U23 Inter Service Squad Announced
Royal Navy U23 Head Coach, Lt Doc Cox RN, has named his 30 man squad for the 2008 Inter Service Championship. The squad will be looking to defend the title it won last year when they take on an RAF U23 team on Friday night at Burnaby Rd, KO 19:00. The RAF will be looking to bounce back after a first round lost at home to the Army U23 last weekend. In appalling conditions they went down 19 – 3. However Doc, who watched the game, isn’t underestimating the task ahead and is fully aware that the RAF U23 will pose a serious challenge. The squad is led by HMS St Alban’s AB(Sea) Will Cairns who is one of a number of players who was involved last season and also is a player who has already had Senior XV experience. His squad sees the welcome return of Mid Ed Gaught (Thunderer Squadron) after two seasons away and also AB(Sea) Kevin McCrossan (HMS Ark Royal who missed last season’s Championship due to his deployment in the Gulf. A number of the squad are already in the Senior XV development squad and the two matches of the Inter Services will no doubt again prove to be the perfect stage for others to impress the watching Senior XV coaches. Navy Rugby also wishes to acknowledge and thank all the Commanding Officers of the ships and units that have been so supportive in supporting the squad this season. Without the goodwill of Section Heads and mess deck colleagues the players are fully aware that many of them would not be able to have been released for the games and training that they have been this season. The support is greatly appreciated by all involved with the squad. Finally all at Navy Rugby wish Will and his squad the very best of luck on Friday and against the Army U23 when they meet of Saturday 6 December at Aldershot. The 1 Mid Tom Blackburn Thunderer Squadron 2 Mid Ed Gaught Thunderer Squadron 3 AB(SEA) Luke Marks HMS Tyne 4 AB(SEA) Kevin McCrossan HMS Ark Royal 5 SLt Niall Copeland BRNC Dartmouth 6 MNE Matt Kitson CTCRM 7 AET Gareth Jones 845 NAS Yeovilton 8 AB(SEA) Will Cairns HMS St Albans 9 MNE Johny Stephens CTCRM 10 SLt Nick Gresswell RAF Cranwell 11 AB(WS) Craig Foxwell HMS Liverpool 12 SLt Ed Targett RNAS Yeovilton 13 LAET Dave Burton 815 NAS Yeovilton 14 AET Steffan Phillips 846 NAS Yeovilton 15 NA(SE) Aaron Hanson RNAS Yeovilton 16 ET(ME) Mark Jones HMS St Albans 17 MNE Joe Long 1Assault Group RM(HMS Bulwark) 18 AET Ben Maddigan 848 NAS Yeovilton 19 NA(AH) Cinders Ellor HMS Ocean 21 MNE Gregg Wellings CTCRM 22 MNE Ben Wadham 1Assault Group RM(HMS Bulwark) 23 AET Ryan Cox HMS Sultan 24 AB(CIS) Steve Kelly HMS Sutherland 25 2Lt Matt Williams CTCRM 26 ET(ME) Sion HMS Westminster 27 AET Alex Davies 771 NAS 28 MNE Colin David ASGRM Yeovil 29. ET(ME) Ritchie Ives HMS Severn 30. MID Pete Thompson HMS Bangor