THE SUSTAINER | SPORT REPORTS
#WeAreTheRLC
RLC Hockey In April, The RLC Hockey Club travelled to Barbados in preparation for the Inter-Corps Hockey Tournament and the Army 2019/20 hockey league. The male and female squads spent the first day acclimatising to the tropical weather ahead of their first matches against the University of West Indies. Playing in uncomfortably humid conditions, the Women’s team faced a strong opposition but came out victorious. Pte Percival scored first from a short corner, remaining calm under pressure, followed by an impressive goal from Maj Valentine with the final score 2-0. The men fought hard against a fast and technically skilled team and, despite a strong performance from the whole squad, including goals from Cpl Clark and Cpl Jackson, they were defeated 6-2. Their next matches were against the Barbados National Development Squad. The women’s squad of 15 players were up against a squad of 26 who were used to playing in the heat. The women played against a physical opposition and were unable to keep up with the constant
substitutions. Lt Col Anderson scored The RLC’s only goal, with the final score being 3-1. Similarly, the Men’s team faced a large squad of players who out matched their pace, with a steady flow of substitutions. Despite a strong performance from LCpl Charlesworth-Cheshire-Newton in goal, the final score was 4-0 to the Development Squad. After a successful training session, the teams had a final match against the Barbados Combined Clubs. Once more the ladies had a tough battle but finished the tour on a high; another goal from Lt Col Anderson and a smooth finish from Sgt Mathers resulted in a 2-0 victory. Again, the Men’s op-position was athletic and energetic, however The RLC team proved it was becoming familiar with the Bajan style of play and reduced its goal difference with a
8 The RLC Hockey Club has travelled to Barbados
result of 4-2 to the home team. Cpl Clark and Cpl Jackson were the goal scorers again. When they weren't training or playing matches, the teams had the opportunity to experience some Caribbean culture. These excursions included a catamaran trip along the stunning West Coast of Barbados where the team had the opportunity to swim with turtles. They also enjoyed a Mount Gay Rum tasting experience where they learned about the history of the island’s rum, its production and heritage. The tour was extremely successful due to the hard work and organisational skills of WO2 Lynn Hines (162RLC). Hopefully this will inspire some new talent to sign up to The RLC Hockey Club.
RLC Ice Hockey Over the past 12 months, RLC Ice Hockey has continued to grow and the team is establishing itself as an elite contender within the Army and Tri-Service set up. Having narrowly lost to the REME in the annual John Edwards Cup in 2018, the team has trained hard, achieving excellent results on the ice. At the time of writing, the team has just returned from the weeklong Tri-Service Championships (TSC) in Sheffield, emerging as the plate winners for the second year in a row, beating the Army Allstars 2-1 to lift the silverware. This result ensured that it has remained one of the top five teams across the three services. The tournament was hugely significant as the team was able to 34
field two full teams (A and B), with 25 skaters in total dressing. Of note was LCpl Kieran Lenachan (29 RLC), competing in his first ever TSC, who was awarded the A Team MVP for the tournament. The team was also the top contributor to the Army Blades team, with six of the 17 Army skaters coming from The RLC. With the influx of keen and dedicated individuals to the sport, the team is looking stronger than
8 RLC Ice Hockey A Team 2019 ever before. It will be competing in the Army Cup in Oct 19, looking to bring home the top prize for the first time ever and then heading to Canada in February 2020 to complete an intensive two-week training camp. All this activity is in preparation for the TSC 20, where it will build upon the success of 2019 and look to win the top prize for the first time in the team’s history.
www.royallogisticcorps.co.uk • Facebook: The Royal Logistic Corps • Twitter: @RHQ_The_RLC