Category Archives: Other Sports

Midlands Hurricanes v Keighley Cougars

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 2nd June 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.03

Midlands Hurricanes 18 Keighley Cougars 25, attendance 463 (official) 249 (actual)

@ Alexander Stadium

Walsall Road

Perry Barr

Birmingham

B42 2LR

£15 Admission

Programme free, 28 pages, didn’t bother.

Having stayed overnight in North Wales, following the North Wales Crusaders game yesterday, it made sense to do this game on the way home, especially with it being at the slightly earlier time of 2 o’clock. I came to watch Midlands Hurricanes last March, but they just played on a pitch inside the warm up track at the back of the complex, but this season they have actually moved to hosting games inside the main stadium itself. I’d actually already seen football played here, having seen West Midlands U19 beat Staffordshire U19 5-2 in an English Schools F.A. Inter County Cup match back in November 1996, but this was my first visit to see rugby league. It was opened in 1976 and has an all seated capacity of around 18,000, although only the one side was open to spectators today. It was used as a host venue for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is the home stadium to athletics club Birchfield Harriers. Unfortunately, due to it hosting athletics, it means views to the pitch are distant, due to the running track and made worse by having to view across the long jump/triple jump pits as well, which means sitting even further back from the action.

As for the game, it was 5th versus 2nd, with Keighley looking for the win that would return them to the top of the table, having been dislodged following Oldham’s win at North Wales Crusaders yesterday evening. Hurricanes led 6-0, but were then down to 12 men, following a sin bin, which gave Keighley the opportunity to hit back to level at 6-6 and despite Hurricanes then being back to full strength, Keighley immediately hit them with another try, which was converted, before adding a drop goal in the dying seconds to go in 6-13 ahead at the break. An early second half try, again converted, brought it back to 12-13, but Keighley edged clear by adding two more converted tries to lead 12-25 and although Hurricanes managed a try of their own with ten minutes left, which once converted pulled it back to 18-25, they had left themselves too much to do and the visitors deservedly held on to take the points.

As with yesterday’s game, the crowd announced was ridiculously inflated. I’d done a count, which is easy when everyone is on one side and the actual number present was 214 fewer than claimed.

North Wales Crusaders v Oldham

Rugby League

League 1

Saturday 1st June 2024

Kick Off 17.00 On Time!

North Wales Crusaders 24 Oldham 25, attendance 756 (official) 588 (actual)

@ Eirias Stadium (Stadiwm CSM)

Abergele Road

Colwyn Bay

LL29 7SP

£15 Admission

No Programme.

Since first watching a North Wales Crusaders home game at Wrexham F.C. (The Racecourse Ground) back on 28th June 2015, I’ve seen them play home matches at Queensway Stadium, Wrexham (June 2017), as well as ‘one off’ temporary venues of Nant Conwy RUFC (June 2023) and a week later at Chester RUFC. Today I finally got round to visiting their current home ground, Eirias Stadium, where they’ve been based since 2021. Capacity here is 6,080, although only one side of the ground is open to spectators for Crusaders games, with covered seating in the centre, flanked by open terracing. Unfortunately, there is a running track around the pitch, so the action is distant, which is made worse by the stanchions of the stand roof, as well as the floodlight pylons, blocking the view and it is an awful place to watch a game at. There is a decent car park here, which was surprisingly free and once inside there was hot food available (burgers, hot dogs) and beer and soft drinks, but surprisingly no hot drinks.

The match was 7th versus 2nd in the league table, which looked like being an upset right up until the final seconds of the match. Crusaders were 12-0 up after seventeen minutes, before Oldham managed to pull it back to 12-4 half an hour in and then 12-8 just before halftime, having missed both conversions that would have seen them draw level. A minute into the second half Crusaders added a third try and converted it to increase their lead to 18-8. Oldham then had a man sin binned, during which time Crusaders scored another try, again converted, to lead 24-8 and looked to be heading to victory. However, this was to be their last score of the match and once Oldham were back to their full number, the tide began to turn. With fourteen minutes left they scored a converted try to pull it back to 24-14 and then added another, again converted, to make it 24-20. In the dying minutes they levelled the scores at 24-24, but missed the conversion to go in front, but then, with the last kick of the game, they won it 24-25 with a drop goal from Danny Craven, which was certainly well received by the 200 plus away fans and the win takes them top of the table, for 24 hours at least, with this mornings leaders Keighley Cougars not playing until tomorrow.

The crowd here today was decent, but to see the official attendance given as 756 is laughable.

