All Golds v Oxford KPL1 2017 Final

FREE MATCHDAY MAGAZINE 

JUNE 25 th 2017 | KO 3pm 

PRINCE OF WALES STADIUM 

ALL GOLDS vs. OXFORD 

#TheBounceBack 

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 

• OXFORD PREVIEW 

• MATCH REPORTS 

• WEST OF ENGLAND 

www.allgoldsrugby.com

ALL GOLD 

CONTENTS AND INFO 

04 WELCOME 

06 OXFORD HISTORY 

08 OXFORD PREVIEW 

10 CLUB DIRECTORY 

12 TODAY’S OPPONENTS 

14 ALL GOLDS MATCH REPORTS 

16 CHELTENHAM JUNIOR RL 

17 WEST OF ENGLAND 

18 FLAME OF THE WEST 

20 PROPOSED SRL STRUCTURE 

21 OBE FOR WALES RL STALWART 

22 PAT & LIONEL’S ROAD TRIP 

24 FIXTURES & RESULTS 

26 SQUAD LINE-UPs 

CLUB INFORMATION 

UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS 

Home Ground: The Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham 

Offices: 

Oxstalls Campus, Longlevens, Gloucester. GL2 9HW 

Telephone: 01242 714468 

Email: 

allgolds@glos.ac.uk 

Official website: allgoldsrugby.com 

PRESIDENT 

Lionel Hurst LL.B 

ADVISORY BOARD 

Krista Woodman, Ken Stone, 

Kevan Blackadder 

GENERAL MANAGER 

Patrick Evans 

HEAD COACH 

Lee Greenwood 

ASSISTANT COACHES 

Anthony Murray, 

Dan Poulton 

S&C COACHES 

Nick Lane, Joe Festa 

TEAM MANAGER 

Martin Lovegrove 

KIT AND LOGISTICS 

David Friend 

CLUB DOCTOR 

Phil Cox 

HEAD PHYSIOTHERAPIST 

James Clapp 

SPORTS THERAPIST 

Katy Stephens 

NUTRITION PARTNER 

Nutrition X 

SKY TRY AND 

COMMUNITY MANAGER 

Kane Krlic 

BUSINESS AND SPONSORSHIP 

Sophia Wood-Jenkins 

MATCHDAY CO-ORDINATOR 

Fee Cragg 

MEDIA MANAGER/EDITOR 

Chris Wilson 

SOCIAL MEDIA & JOURNALIST 

Patrick Baines, Jack Conlon 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Lewis Mitchell, Glenn Watts 

ALL GOLDS TV 

Jeremy Power 

ALL GOLD DESIGNER 

Craig Paul Design Ltd 

06 

OXFORD 

HISTORY 

08 

OXFORD 

PREVIEW 

14 

MATCH 

REPORTS 

Subscribe to our website mailing list to get 

exclusive All Golds news first. 

The views expressed in this programme are not 

necessarily those of the University of Gloucestershire 

All Golds, the Editor, or Craig Paul Design Ltd.

WELCOME TO THE ALL GOLD 

WRITTEN BY CHRIS WILSON 

4 

Welcome to this edition of the 

All Gold. This issue has plenty for 

lovers of the greatest game to 

be entertained by with features 

on the All Golds-Oxford rivalry 

that is about as even as it could 

be, an assessment of the West of 

England league as it reaches its 

halfway point and a tour through 

Cumbria courtesy of Patrick 

Baines who, along with Club 

President Lionel Hurst took the 

long route to Whitehaven in the 

style of Steve Coogan and Rob 

Bryden, as well as much, much 

more. I hope you find something 

of interest within its pages. 

Certainly watching the team 

this season is not for the 

faint-hearted as they have 

delighted and infuriated us in 

equal measure. We know Lee 

Greenwood’s side are capable of 

making the top eight and today’s 

game is one they are capable 

of winning but are equally quite 

capable of coming unstuck in. 

With three tough fixtures against 

top five sides to come before the 

league splits, the points are really 

important today. 

