Rugby World: The Champions

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MIDLANDS
CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION CHAMPIONS EDITION
in which they lost to Hartpury College.
Wing Matt Gillick and Nathan
Burchell, a former England U18
player, were proliﬁ c try-scorers
and ﬂ y-half Alan Rowlands scored
most points. Coach Nevitt enjoyed
an unusual promotion double – he
also helped Handsworth to win the
Five West (North) title.
MIDLANDS FOUR EAST (N)
BAKEWELL MANNERIANS
Captain Ed Hutchinson
Coaches Chris Weeks, Paul Webster
(forwards), Hutchinson (backs)
A THIRD consecutive promotion
takes Mannerians to their highest
league status, a tribute to coach
Weeks, who has produced legions of
players during 20 years-plus as a PE
teacher at Lady Manners School.
Up and running: Aylestone St They amassed 140 tries in 22 games
James’ Ben Howe dives over the with wing Tom Elsworth contributing
line as his club head for promotion
37 and No 8 Henry Bagshawe
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recovering from a long-term knee
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MIDLANDS ONE MIDLANDS TWO WEST WELLINGBOROUGH thrived under injury to score 12. Hutchinson racked
LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS MALVERN the tutelage of former Scotland up 267 points. Pack stalwarts Dave
Captains Andrew Hodgkins, Captain Ryan Watkins prop Stewart and ex-Northampton Greagby, Martin Pearce and Denzil
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Dan Falvey Coaches Dave Robins (DoR), Andy team-mate Dominic Malone in his Bowyer shone alongside newcomers
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Coaches Dave Morris (head), Tosh Longley (head), Nick Tisdale (forwds) ﬁ rst season at Cut Throat Lane. Max Crampton, Tom Spencer, Dan
Askew, Nick Scott (backs), Alex THE coaching appointment of Malone helped bring the best out Driscoll, Rob Wells and Alex Graham.

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Moreno (forwards), Darren Hide, former captain Longley helped turn of a young back-line, with wing Dom
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Bob Smith (strength-conditioning) Malvern from a forward-dominated Smart scoring 38 tries. Fly-half Pete MIDLANDS FOUR EAST (S)
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LOUGHBOROUGH will play in side into one playing fast, attacking Vickers, an East Midlands player, AYLESTONE ST JAMES
National Three North for the ﬁ rst rugby. Centres Richard Fleming and scored 285 points. Only two games Captain Ryan Taylor
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time next season, 13 years after Watkins beneﬁ ted most and were were lost and ‘Borough squeezed Coach John Stapleton
entering the league system in East proliﬁ c try-scorers. Full-back Chris out runners-up Leighton Buzzard on ‘JIMMIES’ won a third consecutive
M Mids-Leics Four. It’s a testament to Hooper was leading point-scorer in a points difference of four. promotion and their second title
A coach Morris and a special group of his debut season. Robins, in his 13th in three seasons with a side that
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players over the years, especially as year as DoR, forged close links with MIDLANDS THREE WEST (N) included prop Steve Howe and his
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two-thirds of the side changes the Worcester Warriors academy CAMP HILL three sons, Ben, Blane and Jamie.
annually. They also won BUSA and wing Tim Streather was among Captain Pete Koziot The club won 13 of 18 league
Premier North and Midlands 1A and the arrivals on loan from Sixways. Coaches John Corr (DoR), matches, with wing Andy Harmer
were losing BUSA Cup ﬁ nalists. Kevin Venus (assistant) leading try-scorer and ﬂ y-half
Top scorers were full-back and MIDLANDS THREE EAST (N) THIS was a record-breaking season Andy Angel scoring most points.
goalkicker Grant Pointer and Andy MANSFIELD for Camp Hill, who scored more Flanker Brett Pruce was again
Wright, who scored 17 tries. Captain Lee Kirk points and more tries in all games capped by England Deaf.
Coaches Steve Shaw, Keith than in any previous season in their
MIDLANDS TWO EAST Calladine (forwards) 114-year history. They amassed MIDLANDS FOUR WEST (N)
KETTERING AFTER winning only four games in 668 points at an average of 30 a OLD HALESONIANS
Captain Ryan James 2006-07 and being relegated from match to ﬁ nish nine points clear of Captain Seb Rose
Coaches Doug Bridgeman (DoR), Two East, Mansﬁ eld roared back by Stoke-on-Trent. Experienced No 8 Coaches Gary Cox (head), Gareth
David Fraser, Tom Davis (assistants) scoring 1,007 points, including 31 tries Glenn Eager scored 23 tries and Smith (assistant)
THREE early defeats didn’t deter from centre Jonno Wilson, who had goalkicking centre Simon Edwards TWO ex-Moseley players coached
Kettering. They pepped up their returned from Nottingham. Fly-half topped 150 points. They also reached Halesonians but the side was mostly
defence and didn’t lose again after Ashley Wills bagged 130 points while the North Midlands Shield ﬁ nal. drawn from products of the thriving
November to ﬁ nish three points full-back Wayne Robinson excelled youth system at Wassell Grove.
ahead of Hinckley, who were also along with back-row brothers Richard MIDLANDS THREE WEST (S) Ex-England Schools hooker Alan
promoted after a 43-13 play-off win and Tom Newton. They won 21 games SUTTON COLDFIELD Hubbleday returned to his ﬁ rst club,
over Hereford. Inspired by No 8 and drew the other at Loughborough. Captain Michael Styles switched to the back row and scored
James and Bridgeman, a county Coaches Stuart Ward (head), 24 league tries while centre Ben
coach, Kettering return to Midlands MIDLANDS THREE EAST (S) Matt Nevitt (ﬁ rst-team) Smith kicked most points. They won
One after two seasons and also won WELLINGBOROUGH A SUCCESSFUL mini-junior section all 22 matches, conceded 99 league
the East Midlands Cup. Wing Nathan Captain Dougie Cross made this triumph possible with a points and reached the EDF Energy
Satala bagged 25 tries and full-back Coaches Mattie Stewart (head), youthful side also qualifying for the Senior Vase quarter-ﬁ nals and North
Tim Jones was top point-scorer. Dominic Malone (assistant) EDF Energy Senior Vase semi-ﬁ nals, Midlands Shield semi-ﬁ nals.
Rugby World’s club guide returns next season. In the meantime, if you have any stories and/or pictures for our clubs editor Michael Austin, please phone him on 01400 282189, fax 01400 281662, email michael_austin@freelance.ipcmedia.com or write to 22 Church St, Long Bennington, nr Newark, Notts, NG23 5EN
124 JULY 2008 RUGBY WORLD
MIDLANDS CHAMPS.indd 124 20/5/08 16:26:46
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