Doncaster Toll Bar v Ossett Trinity Tigers

Rugby League

Yorkshire League Cup Semi Final

Saturday 25th May 2024

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 15.01

Doncaster Toll Bar 44 Ossett Trinity Tigers 12, attendance 136

@ Prospect Road

Toll Bar

DN5 0QP

No Admission or Programme.

With no unvisited football grounds within reach this afternoon, I had opted for a rugby league match and was parked up about fifteen minutes before the scheduled kick off. There was no rush though, as the Ossett team didn’t arrive until about ten minutes later, having been held up in traffic and the kick off had been put back half an hour. There is a car park here, if you wanted to risk getting blocked in, but no problem parking on the road outside. The clubhouse/changing room building are at the near goal end, with the pitch is through a gate, running lengthways away from here. Fully railed with one dugout on each side at the halfway line.

The match pitted top of the Premier Division versus 5th in Division 1, in what was the league’s cup competition and was the first game I’d seen in this league. It was no worse than lower level National Conference games I’ve seen and was competitive throughout, although the scoreline does look rather one sided, which suggests otherwise. Ossett led 0-6 and 6-12 in a very good first half, both times pegged back, before an unconverted try saw Doncaster go into the break with a narrow 16-12 lead. An early second half try put the result beyond doubt, as the higher level team ran in 28 unanswered points to take their place in the final with a resounding 44-12 win.

Orrell St. James v York Acorn

Rugby League

Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Sunday 28th January 2024

Kick Off 14.00

Orrell St. James 12 York Acorn 22, attendance 450

@ Bankes Avenue

Orrell

WN5 8HU

£3 Admission

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

Another Challenge Cup match for me today and a long slog north to the outskirts of Wigan, the ground visible from the M6, on the right, as you approach J26 to exit and only a couple of minutes from there. The ground is at the end of Bankes Avenue, where there is a car park at the entrance (I parked in the road to avoid the chance of getting blocked in) and once through the entrance gate you entered the clubhouse and then the pitch, which runs widthways in front and has a slight end to end slope. It is fully railed with a plastic barrier and there are dugouts on the far side, as well as three floodlight pylons on that side only, whilst hard standing is on two and a bit sides. The only cover here is a small overhang on the front of the clubhouse.

The match was the reigning North West Counties champions versus National Conference League Premier Division. Orrell had beaten Haresfinch in the first round, whilst York had only come into the competition at this stage. I hoped this would be close and wasn’t disappointed, as there’s nothing worse than a one sided thrashing in rugby league. It didn’t look like it would turn out that way though, as York went over to score the first try after just 37 seconds and converted the kick to make it 0-6. There had been no further points added when a bad injury occurred after 35 minutes 2 seconds to a York player. He was unable to be moved and an ambulance was called. It arrived about half an later and after a break in play, we were back underway and completed the remaining minutes of the half with no further score, followed by a quick halftime, of only a couple of minutes, during which the players stayed out on the pitch.

York made a flying start again, converting a try to open up a 0-12 lead just two minutes in. Four minutes later Orrell went over for a try of their own, which was converted to make it 6-12. Two more tries for the visitors, one converted, saw them extend their lead in the next ten minutes to 6-22 and the win looked secured. Orrell did convert another try on the hour mark to make it 12-22, but that was the last score of the day.

The game ended at 16.22 and was finished without having to turn on the floodlights.

Hammersmith Hills Hoists v West Bowling

Rugby League

Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Saturday 27th January 2024

Kick Off 17.00

Hammersmith Hills Hoists 32 West Bowling 10, attendance 95

@ Chiswick R.U.F.C.

Don Mason Drive

Chiswick

London

W4 2SH

No Admission or Programme.

I arrived here about 50 minutes before kick off. Chiswick R.U.F.C.’s reserve team were in the last few minutes of their match, hence my game having a 5 o’clock start. I was surprised there was no admission charge or even a programme produced. Perhaps they couldn’t be bothered. It was a pretty poor turnout for such a big game, with about twenty of the crowd coming down from Yorkshire with the visitors. I had seen Hammersmith play a home game back in June 2011, when they played at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground, in Acton, West London, but they now appear to have relocated here to Chiswick. It’s a better facility, but I’m not really a fan of watching rugby on a synthetic surface.