Oxford RL recently reached 

the milestone of 100 games 

as a professional club and our 

congratulations go to them for 

that particular achievement. As 

we know at the All Golds, it takes 

a huge amount of hard work 

behind the scenes to get a side 

out and ensure all the other little 

things are done correctly week 

on week and the thanks of all RL 

supporters in the region should 

go to the backroom staff at both 

clubs for their unsung hard work. 

Speaking of unsung hard work, 

there are a number of milestones 

on the horizon here at the All 

Golds. Should they play today, 

then both Lewis Reece and 

James Walter will be making 

their 50th appearances for the 

club today joining the likes of Phil 

Cowburn, Joe McClean, Steve 

Parry, Ollie Purslow and Matt 

Bradley in the exclusive ‘50 Club’. 

Phil is rapidly approaching his 

100th game for the Golden Fern 

having only missed around 11 

games since appearing in the 

All Golds’ first match at home 

to Hemel Stags in 2013 – an 

incredible achievement. 

Speaking of achievements, it was 

wonderful to hear that Toronto 

Wolfpack’s Director of Football, 

Brian Noble, was awarded an 

MBE in the Queen’s Birthday 

Honours for his services to sport. 

Noble represented Great Britain 

as a player, captaining the 1984 

Lions tourists, and coach as well 

as playing for Bradford Northern 

and then coaching the Bradford 

Bulls to unprecedented success. 

He also coached Wigan, the 

Crusaders and Salford and was 

an advisor to the All Golds as 

they contemplated their bid for a 

League 1 place. 

A regular on TV, his punditry is 

spiced with wit, good humour 

and a deep knowledge of 

the game and our heartiest 

congratulations go to him. 

Thanks as usual to all our regular 

writers, George Cowburn, Jack 

Conlon and Patrick Baines, 

contributors Mike Hughes and 

Ian Golden and, of course, Craig 

Mitchell at CPD for stitching it all 

together into a seamless whole. 

Until next time, enjoy the game 

of rugby league, wherever you 

watch it. 

www.allgoldsrugby.com 

@AllGolds facebook.com/AllGoldsRugby

Design solutions for any media... 

DESIGN 

PRINTING 

MARKETING 

WEBSITES 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

5 

Call now to discuss your project 

01242 279 403 or 07766 253 342 

e: info@craigpauldesign.co.uk 

w: www.craigpauldesign.co.uk 

Proud sponsors 

of the All Golds... 

Subscribe to our website mailing list to get exclusive All Golds news first.

6 

TON-UP OXFORD RIVAL 

ALL GOLDS 

WRITTEN BY GEORGE COWBURN 

On 4th June this year, Oxford played their 

hundredth match as a professional outfit 

at home against Whitehaven, which ended 

in a 48-12 loss. The All Golds had played 

their hundredth two months earlier on 

1st April though with better fortune as 

they defeated Workington Town 30-22 at 

Derwent Park in the League 1 Cup. 

Both Oxford and the All Golds joined the 

league in 2013 and their results against 

each other are very similar. Both sides have 

won four of the eight games played to date 

with the Golden Fern just leading on points 

by 238 to 222. 

On Good Friday 29th March 2013, the 

teams met in both clubs’ first ever league 

match (the All Golds had played in the 

Northern Rail Cup prior to this) with 

Oxford emerging victorious at Cheltenham 

40-30 against an All Golds side consisting 

mainly of students from the previous year’s 

national University Championship-winning 

team. 

The main difference between the sides 

was the experience and know-how of ex- 

Salford and Oldham hooker John Clough 

who scored a hat trick of tries for Oxford 

as they recorded a debut win. He was one 

of many ex-Oldham players brought to 

Oxford by then coach Tony Benson who 

had previously coached at the Roughyeds. 

The game did give the Golden Fern their 

first league point, as teams losing by 12 

points or less gained a bonus point in that 



y Brendon Newton 

(against Hemel Stags last 

season) and Mo Agoro 

(Keighley this season) who 

have also crossed four 

times in a match. 

In the return game at the 

PoW just three weeks later, 

the All Golds lost 28-26 

to make it one win apiece 

for the fourth consecutive 

season. 

Can either side break the 

sequence this year? We’ll 

have to watch this space! 

season (there were three 

points for a win). 

