Hertfordshire A XV

The Hertfordshire A XV squad for their match against Middlesex County Clubs at Harrow RFC on Wednesday 19th November, kick off 7.30 pm is:

15	Colbourne O Ashmoleans	Hayden Cheshunt
14	Muskat Harpenden	Coy St Albans Reserve	DuPreez O Ashmoleans
13	Childs Harpenden	Lane St Albans
12	M. Thomas Tabard	Joubert St Albans
11	N Burger O Ashmoleans	Watt Datchworth
10	Reilly Tabard	O’Brien HH Reserve	Howard St Albans
9	Homan Harpenden	Murphy Tabard
8	Dronke O Ashmoleans	Harmse HH
7	Bailey HH	Stoba Tabard
6	Clark Cheshunt	S. Donnell Cheshunt
5	Sio Tabard	Holgate Datchworth
4	O’ Connor Tabard	Buckland O Ashmoleans
3	McDougal HH
2	Lemiere St Albans	Green HH
1	Jeffrey HH	Green St Albans Capt	HartDatchworth

Herts Players in Deaf Barbarians Squad

Hertfordshire have 2 players among the 14 England players in the Deaf Barbarians squad for their inaugural match against Wales at Pontypridd on Sunday November 23 (12 noon).

Both Josh Corcoran (Hartbury College and Hertford) and Ryan Arborn (Hitchin) have been selected as replacements for the match, which will help to mark the Wales Deaf Rugby Centenary. The Barbarians side has been selected by Lyndon James, secretary of the England Deaf RU, and Tony Stoyles the EDRU director of rugby.

The 14 England players have already been capped in Deaf Internationals and will use the Barbarians game for their post-Christmas internationals against Scotland and Wales.

Attempts are being made to encourage Ireland to establish a Deaf XV and the England Deaf RU are planning to visit to Dublin at the end of the season to play a demonstration match.

The Barbarians squad includes one Irishman in fullback Charlie James, who plays his club rugby at New Brighton, plus English-based players with bloodlines to other nationalities in Kris Mannering (Netherlands), David Steele (Australia), Ryan Arbon (Poland), Mark Lewis (New Zealand) and Truter Bothma (South Africa).

Lewis, of East Grinstead, will captain a Deaf Barbarians squad that also includes eight Scotland internationals.

The England Deaf team plays a series of international and representative matches home and away each season with players eligible to play if they have a combined average hearing loss of 25 decibels or more in both ears. This roughly translates to a minimum hearing loss in both ears or a moderate hearing loss in one ear. 

3 Herts Clubs make The National Finals

Three Hertforshire Clubs have qualified for the Finals of the National Rugby Clubs Golf Championship, which is organised by the Wooden Spoon.

The Regional Final was held at John O'Gaunt Golf Club, Sandy, Beds, on Monday 19th September with 12 clubs taking part. The club teams consisted of teams of four in pairings. Each pair playing with pairs from another club, the combined scores of the two pairs gave the total score. Hemel Hempstead came out the days winners with Barnet Elizabethans coming second followed by The Civil Service and Bishop's Stortford. All four clubs go through to the National Final at Walton Heath Golf Club on Friday 17th October.

Experimental Law Variations

On Wednesday 2nd July 81 stalwart Club Coaches and Referees assembled at the University of Hertfordshire for the first unveiling of the RFU interpretations of the new Experimental Law Variations (ELV’s) that come into effect on 1st August.

The speaker was David Rose – Premiership Referee and Midland Referee Development Manager.

Future opportunities to hear about the ELV’s will be at 7.30 on Monday 14th July at Welwyn RFC for Teachers and Junior age group coaches and again at 7.30 on Thursday 14th August at the University of Hertfordshire for referees and Coaches in the adult game when the speaker will be Alan Biggs Midlands Referee Development Officer and Premiership Touch Judge – oops sorry “Assistant Referee!!”.

Full details of the ELV’s are available on the IRB web site

Oxfordshire Preview

Hertfordshire take on Oxfordshire in their last pool match of this season's RFU County Championship Shield competition at Old Albanian RFC on Saturday, May 17th, kick off 3.00 pm

Following last weeks impressive win over Cornwall, Herts are confident of maintaining their place in the Shield for next season, but they would require a large win over their visitors and Cornish win by the smallest of margins over Eastern Counties to have any chance of winning the group.

