Cooper maintains the promise that brought him the RLC Young Player of the Year award in 2008.
The Bears’ key loss could be coach Ty Watson. The popular Kiwi has moved to take over at the Leicester Phoenix and there are already signs that his magic is starting to rub off on them with a competitive performance in the recent Midlands 9s.
The Phoenix could well be the big improvers and a very competitive division is rounded off by the presence of Derby City and Birmingham Bulldogs, which are sides that are always tough to beat and they will be hoping to mount a challenge for the play-offs.
“We’re all looking forward to the kick-off,” said Wilson. “It should be an exciting summer”.
The Warriors play at Chosen Hill FP RFC, Brookfield Road, Churchdown and kick offs are 2.30pm.
Warriors Fixtures 2009
9 May - Coventry Bears v Warriors
16 May - Warriors v Birmingham Bulldogs
23 May - Warriors v Redditch Ravens
30 May - Telford Raiders v Warriors
06 June - Warriors v Bristol Sonics
13 June - Derby City v Warriors
20 June - Warriors v Leicester Phoenix
27 June - Birmingham Bulldogs v Warriors
04 July - Warriors v Coventry Bears
11 July - Redditch Ravens v Warriors
18 July - Warriors v Telford Raiders
25 July - Bristol Sonics v Warriors
01 August - Warriors v Derby City
08 August - Leicester Phoenix v Warriors
Co-operative Rugby League Conference 2009 Structure
From the tip of Scotland to the far south of England, through the West of Wales to the rolling fens of East Anglia, more summer Rugby League than ever will be played and supported in 2009, as the twelfth Co-operative Rugby League Conference season was unveiled at a formal launch at Elland Road on Sunday 1 March, prior to the Carnegie World Club Challenge.
The three-tier competition, now underpinned by four regional Merit Leagues in England, will see a total of 136 teams take to the field - 91 in the Conference - while there will also be further increases in the junior and women’s game, and a more devolved administrative structure into the regions to cope with the demand for the code.
RFL National Development Executive Gary Tasker welcomed the continuing spread of the sport, which has seen participation levels increase overall by over 150 per cent in the last four years.
“The structured geographical progression of rugby league over the last decade or so has been one of its real success stories” he said.
“In terms of standard and profile, the Conference is improving year on year, more players are starting their education in the game in this competition and, already, some – in England and Wales - have reached international, Super League and Championship levels” he added.
Eleven clubs will compete in the showcase RLC National Division, 41 in five Premier Divisions for the prestigious Harry Jepson Trophy and 39 in six Regional Divisions, a net increase of five participants on 2008.
More RLC sides are running second teams this season, another indication of the growing depth and strength of roots they are putting down in their communities and there are eight newcomers, together with three sides - Kent Ravens, Farnborough Falcons and Cottingham Tigers - returning.
The new clubs are Wigan Riversiders, Kippax Knights, Winlaton Warriors, Southampton Spitfires, Hillfoot Rams (Scotland), Norwich City Saxons, South Dorset Giants and St Clears Wild Boars (Wales)
“There have been some tremendous developments off the field in rugby league in the South West”, explains Gloucestershire Warriors chairman Chris Wilson. There is now a Service Area Committee that will help to co-ordinate all aspects of the sport in the region from the development of coaches and match officials to promoting the women’s game and the game in schools. We are also hoping to see a full-time appointment in the near future that will move things on even further”.
The Service Area will also encourage and support the three clubs in the Co-operative Rugby League Conference; Gloucestershire Warriors, Swindon St George and Bristol Sonics; as well as the University sides in Gloucestershire and Bristol.
The Committee is keen to hear from any others looking to start up or simply looking for more information about rugby league in the South West and further information is available from the website www.gloucestershirerugbyleague.co.uk
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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.