It was to be their 10th 

league game, at Oxford’s 

picturesque Iffley Road 

ground, that saw the All 

Golds earn their first ever 

league win - a 20-18 triumph 

secured by a late Richard 

Jones try. 

The only players still at the 

club from those games are 

Phil Cowburn (who played 

and scored in both), the 

recently returned Richard 

Jones (who also played 

both games), James Walter 

(home game only) and 

Steve Parry (away game). 

The 2014 season once again 

saw the victories shared. 

Oxford won their home 

match 38-24 with the All 

Golds getting even by 36- 

20 at the Prince of Wales 

when Matt Bradley kicked 

six goals and scored a try. 

After the defeat in Oxford 

(on another not-so-Good 

Friday for the All Golds) 

against a side inspired by 

a number of ex-All Golds 

players, head coach Brad 

Hepi called it a day, saying 

he felt he had taken the 

team as far as he could. 

Shortly afterwards, 

the club surprised the 

rugby league world by 

appointing Scotland coach 

Steve McCormack for the 

remainder of the season. 

2015 saw the All Golds 

slump to a disappointing 

defeat at Oxford by 20- 

12 despite leading by 12 

points to nil. Once again 

things were evened up as 

the Golden Fern enjoyed a 

comfortable win at home, 

38-24, when popular Aussie 

winger Ryan Pywell bagged 

a brace of tries. 

Joe Maclean is unlikely to 

forget the All Golds’ 52- 

34 victory at Oxford’s new 

home in Abingdon in the 

2016 season. In a match 

where defence went out of 

the window, Joe claimed a 

club record four tries in the 

match, with housemate Phil 

Cowburn and prop forward 

James Walter both getting 

two. Appropriately, these 

three players are the only 

All Golds left from the titlewinning 

2012 University 

side. 

Since then, Joe has been 

joined in the record books 

7 


8 

ALL GOLDS vs. OXFORD 

MATCH PREVIEW 

WRITTEN BY PATRICK BAINES 

The All Golds will be looking to make it 

back-to-back wins on Sunday when they 

host Oxford. 

The Golden Fern dug deep last weekend 

to fight back from 16-8 down at Hemel to 

eventually win 32-20, the two points moving 

them up to tenth in League 1, level on points 

with eighth placed Workington. With just 

four games to go before the top eight 

breakaway from the bottom eight, Sunday 

could be a pivotal game in the race for the 

play-offs. 

All Golds head coach Lee Greenwood was 

full of praise for his young side after last 

Sunday’s crucial win at Hemel but says 

they’ll need to be better against an Oxford 

side who are just two points below his 

team. He said: “We showed a fair amount of 

character at Hemel. We went in at half-time 

16-8 down but we hadn’t done a lot wrong. 



In the second half we got on top of them 

and only conceded four points in the whole 

half. It was a big win because Hemel are 

much improved from earlier in the season. 

“Oxford have done really well this season. 

A bit like ourselves they’ve turned over a 

couple of established northern clubs so we 

know we’ll have to be at our best to get the 

two points. If previous seasons are anything 

to go by it looks like being a close game. 

were comprehensively beaten by the fast 

improving Newcastle Thunder last weekend 

but they can take confidence from victories 

against York and Hunslet earlier in the 

campaign. 

With both teams desperate for the win, it 

promises to be a fascinating clash. 

“We’re back at home and we’re looking 

forward to it. We’ve put in a couple of 

disappointing performances on our own 

pitch in recent weeks and we want to get 

back to our early season home form which 

saw us beat Keighley and Crusaders.” 

Welsh international Lewis Reece has 

recovered from the knee injury which saw 

him miss out at Hemel and could be in line to 

make his 50th appearance for the All Golds. 

Steven Nield is the only absentee from the 

squad that travelled to Hemel. 

Oxford sit two points and two places 

behind the All Golds in thirteenth. They 

9 

All Golds v Oxford RLFC - July 2015 - Highlights 



CLUB DIRECTORY 

HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE ALL GOLDS WE HAVE A NUMBER OF 

OFFICIAL PARTNERS AND SPONSORS THAT HEAVILY SUPPORT THE CLUB AND, AS AN 

ALL GOLDS FAN, WE ARE SURE YOU WILL FIND THIS CLUB DIRECTORY VERY USEFUL. 