The Current table is:

P W L Pts Diff Ch Pts

Eastern Counties 2 2 0 +14 4

Cornwall 2 1 1 +53 2

Hertfordshire 2 1 1 - 5 2

Oxfordshire 2 0 2 - 62 0

The Hertfordshire side selected for Saturday is:

Kieron Davies (Ampthill); Ian Crompton (Stevenage Town), Jon Child (Welwyn), Ray Adde (Hemel Hempstead), Nico Burger (Old Ashmoleans); Richard Gregg (Old Albanian (Capt), Ryan de la Harpe (Letchworth); Ryan Long (Tabard), Tavita Faamausili (Stevenage Town), Jim Remfry (Caldy), Peter Coke (Hertford), Robert Dumbleton (Harpenden), Alfie Church (Hertford), Chris Rainbow (Newbury), Ian Hardcastle (Westcombe Park)

Replacements: Paul Welch (Hertford), Handre Schmidt (Hertford), Mark Evans (Old Albanian), Brent Lemiere (St Albans), Adam Gelman (Old Albanian), Gareth Davies (Tabard), Peter Streinberg (Letchworth)

Cornwall ready to end away day blues

Cornwall will be seeking their first away win in three years when they play Hertfordshire at Hertford on Saturday (3.00 pm) in game two in this season's County Shield.

It was May 2005 when the Duchy's senior team last triumphed on the road with an 18-15 success over Gloucestershire at Lydney, though they did manage a 22-22 draw against Oxfordshire at Chinnor last season.

Cornwall could not have got their campaign off to a much better start last weekend when they crushed Oxfordshire 66-8 at Redruth, and new captain Josh Lord believes it sets them up nicely to put an end to their disappointing away record.

"It is a tougher proposition going away than it is playing in front of your home crowd, but I think we have got the players to do it," said the Cornish All Blacks flanker. Everybody is really determined and focused this year. We have got the goal that we want to get to the final at Twickenham and win and everybody has bought into that. It maybe a little harder next week, but we know we can do it."

Any fears of complacency setting in should be dispelled by painful memories of a visit to the same venue two seasons ago, when Hertfordshire pulled off a stunning 31-27 victory against a strong Cornwall side coached then by Chris Brown, Nigel Hambly and Jim McKay.

The Hertfordshire selectors have made a number of changes from the side that lost to eastern Counties last Saturday. The team selected for Saturday is:

Kieron Davies (Ampthill); Ian Crompton (Stevenage Town), Jon Child (Welwyn), Ray Adde (Hemel Hempstead), Mark Evans (Old Albanian; Richard Gregg (Old Albanian), Ryan de la Harpe (Letchworth); Ryan Long (Tabard), Tavita Faamausili (Stevenage Town), Simon Carter (Newbury), Adam Amos (Stevenage Town), Robert Dumbleton (Harpenden), Alfie Church (Hertford), Ian Hardcastle (Westcombe Park), Dave Archer (Henley Hawks). (Capt).

Replacements: Toby Prescott (Tring), Paul Welch (Hertford), Adam Gelman (Old Albanian), Matt Cross (Nuneaton), Jim Remfry (Caldy), Billy Johnson (Hertford), Gareth Davies (Tabard).

John Creasey

We regret to inform you that Hertfordshire Life Member, John Creasey, passed away on 24th April.

During his long career in rugby John represented Hertfordshire five times in the County Championship and served as a county selector from 1981 to 1984.

However, John was best known for his career at Old Hertfordians and Hertford RFCs. After a distinguished playing career he served the club as President for 21 years and was President Emeritus at the time of his death.

He also had a high reputation as a speaker on the after Dinner circuit, where he was involved in many charitable fund raising activities.

The funeral service will be at All Saints Church, Hertford on Monday 12th May at 11.30 am and all friends are welcomed to Hertford Rugby Club afterwards.

Our deep sympathy goes to his partner Penny, children Edward, Mary and Lucy and grandchildren Marlie and Joe.