The Royal Navy Sharks' long season has now drawn to a close having started back in May at East Grinstead 7s and finishing at Harpenden National Pub 7s at the end of August. They encountered disappointing losses in 3 cup finals but were victorious in a further 3 Cup finals at Yeovil, Newquay and Abingdon plus a Plate final at Bury St Edmonds to top it off. The new Development side, the Royal Navy Stingrays, have played their first season and the RNRU 7s set up has attracted many more players to the shorter and faster paced game of Rugby Union. The RNRU were also able to field a Women’s 7s team, the Makos, at Hartpury, Yeovil and Havant which is the first time the W...
The Royal Navy Sharks travelled to Abingdon with a depleted squad hoping to retain the 7s cup after last year’s success. This year they had the bonus of the development side, the Royal Navy Stingrays competing alongside them for the 5th time this season and despite a short-notice change to the format of the competition, the Navy Sharks came away victorious!
With a good training session at the Duke of Gloucester Barracks South Cerny, both teams were equipped with the skills and match day plans for a good tournament. The teams arrived on match day to face a little confusion. In the days leading up to the tournament several teams had withdrawn and on the day two team were a no show...
It is with great pleasure that the Royal Navy Rugby Union announces the appointment of Lieutenant Commander Paula Bennett-Smith as the new Assistant Director of Women's Rugby. Paula joins Captain Roger Readwin (Director of Rugby) and his team with primary responsibility for the direction and oversight of the Women's Representative Team. She joins at an exciting time for Women's Rugby as a new Women's Development side is launched which will compete in the monthly Army Women's Rugby league competition. A stalwart of Women's Rugby in the Royal Navy, Paula played from 1999 until 2014 and has since gone on to qualify as a Level 2 coach. During her playing career she was cap...
Peruvian Sailors travel to Portsmouth for a day out
A port visit to London as part of the Tall Ships Race presented the opportunity for 20 Peruvian sailors to participate in a grass roots rugby training session at HMS Temeraire. The Royal Navy Rugby Union community team were approached by Mr Rowan Taylor at HMS Temeraire to see if they could assist with a visit by some of the Ship’s Company from the Peruvian Navy BAP Union Tall Ship. Without a second thought, the RNRU Eastern Region Community Rugby Coach, Dave Wakefield, was happy to take up the challenge and an enjoyable programme was put in place. The Peruvian ship, the second largest sailing ship in the world, was o...