If you are interested in contacting any of our partners or sponsors but you feel that you need 

more information then please don’t hesitate to call our Commercial Department on 

01242 715297 or email allgoldsbusiness@glos.ac.uk 

10 

PLAYER SONSORS 




TODAY’S OPPONENTS 

OXFORD RLFC 

WRITTEN BY JACK CONLON 

12 

Oxford come into Sunday’s game on the back 

of three straight defeats against Whitehaven, 

London and Newcastle. Form has seemingly 

come in spells for Tim Rumford’s men who, 

despite losing eight games this year, have 

come up with some impressive wins over 

York and Hunslet. Worryingly for the All 

Golds, however, Oxford are due a win, as they 

haven’t lost any more than three consecutive 

games all season. Defence seems to be 

the main issue at the minute, with their last 

six defeats being by 31 points or more, the 

worst of those being a 64-14 loss at Barrow 

followed by a 62-12 trouncing at the hands 

of Toronto. Rumford’s side currently sit in 11th 

place in League 1 where they, along with five 

other teams including the All Golds, could 

catapult into the top eight with a win. 

Josh Atkinson 

Marcus Brooker 

Harrison Brough 

Harvey Burnett 

James Cryer 

Jordan Gill 

Luke Gardiner 

Andy Hoggins 

Clarke McAllister 

Tommy Newbould 

Jessie Sheriffe 

Tom Alexander 

Casey Canterbury 

Connor Clayton 

Adam Flintham 

Scott Fleming 

Kane Riley 

Callum Windley 

FORM 

SQUAD 


Craig Wright 

Stuart Biscomb 

Doug Chirnside 

Will Cooke 

Anthony Cox 

Luke Evans 

Charlie Greene 

Harry Griffiths 

Dan Jamieson 

Jake Joynt 

George Lenton-Hall 

Curtis Macdonald 

Dwaine McRae 

Aaron Nicholson 

Liam OCallaghan 

Building Services 

Jack Pickles 

Jordan Siddons 

BACKS 

Oxford’s halves have been their main source 

of chances this year, with Tim Rumford 

able to tie down a consistent and settled 

combination in the creative positions. 

Oxford’s spine this year has mainly been 

made up of Scott Fleming and Bradford 

Academy graduate Callum Windley in the 

halves, with centre-turned-fullback Kane 

Riley offering himself as an extra option. 

With great ball players feeding them, the 

Oxford outside backs have flourished, with 

experienced finishers Josh Atkinson and 

Jordan Gill picking up plenty of tries, aided 

by the likes of Harvey Burnett, Will Cooke 

and Marcus Brooker on their inside. 

FORWARDS 

Former All Gold Casey Canterbury is the one 

mainstay in a very changeable pack. Like in 

the rest of his squad, Tim Rumford has plenty 

of depth in the forwards and is bolstered by 

having the likes of Jordan Crowther, Lewis 

Bienek and Callum Bustin on dual-registration 

from Wakefield and London Broncos 

respectively. Young Bronco Dan Hindmarsh 

and Trinity rookie Bradley Moules have also 

been given a good opportunity at Iffley 

Road this season and have both been regular 

features in the squad. 

Former London Skolars prop Anthony Cox 

has been a key feature in the side since joining 

in the off-season, his size and strength mixing 

well with that of Stuart Biscomb, Jake Joynt 

and Jordan Siddons. Mid-season signing Jonny 

Payne has also been a welcome addition to 

the forward pack, after spending some time 

out of the professional game following stints 

with the Castleford Academy and Newcastle 

back in 2011. 


STAR MAN 

ONE TO WATCH 

While he may not be the most experienced, 

hooker Casey Canterbury is certainly one 

of Oxford’s most influential players and has 

become a key part of their side this season. 

The former Castleford Academy and Hunslet 

rake will be a familiar face to All Golds fans, 

having spent a period on loan at the Golden 

Fern in 2014. He spent almost a full year out of 

the professional game in 2015, playing just one 

game for York City Knights, before moving 

back down south to Oxford at the start of 

2016 where his game has gone from strength 

to strength. 

