Cambridge RUFC in Championship Cup preview
Sept 4, 2023 9:02:25 GMT
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Post by Jamie Crawford on Sept 4, 2023 9:02:25 GMT
Cambridge RUFC in Championship Cup preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Premiership Cup Round 1, Friday 8th September, Castle Park, KO 7.30pm
Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club ('The Blood & Sand') were founded in 1923, fittingly 100 years later they have been promoted to the Championship.
Volac Park, Grantchester Road, Cambridge, CB3 9ED is their home ground with a capacity of 1 250 supporters, containing 200 seats. It is in the suburb of Newnham, approximately two kilometres south-west of the city centre. Richie Williams is their Director of Rugby. They settled themselves at Grantchester Road by the 1950’s.
Cambridge won National One because they drew a game (with Leeds Tykes) that Rams lost after they both finished the season with 114 points and 22 wins from 26 games played. Cambridge won 21 try bonus points and 3 losing bonus points plus scored the most and conceded the fewest points in National One. Rams actually did the double over Cambridge last season, 29-6 last October and 27-33 last January.
Sale FC were very unlucky; they won one more game than Cambridge or Rams but scored one less league point.
Cambridge RUFC award winners at the end of last season:
Lock Declan Sully (Captains Colours Award)
Back row Anthony Maka (Captains Colours Award)
Fly half Joe Tarrant (BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Award, Mens 1st XV Coaches Award)
Back row Kwaku Asiedu (Mens 1st XV Players Award)
Lock Kieran Frost (Supporters Mens 1st XV Player of the Season)
Cambridge Independent said that Cambridge Rugby Club are putting together a squad with a ‘nice mix’ for their first ever crack at the RFU Championship. They went on to add that Director of Rugby Richie Williams is delighted with Cambridge’s recruitment work this summer. They have managed to retain the players they wanted and recruit players with Championship or higher experience.
New signings (as announced):
Prop Jake Ellwood from Ampthill
Hooker Morgan Veness from Ealing Trailfinders
Back row Benji Hoppe from BUCS Super Rugby team, Cardiff University
Back row Jared Cardew, an ex-Knight
Scrum half Jed Gelderbloom , ex-Scotland U20 and Leicester Tigers Academy
Centre Sam Hanks from Ampthill
Back three Eli Caven from Glasgow Warriors via both Bristol Bears and Hartpury College
Back three Logan Noble from Newcastle Falcons Academy
Cambridge players to watch for are Back row Kwaku Asiedu who was National One’s top try-scorer last season with 33 tries scored. Hooker Benjamin Brownlie was second with 28 tries scored. Fly Half Steffan James was National Ones third top points-scorer.
Although not new signings, Head Coach Richie Williams has highlighted the front five as a key strength of the ‘Blood & Sand’. Gareth Baxter, Kieran Frost and Matt Waring have all re-signed. Baxter is a talisman who rose through the ranks from a young age and is approaching 150 caps for Cambridge.
A further Blood & Sand player to watch for is Joe Tarrant. Since shifting from fly half, Tarrant has become one of the stand-out back three players in the National leagues, with 69 games under his belt.
The club have named over 150 appearance lock George Bretag-Norris as Team Captain.
The Knights’ pre-season saw them go to Wales to play RGC 1404 They returned home with the W, 7-41. Try-scoring commenced after 14 minutes, the Knights showed swift hands out to AJ Cant on the wing. The Knights second try was a collective forward drive over the line following a lineout after 38 minutes. This left the half time score at 7-12 after a half where both teams displayed some messy play but it was the Knights that should have played the second half with 14 men; however, the ref allowed the full complement of players to return as it was only a friendly. The second half saw 11 players substituted and more preceded and followed to allow all players to get some game time. Conor Davidson scored the Knight’s a try after 56 minutes. he proceeded to force his large frame over the line. After 59 minutes, Ollie Fox grabbed the ball stolen by the forwards and dart down the blind side to score. After 65 minutes Joe Margetts displayed his dancing feet to break into the RGHC 22 and pass to Tom Parkin to score. Sam Olver spotted no cover on the wing and chipped to Rhys Tait, who collected safely and scored. After 74 minutes Joe Bedlow was fed the ball from a lineout and scored after breaking a tackle. This left the full time score at 7-41.
Cambridge RDC welcomed familiar foes from National One, Chinnor to Grantchester Road on Saturday 26th August for their only pre-season fixture. They lost 19-33. It was 12-14 at the first break during which the rain bucketed down. Many team changes were made and Cambridge trailed 12-21 at the second break. The Chinnor dominance remained to the end. Cambridge said will learn greatly from the game that they will put into their two weeks of training before facing us.
Pool D Premiership Cup includes:
Northampton Saints
Bristol Bears
Ealing Trailfinders
Doncaster Knights
Cambridge
Pool D games taking place this weekend:
Friday 8th September (corrected)
Doncaster Knights v Cambridge
Sunday 10th September (corrected)
Ealing Trailfinders v Northampton Saints
Pool C/D
Saturday 9th September (corrected)
Exeter Chiefs (C, cross-over team) © v Bristol Bears (D)
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Premiership Cup Round 1, Friday 8th September, Castle Park, KO 7.30pm
Cambridge Rugby Union Football Club ('The Blood & Sand') were founded in 1923, fittingly 100 years later they have been promoted to the Championship.
