Launceston RUFC

For the Australian club, see Launceston Rugby Union Football Club.
Cornish All Blacks
Full name Launceston Rugby Club
Union RFU
Nickname(s) Cornish All Blacks
Founded 1948
Ground(s) Polson Bridge (Capacity: 6,000)
Coach(es) Neil Bayliss
League(s) National League 2 South
2013–14 12th
Polson Bridge, home of Launceston Rugby Club

Launceston Rugby Club (also known as the Cornish All Blacks) are a Cornish rugby club who play in National League 2 South of the English rugby union leagues.

History

The club was founded in 1948 after an inaugural meeting chaired by the then Headmaster of Launceston College, Mr Spencer Toy with Gordon Reeve, Eric Smith and Arthur Venning (who is still a member). By Spring 1949, the club had its own ground that it rented from the council (now a factory site of its main sponsor DS Smith Plc), with scaffolding poles for goal posts and ex-army huts for changing rooms and a clubhouse. The club moved to another site when the Town Council sold the land, but again moved on in 1969 when the club had the vision to refuse becoming part of the proposed Sports Centre. The ground at Polson Bridge was purchased in 1969, with developments such as floodlights, enlarged clubhouse, present changing rooms and finally their Grandstand being added over the years.

In 1981 they then went on to win the Cornwall County Cup for the 1st of many since wins and started their remarkable climb to be one of the top 40 sides in England (from a town with a population of just over 7,000). LRFC gained promotion to National League Division 3 South (level 4) in 2000 and were runners up in their 1st season, losing in the play-off away to National 3 North side Sedgley Park. The following season, 2001–02, LRFC were 2nd again, but this time won the play-off against Dudley Kingswinford, and were promoted to Division Two (level 3). They were unfortunate to be relegated after a most unusual series of results on the last day of the season. However in 2003-04 Launceston bounced right back by again finishing runners up but winning the play-off away to Halifax RFC. LRFC finished in 5th position in National League Division 2 (level 3) in 2004-05 Season but by the end of the 06/07 season they had been promoted to English National Division 1 (level 2). On April 26, 2008, the Cornish All Blacks suffered a final day relegation back down to Division 2 (level 3) as an unexpected sequence of final day results saw relegation threatened Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C. and Sedgley Park R.U.F.C. pull off dramatic wins against Bedford and Rotherham respectively. The Cornish All Blacks were relegated when they had actually won more games than either of their two rivals. In truth the damage had been done earlier in the season when losses against Newbury (away), Nottingham (away), Sedgley Park R.U.F.C.(away), Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C. (away), Esher (home) came back to haunt the coaching staff and players.

Club honours

Current standings

2014–15 National League 2 South Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Henley Hawks (C) 30 24 1 5 956 567 389 19 4 121
2 Bishop's Stortford 30 20 1 9 933 608 325 22 8 112
3 Taunton Titans 30 22 0 8 863 591 272 16 6 110
4 Dorking 30 22 2 6 852 567 285 12 4 108
5 Worthing Raiders 30 19 0 11 804 605 199 19 5 100
6 Chinnor 30 18 0 12 780 639 141 11 9 92
6 Cambridge 30 17 0 13 765 662 103 16 6 90
8 Old Elthamians 30 12 1 17 693 736 -43 9 9 68
9 Redruth 30 13 1 17 577 686 -109 6 6 66
10 Cornish All Blacks 30 12 2 16 625 595 30 3 11 66
12 Canterbury 30 11 2 17 640 721 -81 11 3 63
12 Clifton 30 11 0 19 635 837 -202 9 6 59
13 Southend Saxons 30 12 0 18 640 782 -142 6 7 56[n 1]
14 Lydney (R) 30 11 1 18 546 871 -325 5 5 56
15 Shelford (R) 30 7 0 23 579 938 -359 9 4 36[n 2]
16 Dings Crusaders (R) 30 3 1 26 526 1009 -483 5 3 22
  • If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
  1. Number of matches won
  2. Difference between points for and against
  3. Total number of points for
  4. Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
  5. Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background is the promotion place. Blue background is the play-off place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 11 January 2015
Source: "National League 2 South". NCA Rugby.
Notes
  1. ↑
    • Southend were deducted 5 points for playing an unregistered player against Clifton on 15 November 2014[4]
  2. ↑
    • Shelford were deducted 5 points for playing an unregistered player against Lydney on 6 September 2014[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "John Fry, Launceston and Cornwall rugby president, dies at 80". Cornish Guardian. 12 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Prog Notes - Tynedale Rugby Football Club: TYNEDALE v LAUNCESTON". Tynedale Rugby Football Club. 10 January 2009.
  3. ↑ "Trelawny's Army Final League Tables 1999-2000". Trelawny's Army. 22 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Down In The Dumps". Pitchero. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "Shelford receive points penalty". Cambridge News. Retrieved 25 September 2014.

External links