A deceptive and quick dummy half, Canterbury 

has enjoyed a fruitful 2017 campaign so far, 

scoring 11 tries in 14 games and establishing 

himself as one of the best hookers in League 

1. His pace out of the ruck combined with his 

smart decision making make him a nightmare 

to defend against and with the likes of Callum 

Windley, Scott Fleming and Josh Kittrick 

playing off his back, this Oxford side have a 

very dangerous and creative spine. 

Oxford have a plethora of talent in the outside 

backs, but former London Broncos centre 

Harvey Burnett adds a wealth of experience 

and skill. Still only 21-years-of-age, Burnett is 

now in his third full season in League 1, having 

come into the competition as an 18-year-old at 

London Skolars, on loan from London Broncos. 

After finishing 2015 playing Rugby Union, he 

switched back to League and signed for Oxford, 

where he has come on in leaps and bounds. He 

can play in either the three-quarters or as a 

second-rower, with his athletic frame allowing 

him to be effective in either position, while he is 

also an accomplished goalkicker with 19 under 

his belt so far this season. At such a young age 

he’s still got plenty in his game to improve, but 

with more experience, Burnett could become 

one of League 1’s biggest talents. 

STATS 

HIGHEST SCORE: 

46-10 v Hemel, 7/8/2016 

HIGHEST SCORE AGAINST: 

4-96 v Swinton, 12/7/2015 

MOST APPEARANCES: 

76 – Andrew Hoggins 2013-present 

HIGHEST POINT SCORER: 

204 – Nathan Kitson 2015-2016 

HIGHEST TRY SCORER: 

764 – Nathan Kitson 2015-2016 

13 


ALL GOLDS MATCH REPORTS 


14 

THUNDER 

RUMBLE 

ALL GOLDS 

ALL GOLDS 10-56 THUNDER 

SUNDAY 4 JUNE 2017 

PRINCE OF WALES STADIUM 

With two consecutive wins behind them, the 

All Golds took on an out of sorts Newcastle 

Thunder side with confidence. However that 

was soon bashed out of them as the Thunder 

took the initiative from the start and didn’t let 

up cruising to an easy 56-10 win. 

Benn Hardcastle twice set up the position for 

Newcastle scores first with a well-placed kick 

off and later found touch with a superb 40-20. 

trailing 14-0, the All Golds briefly fought back 

to give themselves hope with tries from Harry 

Kidd and a well-worked team try finished by 

Chris Barlow right at the end of the half. 

However, that hope was dashed early in 

the second period as Newcastle scored at 

regular intervals, their big forwards exploiting 

the size difference between the teams up 

front ensuring that the backs could play with 

freedom and confidence. 

The dejection and frustration on the faces of 

the All Golds players as they left the field was 

plain for all to see after another frustrating day 

all round. 

ALL GOLDS: Jack Mitchell; Mo Agoro, Kadeem 

Williams, Brad Kislingbury, Chris Barlow (t); 

Ben Stead (g), Danny Fallon; Ollie Purslow, 

Steve Parry, Harrison Elliott, Lewis Reece, Chris 

Worrall; Billy Brickhill, INTERCHANGE: Josh 

Ward, Brad Hargreaves, Malikhi Lloyd-Jones, 

Harry Kidd (t). 

HAVEN 

SIMPLY TOO 

GOOD 

WHITEHAVEN 62-6 ALL GOLDS 


RECREATION GROUND 

Mo Agoro’s 16th try in all competitions this 

season was a mere consolation as, for the 

second week running, the All Golds were 

comprehensively outplayed. 

Whitehaven are among the challengers for 

promotion and had only lost once this season 

and that to unbeaten Toronto, so the result and 

scoreline was perhaps no surprise. 

The home side took an early lead and 

progressed at a point a minute for the first 

quarter with four tries of varying degrees of 

complexity. It was men against boys as the All 

Golds could not compete, however hard they 

tried, and a regular supply of errors did nothing 

to help their cause. 



After a hiatus, ‘Haven crossed twice more 

before the break to lead 34-0. 

