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Alnwick RFC

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Alnwick R.F.C.
Logo
Full nameAlnwick Rugby Football Club
Founded1960; 64 years ago (1960)
LocationAlnwick, Northumberland, United Kingdom
Ground(s)Greensfield (Capacity: 200 in stand, unlimited standing)
Coach(es)England Michael Walton
Captain(s)England Ben Boothman (1st XV) England Frank Hutchinson (Vice Captain)
League(s)North 1 East
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.pitchero.com/clubs/alnwick/

Alnwick RFC is an amateur rugby union club based in the town of Alnwick, Northumberland in north-east England. The club play in North 1 East, a level six league in the English rugby union system and are the most northerly rugby union club in English league rugby, (Berwick like their football team play in the Scottish rugby union system).[1] Alnwick remain a strictly amateur club with all players paying annual and weekly match subscriptions. Alnwick regularly field four senior sides, all of which play competitive league and cup rugby. The club also has a junior section running teams from under 7's through to under 18's and a girls section.[2]

League history

File:DN1 Champoins 201213.jpg
Alnwick RFC Durham & Northumberland 1 champions 2012/13

The 1987–88 season saw the formation of rugby union leagues in England[3] which placed Alnwick in level six then known as North 2. They remained in that league until the 2002–03 season when they were relegated to Durham & Northumberland 1. The winners of Durham & Northumberland 1 are automatically promoted, with the second placed team going in to a play-off promtion game against the second place team from Yorkshire 1.

The 2003–04 campaign saw Alnwick finish in second place, meaning they faced Pontefract RFC in the play-off for promotion. The game saw Alnwick claw back a 10-18 deficit to claim a thrilling 25-18 victory, Alan Moses' late 40-yard drop goal and a last gasp try from Jon Snaith sealed the victory and promotion back into North East 2.[4] They remained at this level for two seasons until the 2005–06 season when they were relegated back to Durham & Northumberland 1 after finishing the campaign in 10th position.

After a four season rebuilding period in Durham & Northumberland 1 Alnwick produced a young team, captained by the prolific try scoring wing Andrew Shell. The 2010–11 season saw the club finish in third position in Durham & Northumberland 1. The following campaign saw Alnwick go one better and finish in 2nd place,[5] and face Keighley RUFC who finished 2nd in Yorkshire 1 in a play-off for promotion. Alnwick went in to half time with a 16–3 lead. The second half saw Keighley fight back to win 18–16 and seal promotion to the restructured level 6 league North 1 East.[6]

In 2013 Alnwick were promoted to North 1 East. They clinched promotion by finishing as champions of Durham & Northumberland 1 with a 10–28 victory against Medicals RFC in the final game of the season.[7]

Gordon Smith scoring the final try against Medicals RFC in the final game of the 2012/13 season to seal promotion

The 2013/14 season resulted in Alnwick finishing the campaign in 11th position and narrowly avoiding relegation back to Durham & Northumberland 1 on the final day of the season. This was the first time since Northern and Team Northumbria in the 2010/2011 season, that a newly promoted club from Durham & Northumberland 1 had avoided relegation from North 1 East.

Alnwicks 2014/15 season, the second back at level six resulted in a creditable 7th-place finish. The 2014/15 campaign proved to be more comfortable for Alnwick in comparison to the 2013/14 relegation battle with more games being won than lost, some notable performances and a terrific victory against recent National League club and Northumberland neighbors Percy Park.[8]

Local rivalries

Each season Alnwick play against local rivals Berwick, Northern and Morpeth for a trophy (as well as league points in the case of Northern and Morpeth in the 2015/16 campaign). The annual Alnwick v Berwick fixture contested for the Claret Jug [9] takes place on the traditional derby date of boxing day. The venue for this fixture alternates between the clubs each year and often attracts the largest attendance of the season. The fixture is deemed as a special occasion by both sets of players and supporters alike, despite being local rivals the two clubs play in separate league structures meaning the clubs will never meet in a league fixture. This results in the boxing day clash being a fiercely contested game often settled by a single point.[10]

  • Alnwick v Berwick - Claret Jug. Current holders Alnwick [11]

Current standings

Template:2013–14 North One East Table

Facilities

Greensfield, the home of Alnwick RFC has 3 Rugby pitches. The 1st team Pitch has a small grandstand on the touchline, the pitch is floodlit. The clubhouse overlooks the dead-ball area behind the posts at the north eastern end of the pitch. Greensfield is often chosen by the Northumberland Rugby Union to host home Northumberland, County Championship fixtures.[12]

A major overhaul of facilities took place in 2012 resulting in new changing rooms being built along with a gym, improved toilets and showers, enhanced car parking, flood defense work and new advertising boards for the 1st team pitch. The project cost £240,000, which was made up from £130,000 in grants and a fundraising campaign which raised £110,000.[13]

The new facilities were officially opened by the president of the RFU, Bob Reeves on 19 October 2013 before the North One east clash: Alnwick 14 Wheatley Hills 8.[14]

Honours

Notable former players

See also

References

  1. ^ "Berwick RFC". www.pitchero.com/clubs/berwick. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  2. ^ "Alnwick RFC Junior". www.pitchero.com/clubs/alnwick. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  3. ^ "English Premiership". espnscrum.com. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Alnwick Rugby Club gain promotion". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Durham/Northumberland 1". www.rugbyroundup.com. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  6. ^ "Alnwick 16 Keighley 18". chroniclelive.co.uk. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  7. ^ "Champions!". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  8. ^ "Alnwick avenge their loss at greensfields". percyparkrfc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Berwick RFC 12 Alnwick RFC 11". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Berwick RFC 12 Alnwick RFC 11". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
  11. ^ "Berwick are stuffed". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Match Report - Northumberland 34 Eastern Counties 6 (at Alnwick, 18th May 2013)". NorthumberlRugbyUnion. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  13. ^ "Rugby club unveils revamped facilities". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  14. ^ "Hills conquered, but mountain to climb". northumberlandgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
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