Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club
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| Full name | Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club | |
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| Union | RFU | |
| Founded | 1871[a] | |
| Region | West Ealing, London | |
| Ground(s) | Trailfinders Sports Ground | |
| President | Dick Craig | |
| Coach(es) | Kieran Power Ben Ward | |
| League(s) | National League 1 | |
| 2013–14 | 12th (demoted to National League 1) | |
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| Official website | ||
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Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English rugby union club, located in West Ealing, London.
The team finished first in National League 1 for season 2012–13 and won promotion to the second tier of the English rugby league system, the RFU Championship. After one season in the RFU Championship they finished in twelfth place, and were relegated back to National League 1.
Team
The Club's registered playing name with the RFU is Ealing Trailfinders. The club is a Mutual Society registered with the FSA, and run on behalf of its members and the game. Ealing Trailfinders currently play in the RFU Championship.
The club is located at Trailfinders Sports Ground, just south of the A40 at the upper end of West Ealing.
The Senior Club fields six regular sides with the Exiles, Cougars, Buffaloes, Evergreens, and the Women's team the Jades. The Club is active at all levels. The minis and youth sections have teams in several age groups with over 750 registered players, making it the biggest club in Middlesex and one of the largest in the country.[citation needed] The Club's Junior teams are regular winners of County Festivals, and champions of the Herts and Middlesex Leagues for Youth Rugby.[citation needed]
The Club has developed a pathway for female players starting at 10 and running through to U18. Known as the Emeralds, this section has provided players to the England Elite Programme. The Club has also seen players develop through the new structures to play for England and U.S.[citation needed]
History
1869 - 1995
The team played its first match in 1869[a] on Ealing Common, prior to the founding of the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The early years saw regular fixtures against the likes of Wasps, London Irish, Harlequins, Richmond and Blackheath with 75% win rate for a long period.[citation needed]
Between 1894 and 1958 the club moved location numerous times – Hanger Lane – West Middlesex Polo Club – Gunnersbury Park – Drayton Green – Syon Lane, Horsenden Hill.
Ealing Rugby Club's centenary match was played against Harlequins in 1970. In the 1970s and ’80s Ealing supplied many county level players for Middlesex. In 1987 the club finished top of London Division 1 and during the next 6 years was never lower than 2nd in London 1 nor higher than 10th in National 5. Ealing won the Middlesex cup 3 times in this period.
1995 - present
In 1996 Ealing were relegated from London 1. In response, the Club formed youth and minis sections, and the Club moved to a new ground at Trailfinders Sports Club in 1999.
The Club has been awarded two RFU Presidents Awards, the first in 2007 for its work on Referee Development that has extended into a national programme, and the second in 2008 for Coaching Excellence. In 2009, the club fielded two first team players who had been developed through the Juniors.
In the 2009–10, season the Club was the only team in the National Leagues to score more than 1,000 points, averaging more than 36 in each game. The Club narrowly missed out on promotion to National One by losing to Barking RFC by 2 points and Rosslyn Park by 1.
In 2010–11, the Club started its Community Rugby programme providing Coaching Support and Access to the game to Schools and other groups throughout Ealing and West London.
In the 2010–11 season, Ealing's winger Philip Chesters scored 70 tries throughout the season. This earned him the record for the most number of tries in an English Rugby season.[2]
2007-08: National Division 3 South, 3rd place [Mounts Bay 1st; Cinderford 2nd].
2008-09: National Division 3 South, 3rd place [London Scottish 1st; Rosslyn Park 2nd].[3]
2009-10: National League 2 South, 3rd place [Barking 1st; Rosslyn Park 2nd].[4][5]
2010-11: National League 2 South, 1st place [Jersey 2nd].[6]
2011-12: National League 1, 2nd place [Jersey 1st].
2012-13: National League 1, 1st place [Esher 2nd].
2013-14: IPA Greene King Championship, 12th place.
Midway through the season long-serving director of rugby Mike Cudmore announced that he would be stepping down at the season's end. Head coach and fly-half Ben Ward was appointed director of coaching from the start of the 2014-15 season. After fighting against relegation for the majority of the season, Ealing Trailfinders were eventually relegated on the final day of the season by one point after they lost at home to Rotherham, while Jersey won away to Bedford Blues.
Club honours
- London Division 1 champions: 1987-88[7]
- London Division 2 North champions: 2004-05
- National League 2 South champions: 2010-11
- National League 1 champions: 2012-13
Current standings
Template:2014–15 National League 1 Table
Players
Current Squad
2013/14 Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
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Notes
References
- ^ "Club History". Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ History of the Club at official website
- ^ English Rugby Union Leagues 2008–09
- ^ http://ealingrugby.co.uk/?page_id=2652
- ^ National League 2 South
- ^ National League 2 South
- ^ http://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=608&Itemid=328