The All Golds put more physicality into the 

second half and caused Haven a little more 

discomfort but they lacked the skill of a Jessie- 

Joe Parker, the pace of fullback Elliot Miller, 

who grabbed a hat-trick, and the size and 

strength of player coach Carl Forster up front 

who scored a try and set up at least two more 

of Haven’s 11 touchdowns. 

The half century had been passed by the time 

the returning Courtney Davies’ neat chip had 

been gathered by Steven Nield and the ball 

transferred to Agoro for the All Golds’ only try. 

ALL GOLDS: Jack Mitchell; Mo Agoro (t), 

Steven Nield, Brad Kislingbury, Chris Barlow; 

Courtney Davies (g), Steve Parry; Ollie Purslow, 

Billy Brickhill, Harry Kidd; Lewis Reece, Joe 

McClean; Chris Worrall; INTERCHANGE: Brad 

Hargreaves, Harrison Elliott, Malikhi Lloyd- 

Jones, Luke Stephens. 

HOT, HOT, HOT! 

HEMEL STAGS 20-32 ALL GOLDS 


PENNINE WAY 

On a sweltering day in Hemel Hempstead, the 

All Golds were made to work hard for victory 

by a Stags side desperately searching for their 

first league win of the season. 

They were on course to break their duck as 

they led 16-8 at the break with two tries from 

former All Gold, Marcus Elliott and Mitch 

Vincent’s four goals cancelling out two tries 

from Steve Parry – his 98th and 99th career 

touchdowns. 

The All Golds defended well throughout and 

despite winning three goalline dropouts, the 

Stags could only get through by way of two 

kicks to the corner and a dummy half sneak 

from almost on the goalline. 

Once again faced by a larger pack, the 

All Golds used the hot conditions to their 

advantage in the second half as they played at 

as quick a tempo as they could and succeeded 

in wearing the hosts down. However, they were 

helped by the sin-binning of Corey Hanson for 

a professional foul with nine minutes left which 

meant the Stags having to play out the final 

few energy-sapping minutes a man down. 

By that time, the scores were level at 20-20 

with tries from Mo Agoro and Harry Kidd both 

converted by Courtney Davies who found his 

goalkicking range in the second half to kick 

four from four. The Stags reply was restricted 

to a Mark Barlow try but Vincent couldn’t hit 

the mark with the goal. 

No sooner had Hanson trudged off after 

preventing Chris Barlow from playing the ball 

quickly then Jack Mitchell went over from 

Richard Jones’ offload. Chris Barlow finished 

the scoring in the final minute after Parry 

had put him in straight from a scrum after 

another error by Vincent from a kick. Davies 

nonchalantly added the touchline goal after 

the hooter for the win that keeps the All Golds 

on the coat-tails of the top eight. 

ALL GOLDS: Steven Nield; Mo Agoro (t), 

Phil Cowburn, Brad Kislingbury, Chris Barlow 

(t); Courtney Davies (4g), Jack Mitchell (t); 

James Walter, Steve Parry (2t), Harry Kidd 

(t); Chris Worrall, Joe McClean; Billy Brickhill; 

INTERCHANGE: Luke Stephens, Brad 

Hargreaves, Malikhi Lloyd-Jones, Richard 

Jones. 

Lee Greenwood after Hemel 

20-32 All Golds 

15 


JUNIOR RUGBY 

LEAGUE 

AT CHELTENHAM PHOENIX 

Cheltenham Phoenix are running junior rugby 

league programmes at two separate venues in 

Cheltenham this summer. 

The six week programme was launched at 

Cheltenham North RFC on 11 June with 27 

boys being introduced to the sport. 

16 

Phoenix head coach, Mike Hughes, who took the sessions, 

was delighted with the first events held at Cheltenham 

Saracens on Wednesday and Cheltenham North on Sunday: 

“To get such good numbers for the first session of the 

programme was really encouraging,” he said. “The boys 

picked it up very quickly and seemed to enjoy the game. 

“There’s no doubt they will return to rugby union in the 

autumn both fitter and with improved handling skills. 

“As a club we are enormously grateful to both Sarries and 

North for their support with this venture.” 

