Old Albanian RFC

Old Albanians
Full name Old Albanian Rugby Football Club
Union Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s) OA's
Founded 1924
Location St Albans, England
Ground(s) Woollam Playing Fields (Capacity: 1,000)
Chairman Rory Davis
President Robin Farrar
Coach(es) Andy Holloway, Bruce Millar
Captain(s) Laurence White
League(s) National League 1
2014–15 14th (relegated to National League 2 South)
Team kit
Official website
www.oarugby.com

Old Albanian Rugby Football Club (OAs) is a rugby club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. The club won promotion from National League 2 South in 2011–12 to National League 1, and in 2012–13 finished 5th, their highest ever place in the English rugby union system.

The club runs up to five senior teams each week and has one of the largest mini and junior sections in the country. There is a thriving social membership and members enjoy some of the finest facilities in the country. The club's mission is 'To promote the game of rugby at all levels of ability, across all age groups and for both sexes.'

Club honours

Current standings

2014–15 National League 1 Table
Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Try Bonus Losing Bonus Points
1 Ealing Trailfinders (P) 30 27 0 3 1099 518 581 25 3 136
2 Rosslyn Park 30 26 0 4 909 508 401 20 3 127
3 Coventry 30 22 1 7 1011 694 317 16 6 112
4 Fylde 30 16 2 12 844 738 106 18 4 90
5 Hartpury College 30 19 0 11 784 685 99 10 3 89
6 Blackheath 30 16 1 13 758 731 27 16 4 86
7 Richmond 30 14 2 14 837 866 –29 15 5 80
8 Blaydon 30 13 0 17 666 693 –27 13 8 73
9 Darlington Mowden Park 30 13 1 16 782 732 50 14 6 69[n 1]
10 Esher 30 12 1 17 720 738 –18 11 7 68
11 Wharfedale 30 12 1 17 595 801 –206 11 4 65
12 Loughborough Students 30 11 0 19 681 709 –28 12 7 63
13 Cinderford 30 11 0 19 606 686 –80 10 5 59
14 Old Albanian (R) 30 12 1 17 688 771 –83 9 4 58[n 2]
15 Tynedale (R) 30 8 0 22 593 999 –406 6 5 43
16 Macclesfield (R) 30 3 0 27 481 1185 –704 6 3 21
  • 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
  1. ↑ Darlington Mowden Park deducted 5 points after selecting an unregistered player on 13 September 2014 against Wharfedale.[1]
  2. ↑ Old Albanian deducted 5 points after selecting two unregistered players on 31 January 2015 against Fylde[2]

Green background is the promotion place. Pink background are relegation places.
Updated: 25 April, 2015
Source: "National League 1". NCA Rugby.

Formation

The club was formed in 1924 by a group of far-sighted Old Boys of St Albans School with a mutual love of the game. They acquired their first pavilion which was a timber World War I Barrack Hut. Organised rugby was thus established in St Albans, providing rugby union for all. They are the premier rugby club in St.Albans after being promoted to National league one the third highest league in England.

OA RFC's recent achievements

1987 - Selected, with two other Hertfordshire clubs, to form part of London League Division 2

1996 - Won London NW Division 3 gaining promotion to London League Division 2 North

1998 - Won the Herts. President's Cup

2001 - Won the County Sevens and were runners up in the Herts. President's Cup

2003 - Promotion to London League Division One

2005 - Reached their highest-ever league position (5th place in Powergen London One)

2009 - Won the Herts County 7s, runners up in the Herts County Cup Final. OA Colts reach both National Cup & Herts County Cup Finals and finish as Runners Up.

2010 - OAs gain promotion to National League 2 South from National League 3 South East with a playoff win vs Old Patesians R.F.C.. Old Albanian Saints gain promotion to RFUW Premiership.

2012 - OAs gain promotion to National League 1

Men's rugby

Running five men's sides each week the club has grown to become one of the biggest in the country, featuring a full schedule of league and friendly fixtures.

1st XV — National League 1
2nd XV — Canterbury Shield, Division 2
3rd XV — Greene King Super Premier Division
4th XV — Herts Middlesex Merit Tables, Division 3
5th XV — Herts Middlesex Merit Tables, Division 5

Mini and junior rugby

OAs has recruited over 850 mini and junior rugby players. The minis enjoy good success in the Hertfordshire leagues, whilst the juniors are well represented in the Saracens Herts and Middlesex Junior leagues. Most age groups are able to provide three squads to the leagues and provide very good competition.

Women's rugby

In 2005 the first women's XV ('The Saints'), unbeaten since November 2003, secured the South East One league title without losing a game. They won promotion to National League 2 in the subsequent play-off competition, securing victory over each of their regional rivals. In 2010 the OA Saints 1st XV gained promotion to the RFUW Premiership.

Facilities

After 78 years based at Beech Bottom, the club moved to their current playing fields following the development of Cheapside Farm into The Woollam Playing Fields, generally referred to as "Woollam's". The playing facilities opened in 2002 with a club-selected XV match against a star-studded international XV led by Peter Winterbottom which formed the centre-piece of the opening ceremony.

The state-of-the-art sporting complex on the northern outskirts of St Albans was acknowledged as the largest sporting development in Europe during its construction. It is regarded by many as the finest amateur sporting venue in the land. The Woollam Playing Fields is the choice of Saracens for their home training base and has hosted both England Under 16 and England RFUW International matches.

Representative honours

OAs have had players recognized at county level and national level.

Men's rugby
England: Jeff Probyn
Wales : Paul Turner
Ireland : Darragh O'Mahony
Barbarians: Steve Pope, Greg Botterman
Serbia: Danilo Bulatovic
Sweden: Charlie Openshaw, Andrew Daish
Women's rugby
England: Sarah McKenna
Italy: Nadia Brannon
Scotland: Caroline Collie
Hong Kong: Tamsin Reed

References

  1. ↑ "DMP drop five points". The RUGBYPaper (317). 12 October 2014. p. 43.
  2. ↑ Edwards, Michael (18 March 2015). "Five points deducted from Old Albanian". The Herts Advertiser. Retrieved 11 April 2015.

External links