Volac Park, Grantchester Road, Cambridge, CB3 9ED is their home ground with a capacity of 1 250 supporters, containing 200 seats. It is in the suburb of Newnham, approximately two kilometres south-west of the city centre. Richie Williams is their Director of Rugby. They settled themselves at Grantchester Road by the 1950’s.
Cambridge won National One because they drew a game (with Leeds Tykes) that Rams lost after they both finished the season with 114 points and 22 wins from 26 games played. Cambridge won 21 try bonus points and 3 losing bonus points plus scored the most and conceded the fewest points in National One. Rams actually did the double over Cambridge last season, 29-6 last October and 27-33 last January.
Sale FC were very unlucky; they won one more game than Cambridge or Rams but scored one less league point.
Cambridge RUFC award winners at the end of last season:
Lock Declan Sully (Captains Colours Award)
Back row Anthony Maka (Captains Colours Award)
Fly half Joe Tarrant (BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Award, Mens 1st XV Coaches Award)
Back row Kwaku Asiedu (Mens 1st XV Players Award)
Lock Kieran Frost (Supporters Mens 1st XV Player of the Season)
Cambridge Independent said that Cambridge Rugby Club are putting together a squad with a ‘nice mix’ for their first ever crack at the RFU Championship. They went on to add that Director of Rugby Richie Williams is delighted with Cambridge’s recruitment work this summer. They have managed to retain the players they wanted and recruit players with Championship or higher experience.
New signings (as announced):
Prop Jake Ellwood from Ampthill
Hooker Morgan Veness from Ealing Trailfinders
Back row Benji Hoppe from BUCS Super Rugby team, Cardiff University
Back row Jared Cardew, an ex-Knight
Scrum half Jed Gelderbloom , ex-Scotland U20 and Leicester Tigers Academy
Centre Sam Hanks from Ampthill
Back three Eli Caven from Glasgow Warriors via both Bristol Bears and Hartpury College
Back three Logan Noble from Newcastle Falcons Academy
Cambridge players to watch for are Back row Kwaku Asiedu who was National One’s top try-scorer last season with 33 tries scored. Hooker Benjamin Brownlie was second with 28 tries scored. Fly Half Steffan James was National Ones third top points-scorer.
Although not new signings, Head Coach Richie Williams has highlighted the front five as a key strength of the ‘Blood & Sand’. Gareth Baxter, Kieran Frost and Matt Waring have all re-signed. Baxter is a talisman who rose through the ranks from a young age and is approaching 150 caps for Cambridge.
A further Blood & Sand player to watch for is Joe Tarrant. Since shifting from fly half, Tarrant has become one of the stand-out back three players in the National leagues, with 69 games under his belt.
The club have named over 150 appearance lock George Bretag-Norris as Team Captain.
The Knights’ pre-season saw them go to Wales to play RGC 1404 They returned home with the W, 7-41. Try-scoring commenced after 14 minutes, the Knights showed swift hands out to AJ Cant on the wing. The Knights second try was a collective forward drive over the line following a lineout after 38 minutes. This left the half time score at 7-12 after a half where both teams displayed some messy play but it was the Knights that should have played the second half with 14 men; however, the ref allowed the full complement of players to return as it was only a friendly. The second half saw 11 players substituted and more preceded and followed to allow all players to get some game time. Conor Davidson scored the Knight’s a try after 56 minutes. he proceeded to force his large frame over the line. After 59 minutes, Ollie Fox grabbed the ball stolen by the forwards and dart down the blind side to score. After 65 minutes Joe Margetts displayed his dancing feet to break into the RGHC 22 and pass to Tom Parkin to score. Sam Olver spotted no cover on the wing and chipped to Rhys Tait, who collected safely and scored. After 74 minutes Joe Bedlow was fed the ball from a lineout and scored after breaking a tackle. This left the full time score at 7-41.
Cambridge RDC welcomed familiar foes from National One, Chinnor to Grantchester Road on Saturday 26th August for their only pre-season fixture. They lost 19-33. It was 12-14 at the first break during which the rain bucketed down. Many team changes were made and Cambridge trailed 12-21 at the second break. The Chinnor dominance remained to the end. Cambridge said will learn greatly from the game that they will put into their two weeks of training before facing us.
Pool D Premiership Cup includes:
Northampton Saints
Bristol Bears
Ealing Trailfinders
Doncaster Knights
Cambridge
Pool D games taking place this weekend:
Friday 8th September (corrected)
Doncaster Knights v Cambridge
Sunday 10th September (corrected)
Ealing Trailfinders v Northampton Saints
Pool C/D
Saturday 9th September (corrected)
Exeter Chiefs (C, cross-over team) © v Bristol Bears (D)
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
