Bristol Sonics
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| Bristol Sonics | |
| Full name | Bristol Sonics Rugby League Club |
| Emblem | Concorde |
| Colours | Maroon and gold |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Sport | rugby league |
| League | TRL Rugby League Conference |
| Ground | Aretians RFC, Little Stoke, Bristol (Coordinates: 51°31′46.40″N, 2°33′45.22″W) |
| Official website | www.bristolsonics.com |
Bristol Sonics are a rugby league club based in Bristol in the South West of England.
The Sonics were formed in the autumn of 2002 by a group of rugby league enthusiasts in the city. The club colours of maroon and gold were chosen as a tribute to Bristol's original rugby league club, which ran from the early 1980s to the early 1990s before disbanding. The Sonics name comes from Bristol's links with the development of the Concorde supersonic passenger jet, which was built and tested close to the club's original ground St Brendans Old Boys in Filton. An inaugural meeting was held in a public house near by, and an introduction from a former old boy,saw the chairman from St Brendans O B, agree terms with the Sonics chairman to use the grounds and facilities at St Brendans (the old Bristol Combination ground)near Filton.
The Sonics operate two open age teams. The first team currently plays in the West Midlands Division of the Cooperative Rugby League Conference, alongside the likes of Oxford Cavaliers, Burntwood Barbarians, Wolverhampton Wizards, Redditch Ravens and Coventry Bears 'A'. The second team, the Subsonics, plays friendlies and one-off games against other social rugby league sides. 2006 saw the formation of the Sonic Youth, the club's youth and junior section.
[edit] Cooperative Rugby League Conference: West Midlands 2007
The 2007 season saw the Sonics celebrate their fifth anniversary in style by winning the West Midlands Division of the Rugby League Conference at the first time of asking. After the regular league stage of the season, the Sonics finished second to rivals "Burntwood Barbarians" after going through the second half of the campaign unbeaten. That meant a home Qualifying Play-Off against third-placed "Carvell Coventry Bears Academy". In arguably their best performance of the season, Bristol triumphed 70-8 to earn a Grand Final showdown with Bunrtwood on August 11 2007. In a classic contest in front of several hundred partisan fans at Chase High School, Burntwood, Bristol triumphed 40-30 to become West Midlands Champions – the first significant silverware.
The following week, Bristol travelled to RLC East Division winners Bedford Tigers for a Cooperative Rugby League Conference Regional quarter final. Despite leading for much of the game, the Sonics were eventually beaten 22-18 to put an end to their hopes of a further silverware.
[edit] Final table
| Club | Games Played | Games Won | Games Drawn | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burntwood Barbarians | 12 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
| Bristol Sonics | 12 | 8 | 1 | 17 |
| Coventry Bears A | 12 | 6 | 1 | 13 |
| Redditch Ravens | 12 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| Oxford Cavaliers | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 |
| Wolverhampton Wizards | 12 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
[edit] 2007 West Midlands Play-Off Series Results
Qualifying Final (4 August 2007) – Bristol Sonics 70-6 Carvell Coventry Bears 'A'
Grand Final (11 August 2007) – Burntwood Barbarians 30-40 Bristol Sonics
