Loughborough Sport Men’s Rugby Programme 25th February 2023

RUGBY

RHYS EDWARDS DIRECTOR OF RUGBY

Welcome all to Loughborough University, where today we host Dings Crusaders. Welcome to all players and officials from the club, in what we hope will be another great game of National League Rugby. Our previous encounter this year was our first fixture, and we are excited to welcome them to campus for the first time.

Last week we played Luctonians away and fell short with the result not getting anything from it. The squad are disappointed that, as preparation has gone well, and we are starting to see many players getting opportunities at this level at the start of the university journey. This week’s opponents will again be a challenge, but we are keen to put things right after good training day against Saracens on Wednesday in Old Albanians.

Today’s guests have been competitive since the start of the season and currently sitting in 3rd place. The first fixture of the year proved to be a high scoring game with Dungs winning 48-24. The season has started to stabilise now, and teams are starting to beach each other. I’m sure Dings will want to continue their run and overtake local rivals Clifton to second place.

The BSR squad had a week off this week, before heading into the final 3 league fixtures: Cardiff University (A), Hartpury (H) and Cardiff Met (A). The squad currently sits top of the league and know that we must be at our best to stay come the ned of the year. Please come and support Hartpury fixture on Wednesday 8th March.

Good luck to everyone this weekend.

Thanks again for supporting the squad today, it’s been great to see familiar faces every week.

All the best to everyone today!

Rhys Director of Rugby

*Any further information regarding membership, please contact rugby@lboro.ac.uk for more information.

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC VS NEWPORT MATCH REPORT

MATCH DAY:SATURDAY 28/01/2023

FULL TIME: LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS

RFC 45-31 NEWPORT

AWAY TEAM (NEWPORT)

TRIES: Wilson, 6, 19, 52, Taylor, 35, Gamble, 74

CONVERSIONS: Leonard, 12, 53

HOME TEAM (LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC)

TRIES: Penalty Try, 3, Pichardie, 11, Preen, 13, 42, Bell, 22, Cadogan, 45, 60

CONVERSIONS: Meredith: 12, 14, 24, 61

HALFTIME: LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC 28-17 NEWPORT

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS: Martin, Daniel, Preen, Pyle, Cadogan, Meredith, Mason, Nixon, Bell, Bertinet, Pichardie, Jennings, Bloomer, Eckersley, Agbongbon

REPLACEMENTS: Cameron, Crane, Shine, Fisher, Metcalfe

NEWPORT: Bailey, Gamble, Perry, Leonard, Wilson, Castledine, Adams, Wells, Raqio, O’Niell, Goulson, Hubbart, Boughey, Kent, Taylor

REPLACEMENTS: Grass, Murphy, Cowell, Buckley, Himbury

Rampant Students run 7 past Newport

With the students seeking the climb the table whilst Newport battle to avoid relegation in their first season at this level, we were set for a thriller at Epinal Way.

Fast out of the blocks, the students crossed the line inside 3 minutes as a powerful maul earned them a penalty try. Whilst many then expected the floodgates to open, Newport scored straight after to level things up. A quick onslaught from the Students put them back ahead before the sides exchanged scores and headed to the sheds.

With a try bonus point secured, the task for Loughborough became to maximise the

scoreboard and 2 minutes into the second half they increased their lead as Chris Preen dotted down his second, after fine work in the loose from man of the match Tomiwa Agbongbon. From the resulting kick-off, the students went the length of the field before finding winger Charlie Cadogan out wide to dot down for his second of the game, a prolific try scorer at this level.

Newport’s resilience was rewarded through a try bonus point and they could have found a losers one too, not for some strong goal-line defence from the students.

Heading into a 2 week break, Loughborough will have their eyes set on a top 6 finish, whilst Newport continue to desperately search for wins in their battle for survival.

By Marta Gomez

MAN OF THE MATCH- TOMIWA AGBONGBON

MEET THE TEAM

TOM BLOOMER

RUGBY HERO: CARLOS SPENCER

DOB: 04/06/2001

NATIONALITY: BRITISH

HOBBIES: LATTE ART, FISHING & GOLF

STUDYING: SPORT SCIENCE

MATCH DAY SUPERSTITION: LEFT BOOT FIRST

POSITION: BACK ROW

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

SIS PITCHES

TODAYS OPPOSITION DINGS CRUSADERS

Dings Crusaders RFC are one of the oldest clubs in Bristol, with roots stretching back over 110 years. A unique quality of this club is its entirely amateur nature, as opposed to the semi-professional structure of other clubs.

