Jersey R.F.C.

Jersey

Full name	Jersey Rugby Football Club
Founded	1879 (1879)
Location	Saint Peter, Jersey
Ground(s)	St. Peter
Chairman	Bill Dempsey
Coach(es)	Harvey Biljon
League(s)	RFU Championship
2012–13	11th
Team kit
Official website
www.jrfc.je

Jersey Rugby Football Club is a rugby club in the RFU Championship.^[1] In the 2009/10 season JRFC won their play-off at Twickenham and also in the 2012/13 beat their greatest rivals Guernsey to win the Siam Cup for the fifth consecutive year. Jersey gained promotion by winning National League One and are now in RFU Championship.

History

Older history

Rugby has been played in Jersey since 1879 with breaks for war and the Nazi occupation but the modern era started when the club acquired the land for a permanent home in Saint Peter near Jersey Airport in 1961; the original wooden clubhouse was built in 1964, its approximate location was in the middle of the Jersey Bowl carpark. From the early 1970s, when tourism in the island was at its peak, Jersey attracted many of rugby’s top clubs who could combine a break from their regular fixtures with a game against the JRFC.

This period culminated with a very successful Centenary year in 1979, teams with international players came over to play and help celebrate this event – JPR Williams being one of the most famous! This decade left the club with an unequalled collection of plaques and memorabelia; teams coming from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia (the beachguard connection) and Holland.

Modern History

Jersey vs. Barking at St. Peter, 5 November 2011.

The current clubhouse was opened in September 1994 and corresponded approximately with the start of the leagues; by then Jersey could not rely on random visiting sides and had to join the league in Hampshire.

In the summer of 2010 the new Lord Jersey Stand was built between the 1st XV pitch and the Airport Road and the Pavilion, with kitchen and bar, to the east of the main club facilities. This was to provide amenities for the increasing number of spectators due to the further success of the 1st XV.

The last few years have seen the first team work its way up the National Leagues, winning the overall National League 3 in 2010 and progressing to National League 2 South. Most recently in 2011, Jersey were promoted to National League 1 through a play-off game at home to Loughborough Students.^[2] The clubs kit is red with black shorts and socks and the away shirts are blue with black shorts and socks.

During their first season in National League 1 Jersey suffered a narrow defeat in their first game against Fylde^[3] and also lost their first home game in two and a half years against Ealing.^[4] They were also docked 5 points for fielding too many foreign players in their defeat to Cinderford.^[5] Despite these setbacks Jersey bounced back winning 11 games in a row and ended 2011 second in the National League 1 table, only 1 point behind Ealing.^[6] In their first game of 2012 they beat top of the table Ealing 24–16, making promotion a very real possibility.^[7] This run continued with wins against Rosslyn Park, Cinderford, Wharfedale and Stourbridge giving them 19 wins in a row but stuttered against Barking but since have won all their remaining games, most notably an away win against Coventry in which over 400 Jersey fans went to Coventry,^[8] to get promotion to the Championship.^[9]

In July 2012, it was reported that the States of Jersey Economic Development Department would sponsor the club for one year at a cost of £75,000.^[10]

Siam Cup

The Siam Cup is the annual Rugby Union competition held between the Channel Islands of Jersey and Guernsey. It was first contested in 1920.^[11] The trophy awarded its winner is the second oldest rugby honour contested after the Calcutta Cup.^[12] This year's contest sees no change in the rules with full strength teams being played.

Club Information

Jersey play at the St. Peter grounds which is adjacent to Jersey Airport. Jersey have lodged planning applications to build a stand seating around 950 people, extensions to the clubhouse, permission to use a new pitch for parking and an entrance to this from the road.^[13]

Current Standings

Current Squad

2013/14 Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.

Player Position Union David Felton Hooker Luke Stratford Hooker England Elvis Taione Hooker Tonga Jon Brennan Prop Tom Fidler Prop England Myles Landick Prop Sean McCarthy Prop England Nick Selway Prop England Dave Young Prop England Rob Anderson Lock England Nick Campbell Lock Scotland Dave Markham Lock England Alex Rae Lock England James Voss Lock England Joe Buckle Flanker England Ben Maidment Flanker Latu Makaafi Flanker Tonga Fred Silcock Flanker England Tom Brown Number 8 Wales Fred Silcock Number 8 England

Player Position Union Joel Dudley Scrum-half England Nicky Griffiths Scrum-half Wales Jimmy Williams Scrum-half England Niall O'Connor Fly-half Ireland Aaron Penberthy Fly-half England David Bishop Centre Wales Tom Cooper Centre England Mark Foster Centre England Drew Locke Centre England James Copsey Wing Ed Dawson Wing Mark McCrea Wing Ireland Grant Pointer Fullback England Jack Burroughs Fullback

Transfers 2013–14

Players In

• Tom Brown from Newport Gwent Dragons ^[14]
• Joe Buckle from Bath Rugby (loan)^[15]
• Aaron Penberthy from Cornish Pirates
• Ben Maidment from Cornish Pirates
• Grant Pointer from Cornish Pirates^[16]
• Alex Rae from London Wasps
• Niall O'Connor from Ulster Rugby^[17]
• Nick Campbell from Glasgow Warriors^[18]
• Dave Young from Lazio^[19]
• Latu Makaafi from Rotherham Titans
• Tom Fidler from Cambridge R.U.F.C.
• Jimmy Williams from Rotherham Titans^[20]
• Mark Foster from Exeter Chiefs^[21]
• Drew Locke from Gloucester Rugby^[22]

Players Out

• Charlie Walker Blair to Sale Sharks^[23]
• Michael Le Bourgeois to Bedford Blues^[24]
• Richard Barrington to Saracens^[25]
• Guy Thompson to London Wasps^[26]

References

External links

• Jersey Rugby official homepage