Hammersmith Hills Hoists were formed in 2008 by Australian expats and play in the Southern Conference League, where they are the reigning champions, whilst West Bowling are in the National Conference League Premier Division. It was an excellent game, although it was spoiled by the constant fighting that occurred at far too regular intervals and it was hard to keep up with who was being sent off and who was just getting a ten minute sin bin, such was the frequency of mass brawls breaking out. It certainly didn’t help matters with the two kits being so similar either as it was hard to tell exactly who was hitting who! The game finished with yet another punch up in the centre circle and the Referee was brandishing red and yellow cards to both teams, but no idea who was getting what. Sadly, no match report has been posted anywhere by either side, which doesn’t help matters.

West Bowling had a man sent off after just twelve minutes and soon trailed 12-0. Hammersmith had a man sin binned after half an hour and within a minute West Bowling scored a try to pull it back to 12-4, but a converted try for Hammersmith saw them lead 18-4 by halftime. An early try, which was converted, saw West Bowling reduce the arrears to 18-10, but that was to be their last points of the day. Hammersmith ran in three more tries, but only converted one of them, to comfortably lead 32-10 and surprisingly there were no more points added in the final nineteen minutes.

Cornwall v Rochdale Hornets

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 27th August 2023

Kick Off 13.00

Cornwall 18 Rochdale Hornets 12, attendance 465

@ Penryn R.U.F.C.

The Memorial Ground

Kernick Road

Penryn

TR10 8NT

£10 Admission (advance booking online)

No Programme.

This was my last opportunity this season to get a visit in to watch Cornwall R.L. as this was the final game of the season. Even better, rather than do it over the summer, making a special journey, I’ve managed to tie it in with a few football matches as well.

I couldn’t have picked a better game. It was an absolutely superb effort from them and apparently the first victory they’ve ever achieved against one of the ‘traditional heartland’ clubs of the game. They came into this sitting ninth (second bottom) in the league table, having won four of their seventeen games up to this point, behind Midlands Hurricanes on points difference and just two points adrift of today’s visitors Rochdale Hornets.

Rochdale scored twice in the opening twelve minutes, to lead 0-8 with tries by Brierley and Harrison, but were unable to convert either of them. Cornwall hit back with a try of their own from Brown, who also kicked the conversion and the game was really in the balance as it remained 6-8 at halftime. Eight minutes into the second half Cornwall went in front for the first time, when a try from Mitchell was converted again by Brown to see them go 12-8 ahead. A sin bin saw Cornwall reduced to twelve men following a delay of the restart and just before Whitton was due to return, Brewin went over in the corner to make it 12-12, but they were unable to add the conversion. Cornwall missed a couple of attempted drop goals, as they tried to nick the win late on and it looked as if we were heading for a draw, when in the dying seconds Whitton scored right in the corner and the conversion, with the final kick of the match, was added by Brown to give Cornwall the win.

Cornwall play at the home of Penryn R.U.F.C. (the oldest rugby club in Cornwall) which is just outside Falmouth. Only three sides of the ground are accessible to spectators, with the side opposite the main stand out of bounds. For a club that has struggled somewhat on the pitch, the crowd was certainly impressive. I counted 465, which is not bad at all. Imagine what they’d pull in if they were challenging at the top of the table.

Midlands Hurricanes v Hunslet

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 9th July 2023

Kick Off 15.00

Midlands Hurricanes 22 Hunslet 54, attendance 276

@ Derby R.U.F.C.

Haslams

Haslams Lane

Derby

DE22 1EB

£10 Admission

No Programme.

As far as I know, this will be the last of the ‘on the road’ games I’ll be watching this season as most clubs revert to using their normal home venues for the remainder of the season. It is a far better venue than the awful running track ground they normally play at behind the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and would surely be a better option as a permanent base. It also helps that it is nearer to the rugby league heartland, giving the possibility of attracting a few more visiting club supporters as well, with the crowd today being almost 80 higher than the one they attracted for the game I saw them play in Birmingham.

The match was 8th versus 3rd in the league table. It looked like Hurricanes might have been on for a rare win at one stage. They were 12-0 up early on and despite Hunslet pulling it back to 12-12, they managed to restore their six point lead again, before Hunslet hit back once again to level the scores at 18-18 just before halftime. The second half was one way traffic as Hunslet ran in five unanswered tries to lead 18-48 and although Hurricanes did eventually manage a late try, Hunslet went straight up the other end to score again and give them a resounding 22-54 win, which included a hat trick for winger Alfie Goddard. The win now takes them above Doncaster into second place in the table.


North Wales Crusaders v Hunslet

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 25th June 2023

Kick Off 14.30

North Wales Crusaders 20 Hunslet 30, attendance 314

@ Chester R.U.F.C.

Hare Lane

Littleton

CH3 7DB

£15 Admission

No Programme.