The club was relegated from National Division Two South, the fourth tier of the English rugby union system in 2015, to the South West Premier. After two seasons, the team won promotion back to National League 2 South for the 2018–19 season before being moved into the newly formed National 2 West league. The team currently sit at third in the table.

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC 1XV FIXTURES 2022/23

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC STAFF

RHYS EDWARDS Director of Rugby

ANTHONY ALLEN Performance Coach

ALEX WHITE National 2 Head Coach

MARTIN WEBDALE Head Coach

KATIE THRIFT Rugby Operations

JAMES PETERS Development Head Coach

JAMES GALLAGHER Rugby Programme Manager

RICHARD BLAZE Performance Coach

EMILY BURNS Team Manager

JORDAN HARRIS Lead Physio

BLAKE BURNS S&C Volunteer

IZZY WELLINGS Media&Marketing

MATT COOKE S&C Volunteer

HENRY DUNFORD PA Placement

AMIE GRAY PA Placement

MARTA GOMEZ SANTOS Media & Marketing Lead

JOANNE MADDEN-MCKEE S&C Volunteer

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC A BRIEF HISTORY

1984

Rex Hazeldine is appointed as Head Coach leading the side to a UAU title and victory in the Leicestershire Cup. A touring Australian Universities side was also defeated.

1976

1919

Loughborough College formed the original Rugby Union side in September 1919.

1930

Loughborough Colleges competed in their first Universities Athletic Union competition, beating Nottingham University 8-0 in their first match.

1939

Loughborough Colleges reached the UAU final for the first time,losing narrowly to Swansea.

1953

Loughborough Colleges won the UAU for the first time.

1962-68

These were spectacular years for Loughborough, winning every UAU title except 1965. Gerald Davies, John Mantle, Dave Rollit, John Taylor, Bev Risman and Colin MacFadyean, became world class players. John Robins became the first British and Irish Lions coach.

Middlesex 7s winners: 1959, 1964 1966, 1970 and 1976.

1996

Loughborough enter the leagues at the bottom of the RFU pyramid.

The Student’s Unions of the University of Technology and the Loughborough Colleges merged and the Loughborough Students Rugby Club was formed. The team won the UAU in 1977, 1978 and 1979, with the 1978–79 side captained by the young centre Clive Woodward.

1970

The legendary Jim Greenwood coaches the Colleges to victory in the Middlesex Sevens, and the first UAU final at Twickenham. This side was probably the strongest ever, with six future internationals, Louis Dick, David Cooke, Clive Rees, Fran Cotton, Steve Smith, and Dick Cowman.

1997

Loughborough wins over Cambridge and Oxford in consecutive weeks signals the changing balance of power in student rugby.

1998

Ian Smith is appointed as the first full-time Director of Rugby.

2003

The World Cup winning England team was coached by six Loughborough alumni: Clive Woodward, Dave Alred, Andy Robinson, Dave Reddin, Phil Larder and Simon Hardy.

2005

Winning BUCS in 2005 breaks our longest spell without a BUCS victory.

2006

Real Varsity Match v Bath. Floodlights Appeal provides campus venue for the first ever rugby ‘event’ and engages alumni leading to the Vice Presidents club. A 3000+ crowd watched Loughborough beat Bath.

2008

Director of Rugby Dave Morris leads the side to promotion into National League 2 North, making the team the first student side to take part in the National Leagues.

2009

The Dan James Memorial Match Loughborough 23 – 20 England U20 A magnificent achievement for Dave Morris’ team and a suitably characterful performance through which to remember Dan.

2012

Loughborough v The Barbarians. A huge match to mark the opening of the Loughborough Stadium. Andy Robinson’s Barbarian side win 40– 7. Loughborough promoted into National League 1.

2016

Fiji win the first Olympic 7s competition coached by Loughborough alumni Ben Ryan, defeating Team GB in the process and fellow Loughborough alumni Phil Burgess.

2017

Loughborough Lightning enter the Tyrrells Premier 15s league.