November 2020

History is Made as the Royal Navy U23 Dominate the End of the Decade

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History is Made as the Royal Navy U23 Dominate the End of the Decade

This month the Royal Navy Rugby Union U23XV should have been defending their 2019 Inter Services title, but as with the men’s and women’s 2020 Inter Service championship, the U23XV tournament was cancelled due to Covid19.  In the second of three articles, I reflect on the 2015 U23 Inter-Services success and the influence it went on to forge in the senior squad. It started at Twickenham, well the Twickenham Stoop to be precise.  The 2015 U23 Inter Services build up was overshadowed by the International Defence Rugby Cup which culminated at the Twickenham Stoop as the Army were beaten by Fiji for the title.  Earlier in the evening Joe Burton and Jarrard Hayler...

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Laying Foundations for Success, Holding A Little In Reserve

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Laying Foundations for Success, Holding A Little In Reserve

This month the Royal Navy Rugby Union U23XV should have been defending their 2019 Inter Services title, but as with the men’s and women’s 2020 Inter Service championship, the U23XV tournament was cancelled due to Covid19.  In this first, of three articles, I critically look at the recent unprecedented success of the Navy’s youth side from its foundation, through to its historic achievement in 2017.  Subsequent articles will summarise the last five years of matches before looking at what the future may hold. Fifty years after the Royal Navy Rugby Union implemented Alun Meredith’s vision of a Colts side, their latest incarnation, the U23 XV delivered a ...

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Navy Referee Selected for First RFU Advanced Match Official Course

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Navy Referee Selected for First RFU Advanced Match Official Course

Royal Navy Rugby Union referee, Lt Col Tom Evans-Jones RM, has been selected for the inaugural Advanced Match Official Award (AMOA) due to start on 8th November.  He is one of only 24 referees selected for this Level 3 award which is designed for those referees with potential to progress to the higher levels of refereeing.  Currently attending Staff Course at Joint Services Command and Staff College Shrivenham, Tom will be well used to the academic content of the course but is no doubt also looking forward to being back out in the middle for more practical aspects of the course, once Covid-19 restrictions allow.  A little over three years ago, Tom, a former Royal Navy h...

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