Loughborough Students RFC RUGBY - issue 18

RHYS EDWARDS

DIRECTOR OF RUGBY

Welcome all to Loughborough University, where today we host Luctonians in another Round of National 2 West. We welcome all players and officials from the club, in what we hope will be another great game of National League Rugby

The last few games have been challenging and the results certainly haven’t showed the true competitiveness of the games, with us coming out win strong wins. The National League is a huge asset for our player development, and the opportunity it presents to play against very different teams weekly.

Today we entertain Luctonians who have been on a similar run. They were very dominant in our fixtures last year, especially at set piece, and it will certainly be something that we will need to get parity to enable us to control the game today.

The squad come back home this week after being away at Newport in a close game. Its pleasing to see our young squad close games out, with more experience we are confident that this exciting group of players can continue to grow and thrive tin this league.

The BUCS Super Rugby squad have had a pleasing run of late, with comprehensive wins against Swansea & Nottingham. But attention now turns to preparing for our home fixture against Leeds Beckett on Wednesday 26th October. It would be great to get your support here. The crowds have been exceptional with over 1500 watching consistently. Can we get this past the 2200 that we had in the Big Match.

All the best to everyone today

Rhys Director of Rugby

*Any further information regarding membership, please contact rugby@lboro.ac.uk for more information.

LUCTONIANS

TODAYS TEAMS

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS

ERIC NIXON 01 01 CONNOR DEIGNAN

SEB SMITH 02 02 BEN LINK TIM HOYT 03 03 DAN POWELL JACK SHINE 04 04 TOM SMITH FINN CARNDUFF 05 05 OWIEN HARRIOTT-DAVIS NICK JENNINGS 06 06 ARCHIE BENSON

REFEREE: BEN RAYNER

TOMIWA AGBONGBON 07 07 MAT HACKLEY TOM BLOOMER 08 07 AIDEN CHESHIRE

CHARLIE BRACKEN 09 08 JOSH NOTT TOM SMITH 10 09 TOM JONES JAKE METCALFE 11 10 JAMES WHEELER

ALEX WAINWRIGHT 12 11 LEWIS PARKES HENRY HAWKINS 13

ROB BENGRY WILL SANDERS 14

DARRAGH WALSH 15

JASPER CAMERON 16

V LUCTONIANSCHARLIE GRIMES

JOSH WATKINS

BRAD SMITH JACK BERTINET 17

HARRI WILLIAMS 18

JAMES NAYLOR 19

CHARLIE CADOGAN 20

SAM HAYLER

WILL PEARSON

LOUIS SILVER

ROB AIKMAN

STUDENTS

FULL

HOME TEAM (LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC)

AWAY TEAM (HINCKLEY)

TRIES: Salt 24, Pointon

Leonard

Salt

CONVERSIONS: Vowles 24, 53,

REFEREE: Neil Sweeney

HALFTIME: LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC 31-21 HORNETS

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS: Walsh, Metcalfe, Hawkins, Preen, Barber, Wainwright, Miles, Smith, Bell, Hoyt, Pedlar, Shine, Jennings, Agbongbon, SmithREPLACEMENTS: Pill, Crane, Dick, Fisher, Smith

HORNETS: Everett, Moore, Nixon.S, Bevan, Lamb, Vowles, Pointon, Harper, Greening,Croocock, Weaver, Thunder, Povoas, Salt REPLACEMENTS: Bowyer, Peck, Bower,Leonard, Nixon.C

A bumper crowd was in attendance for a compelling midlands derby which saw the points shared between Loughborough and Hinckley. An early try from Tomiwa Agbongbon got the students off to a flier before Salt got Hinckley back into the game as the game approached half an hour. A flurry of attacks from Loughborough saw Tom Miles and Agbongbon touch down to stretch the students lead to 17-5 as the teams headed for the sheds. A fantastic solo effort from Jake Metcalfe down the

right flank extended the students lead to 22-5 and secured the students a try bonus-point heading into the final half an hour.

Hinckley scored through Ben Pointon with the extras added to close the gap to 10 points before Tim Hoyt extended the students lead after multiple phases on the goal line taking the score to 29-12 into the final 20 minutes. A couple of debatable yellow cards for students players Hoyt & Agbongbon gave Hinckley a chance to get back in the game

and they soon struck through. Alex Salt with the extras added by Rory Vowles closing the gap to 10 as Hinckley began to claw back on the students lead.

Consecutive excellent penalties from Tom Smith stretched the lead for the students to 35-19 as the final 5 minutes of the game arrived.