I was living abroad when North Wales Crusaders played a couple of games here at Chester R.U.F.C. back in 2016, so with their next three home games scheduled to be played here (whilst they await the completion of the 3G pitch installation at their normal venue Eiras Park in Colwyn Bay) I took the first opportunity to make a visit.

The match was 6th versus 4th in the league table and Crusaders came into it on the back of four consecutive wins. Crusaders went 6-0 up early on, but Hunslet quickly replied to make it 6-6. Tries by Kieran Taylor and Pat Rainford saw Crusaders edge back in front to lead 16-6 at halftime. They were unable to add to this though, as Hunslet hit them with 24 unanswered points in the second half, including tries from Sam Hallas (2) Josh Jordan-Roberts and Jimmy Watson to comfortably lead 16-30. Crusaders did manage the last score of the match though, despite being down to 12 following a sin bin, when Josh Lynch sprinted clear to score his second try of the game as we reached the final minute, but they were unable to convert.

North Wales Crusaders v Midlands Hurricanes

Rugby League

League 1

Sunday 18th June 2023

Kick Off 14.30

North Wales Crusaders 62 Midlands Hurricanes 24, attendance 235

@ Nant Conwy R.U.F.C.

Pant Y Carw (B5106)

Llanrwst

LL26 0PW

£15 Admission

No Programme.

An overnight stay in the North West meant an easy drive into North Wales for this game. Crusaders normal home venue at Eirias Stadium in Colwyn Bay, which I have yet to visit, was unavailable due to delays in the laying of a new 3G pitch, so today’s game was moved to here in Llanrwst.

The game was 7th versus 8th in the league table and went very much the way of the hosts, as expected, as they made it four wins on the trot, having beaten the bottom three clubs in consecutive matches (London Skolars, Cornwall and today’s visitors in the reverse fixture) coming into this. It was never really a contest. Crusaders already led 30-0 before Hurricanes managed a try of their own. By halftime it was 34-6.

An early second half try made it 38-6, before Hurricanes ran in three unanswered tries, all converted, to pull it back to 38-24, but it was just too far a deficit to pull back. Crusaders stepped it up again from here and ran in four more tries to take a comfortable 62-24 win.

Luckily, the heavy rain and thunderstorms didn’t arrive until late in the game. The last ten minutes saw puddles start to form on the pitch, but no problem with getting the game finished. The stand offered protection from the rain, but not too sure how safe it was sitting in a metal stand with lightning flashing overhead.

The homeward journey was a 5 hour slog, via A470, A5, M54, M6, M42, M40 and M25. Crusaders are at home for the next two matches as well, with venue yet to be confirmed, so I could be doing it all again sooner than expected, if they play somewhere I’ve yet to see a game at….fingers crossed!

Pilkington Recs v Oulton Raiders

Rugby League

National Conference League

Division 1

Saturday 17th June 2023

Kick Off 14.30

Pilkington Recs 10 Oulton Raiders 10, attendance 78

@ Ruskin Drive Sports Ground

Ruskin Drive

Dentons Green

St. Helens

WA10 6RP

£3 Admission, including 16 page Programme.

According to the league table on the BBC website, this was 10th versus 2nd in the league table, but the programme indicated that bottom club Featherstone Lions, who Oulton have beaten twice this season, have withdrawn from the competition and accordingly the subsequent table adjustments mean that Oulton have now dropped to sixth place.

It turned out to be a cracking game. Oulton scored a try after three minutes, but failed to convert and three minutes later Pilks drew level, before adding the kick to lead 6-4. Surprisingly, there were no more points added in the remainder of the half.

The second half remained in the balance and with twelve minutes left Oulton scored their second try of the game and added the two point conversion to lead 6-10. Unfortunately for them, they then had a man sin binned and with a man short were unable to prevent Pilks from finally drawing level two minutes from the end when they scored close to the posts to level it up at 10-10. Somehow a relatively easy conversion was sent wide of the target and we ended up all square.

Home to Pilks is Ruskin Drive Sports Ground, which was very busy today as bowls and a cricket match were also taking place. I had been here twice before to watch football. In December 2000 I saw Pilkington beat Barnton 4-1 in a Mid Cheshire League match, which was played on a grass pitch now partially covered by today’s pitch, whilst in August 2017 I had seen the 0-0 draw between St. Helens Town and Abbey Hulton United (on the other 3G ground that runs in the opposite direction at the near end of the rugby ground) where the game was infamously abandoned seven minutes into stoppage time, due to the floodlights going off just as Abbey Hulton were about to take a penalty, with what would have been the final kick of the match.