December 2005

BRNC CENTENARY RUGBY MATCH - 14 DEC 05

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INVITATION INTERNATIONAL COLLEGIATE XV 53 VERSUS COMMODORE'S BRNC XV 24. A cold crisp afternoon at BRNC provided the setting for a festival of running rugby and try scoring as the Centenary Rugby Match capped a year of celebrations at the college under the eye of Guest of Honour Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope and other honoured guests. The international XV brought together players from Ecole Navale (France), US Naval Academy, Irish Defence Force, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and RAF Cranwell. Up against them a mix of current and former BRNC trainees and staff. The international side grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck early on, their Left Wing going over twice in the first 20 minut...

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HMS ILLUSTRIOUS recently visited Malta

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During her time alongside the ships company played a high profile Rugby Union match against the Malta national 2nds side. With some Malta first team players benefiting from super 12 experience, the quality percolated down to a well drilled and fit 2nds team, who had just returned from an unbeaten tour to Europe, including a 57-0 away win over CUS Messina. The game, on Wednesday 23 November 2005, was their last before heading off on tour to Italy. The ships side played tremendously well, buoyed by an enthusiastic and appreciative crowd. The game was very hard and physical and it was 2 break away tries that made the difference to the overall score. Our lack of ball handling time within the...

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ROYAL NAVY RUGBY CUP FINAL - 7 DECEMBER 2005

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HMS Collingwood aim to secure their fifth win in Navy Cup Finals at Burnaby Rd on a wet and windy December evening, with 42 Cdo RM standing in their way who themselves last won the trophy in 1987. Both teams had impressive records coming into the final: COLLINGWOOD 42 CDO 1ST RND Bye Beat HMS DRAKE 33-14 2nd RND Beat HMS LANCASTER 71-7 Bye HMS CORNWALL (forfeited) ¼ Finals Beat HMS NELSON 19-7 Beat HMS HERON 32-27 ½ Finals Beat HMS GLOUCESTER 33-7 Beat CTCRM 26-0 On an atrocious night of horizontal rain intermixed with swirling wind both sets of forwards set about their task with vigour, with in the opening clenches Collingwood taking the upper hand. Both teams are to be co...

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Naples Erupts

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Following their convincing 19 - 5 win against the same opponents earlier this season, the Navy's most eastern outpost struggled to exert the same level of dominance in their return fixture with CUS Napoli. Played in the shadow of the city's famous volcano the game was a tempestuous affair with the Italian side living up to their fiery temperament. The game was, as the cliché goes, 'one of two halves. The first period was refereed by Navy official Andy Ebbens. With the Royal Marine having to have eyes in the back of his head to keep on top of things the Nato Lions eased into a 12- 5 lead at the break. The second half saw a local Italian referee take charge (a figure of speech - ed!...

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Chairman’s Challenge

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Britannia Royal Navy College's Centenary rugby match will really be a Chairman's Challenge in more ways than one. Commodore of the College and Navy Rugby Chairman, Tim Harris, has raised a side to play the College XV to mark the milestone in the College's illustrious history. In the spirit of the occasion Combined Services Referees have appointed the Chairman of Navy Referees to be the referee. CSRR Appointments Secretary, Iain Martin, said: “When making appointments for matches we always try to take into account the wider context of the game. Hopefully the appointment of Geraint Ashton Jones to the game will help ensure the match is played in a good spirit and is an open flowing c...

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