Poor discipline from the students allowed Hinckley in for two late tries, both converted taking the final score to 35-35.

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TODAYS OPPOSITION LUCTONIANS

Luctonians RFC began as Old Luctonians in 1948. Predominantly a collection of old Lucton School boys, the side played its initial season in a field behind the Angel Inn in Kingsland, and whilst as humble as those beginnings may have been, the club could boast of having contained their one and only ever current England International at the time in Douglas Brian Vaughan.

In 1967 the club moved just up the road into Mortimer Park, what is now their home, creating a site that consisted of two playing fields, changing rooms and clubhouse.

In 1987 the formation of the leagues saw Luctonians placed in North Midlands Division 1 and would remain in this division until 1994, where they secured their first promotion as a club. The side went unbeaten through the 93/94 season, as they did through 94/95 and then 95/96, to secure what was at the time a Courage League Record of 43 consecutive league victories that stemmed from November 1992 through until October 1996. The three consecutive promotions of the unbeaten side had raised Lucs to Midlands 2 level, and they would remain there until 2001, when, coached by ex-Scottish International Stewart Jardine, they won a playoff at home against Wellingborough 20-13 to secure

promotion to Level 5 and Midlands 1 Division, where they would stay until 2010.

Nine seasons at Level 5 had resulted in two promotion playoff defeats to Macclesfield (2003) and Huddersfield (2008), but in May 2010, the club would finally reach the National Leagues at the third time of asking in what was club’s most important victory to date was probably, away at Stockport 10-18.

In 7 years at Level 4, Luctonians have had some very memorable days, from beating both Fylde and Loughborough Students at Mortimer Park in their first season within this league, to beating Leicester Lions in front of a crowd of over 1100 to secure survival in the final game of the season in 2015. The club’s highest league finish to date was in 201112 finishing 5th. The 2017-18 season saw the club relegated to the Midlands Premier League, but they gained immediate promotion back to National League 2 North after just one season.

Currently sitting just one point below the Students in the National 2 West League, today is set to be a good contest.

LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING

FIXTURES 2022/23

DATE TIME OPPONENTS

RESULTS

17/09/2022

KO 13:30 A WASPS (A)

WIN 15/10/2022

LOSS 22/10/2022

TBC H BRISTOL BEARS (H)

TBC A SARACENS (A) 29/10/2022

TBC H SALE SHARKS (H) 05/11/2022 RESERVE 19/11/2022

TBC A SARACENS (A) 26/11/2022

TBC H HARLEQUINS (H) 03/12/2022

TBC A SALE SHARKS (A) 10/12/2022

TBC H EXETER CHIEFS (H) 17/12/2022

TBC A BRISTOL BEARS (A) 24/12/2022 OPTIONAL ROUND 6 31/12/2022 OPTIONAL ROUND 6 07/01/2023

TBC H WASPS (H) 14/01/2023

TBC A GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY (A) 21/01/2023

TBC H DMP (H) 28/01/2023

TBC A WORCESTER WARRIORS (A) 04/02/2023

TBC A HARLEQUINS (A) 11/02/2023 RESERVE 18/02/2023

TBC H SALES SHARKS (H) 25/02/2023

TBC A EXETER CHIEFS (A) 04/03/2023

TBC H BRISTOL BEARS (H) 11/03/2023

TBC A WASPS (A) 18/03/2023 RESERVE 22/04/2023 CUP 29/04/2023 CUP 06/05/2023 RESERVE 13/05/2023

TBC H GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY (H) 20/05/2023

TBC A DMP (A) 27/05/2023

TBC H WORCESTER WARRIORS (H) 03/06/2023

TBC H SARACENS (H) 10/06/2023 SEMI FINAL 24/06/2023 FINAL

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC 1XV FIXTURES 2022/23

DATE TIME OPPONENTS

10/09/2022 KO 15:00 A STOURBRIDGE (A)

17/09/2022 K0 14:00 H EXETER UNI (H)

24/09/2022 KO 14:30 A HORNETS (A)

01/10/2022 KO TBC H HINCKLEY (H)

15/10/2022 KO TBC A NEWPORT (A)

22/10/2022 KO 14:00 H LUCTONIANS (H) 29/10/2022 K0 TBC A DINGS CRUSADERS (A) 05/11/2022 KO TBC H OLD REDCLIFFIANS (H) 12/11/2022 KO TBC A BOURNVILLE (A) 26/11/2022 KO 14:00 H LEICESTER LIONS (H) 03/12/2022 KO 14:00 A BARNSTAPLE (A) 10/12/2022 KO TBC H REDRUTH (H) 17/12/2022 KO TBC H STOURBRIDGE (H) 07/01/2023 KO 14:00 A EXETER UNI (A) 14/01/2023 KO TBC H HORNETS (H) 21/01/2023 KO 15:00 A HINCKLEY (A) 28/01/2023 KO 14:00 H NEWPORT (H) 18/02/2023 KO 14:15 A LUCTONIANS (A) 25/02/2023 KO 14:00 H DINGS CRUSADERS (H) 04/03/2023 KO 14:00 A OLD REDCLIFFIANS (A) 11/03/2023 KO 14:00 H BOURNVILLE (H) 25/03/2023 KO 14:00 A LEICESTER LIONS (A) 01/04/2023

KO TBC H BARNSTAPLE (H) 08/04/2023 15/04/2023 KO 14:00 REDRUTH (A) 22/04/2023 KO 14:00 CLIFTON (H)

RESULTS

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC STAFF

RHYS EDWARDS Director of Rugby

KATIE THRIFT Rugby Operations

MARTIN WEBDALE Performance Coach

ANTHONY ALLEN Performance Coach

JAMES PETERS Development Head Coach

ALEX WHITE National 2 Head Coach

SCOTT SNEDDON Head Coach

JAMES GALLAGHER Rugby Programme Manager

NIGEL HALL Performance Coach

MATT COOKE S&C Volunteer

BLAKE BURNS

S&C Volunteer

JOANNE MADDEN-MCKEE

S&C Volunteer

JORDAN HARRIS Lead Physio

HENRY DUNFORD PA Placement

& Marketing Lead

EMILY BURNS Team Manager

AMIE GRAY PA Placement

MARTA GOMEZ SANTOS

V

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS RFC A BRIEF HISTORY

1919

Loughborough College formed the original Rugby Union side in September 1919.

1930

Loughborough Colleges competed in their first Universities Athletic Union competition, beating Nottingham University 8-0 in their first match.

1939

Loughborough Colleges reached the UAU final for the first time,losing narrowly to Swansea.

1953

Loughborough Colleges won the UAU for the first time.

1962-68

These were spectacular years for Loughborough, winning every UAU title except 1965. Gerald Davies, John Mantle, Dave Rollit, John Taylor, Bev Risman and Colin MacFadyean, became world class players. John Robins became the first British and Irish Lions coach.

Middlesex 7s winners: 1959, 1964 1966, 1970 and 1976.

1996

Loughborough enter the leagues at the bottom of the RFU pyramid.

1984

Rex Hazeldine is appointed as Head Coach leading the side to a UAU title and victory in the Leicestershire Cup. A touring Australian Universities side was also defeated.

1976

The Student’s Unions of the University of Technology and the Loughborough Colleges merged and the Loughborough Students Rugby Club was formed. The team won the UAU in 1977, 1978 and 1979, with the 1978–79 side captained by the young centre Clive Woodward.

1970

The legendary Jim Greenwood coaches the Colleges to victory in the Middlesex Sevens, and the first UAU final at Twickenham. This side was probably the strongest ever, with six future internationals, Louis Dick, David Cooke, Clive Rees, Fran Cotton, Steve Smith, and Dick Cowman.

1997

Loughborough wins over Cambridge and Oxford in consecutive weeks signals the changing balance of power in student rugby.

1998

Ian Smith is appointed as the first full-time Director of Rugby.

2003

The World Cup winning England team was coached by six Loughborough alumni: Clive Woodward, Dave Alred, Andy Robinson, Dave Reddin, Phil Larder and Simon Hardy.

2005

Winning BUCS in 2005 breaks our longest spell without a BUCS victory.

2006

Real Varsity Match v Bath. Floodlights Appeal provides campus venue for the first ever rugby ‘event’ and engages alumni leading to the Vice Presidents club. A 3000+ crowd watched Loughborough beat Bath.

2008

Director of Rugby Dave Morris leads the side to promotion into National League 2 North, making the team the first student side to take part in the National Leagues.

2009

The Dan James Memorial Match Loughborough

23 – 20 England U20 A magnificent achievement for Dave Morris’ team and a suitably characterful performance through which to remember Dan.

2012

Loughborough v The Barbarians. A huge match to mark the opening of the Loughborough Stadium. Andy Robinson’s Barbarian side win 40– 7.

Loughborough promoted into National League 1.

2016

Fiji win the first Olympic 7s competition coached by Loughborough alumni Ben Ryan, defeating Team GB in the process and fellow Loughborough alumni Phil Burgess.

2017

Loughborough Lightning enter the Tyrrells Premier 15s league.

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