All new players are very welcome and no prior rugby 

league (or even rugby) experience is necessary. 

The programme is running at two venues with all sessions 

being led by a Level 2 coach: 

Venue one: 

Cheltenham North RFC 

Sunday mornings 10.30 - 12.00 

June 11th - July 16th 

Open to boys U14 and U15 

(school years 9 and 10) 

Venue two: 

Cheltenham North RFC 

Wednesday evenings 

5.00 - 6.00 

June 7th - July 12th 

Open to U14 (school year 9) only 

For more information please contact 

Mike www.allgoldsrugby.com 

Hughes on 07833 030987 or email @AllGolds facebook.com/AllGoldsRugby 

mikehughes.ets@gmail.com

PHOENIX EDGE THE FOREST 

Cheltenham Phoenix edged 

a tremendous game when 

they beat local rivals Forest 

Bulldogs 

28-48 in the top of their table 

West of England encounter 

at Berry Hill on Saturday. 

Both sides took unbeaten 

records into the game but 

it was Phoenix who came 

away from the game with 

their record still in-tact by 

outscoring their opposition 

eight tries to five. 

WRITTEN BY MIKE HUGHES 

Forest Bulldogs 28 v Cheltenham Phoenix 48 

It was a highly competitive 

and hugely entertaining affair 

which was a tremendous 

advert for the sport of rugby 

league in the south-west. The 

physicality was huge and 

neither side was prepared 

to give an inch. It was also a 

game of high skill level and 

very few mistakes and both 

sides had to work hard for 

their points. 

The Bulldogs were first out of 

the blocks and Sam Thomas 

scored a well worked try from 

their first real opportunity 

after only three minutes. 

Adam Dommett replied for 

the visitors and the game 

was developing into a real 

end-to-end arm wrestle. A 

further Bulldogs try from 

Harry Howard was cancelled 

out by Henry Davies and 

the sides were still locked 

together with 30 minutes on 

the clock. 

The end of the first half very 

much belonged to Phoenix 

and a superb length of the 

field try, started by excellent 

work by full-back Zack 

Taylor and finished in style 

by winger Connor McGregor 

nudged the visitors ahead 

for the first time. Davies 

stretched the lead with 

the last play of the half 

and Phoenix went into the 

interval with a 10-24 lead. 

It was obvious to the healthy 

sized crowd that the first 

score of the second half 

would be pivotal and the 

Bulldogs threw everything at 

their opponents in an effort 

to score it. 

Phoenix held firm however 

and, after defending three 

consecutive sets on their 

own line they broke up 

the other end of the pitch 

and scored an excellent 

try through Dale Walters. 

Scrum-half Sam Hughes 

added a fine individual try 

and the Cheltenham side 

had pulled clear at 10-36. It 

was the defining period of 

the game. 

Skipper Dommett crossed 

for his second try and Ryan 

Lewis finished off a sweeping 

move to score in the corner. 

Both tries were converted 

by Hughes who finished the 

game with eight conversions 

from eight attempts. 

To their credit the Bulldogs 

refused to lie down and 

ended the game strongly. 

With ten minutes still on the 

clock the home side scored 

under the posts and added 

another when they scored 

again immediately from the 

kick-off. Any hopes of the 

unlikeliest of come-backs 

quickly evaporated, however, 

as Phoenix regained control 

of both the ball and fieldposition 

and although the 

home side ended the game 

with try Phoenix had done 

enough and ran out worthy 

winners. 

The two teams remain first 

and second in the West of 

England Pool One and meet 

again in Cheltenham on 29 

July. 

17 


WEST of ENGLAND LEAGUE 

HALF TERM REPORT CARD 


With the halfway point of the season reached Chris Wilson marks 

the cards of the class of 2017 in the West of England league. 

TOP MARKS Top of the class at this point 

is Cheltenham Phoenix who boast the only 

100% record in the West of England league. 

They have benefitted from a sprinkling of 

former All Golds CLS players who have 

added to an already strong squad, which 

gives them a great opportunity to reach the 

Finals this year. 

18 

of sides capable of overhauling them should 

they slip up. 

GOOD WORK Forest Bulldogs made a great 

start to the season winning their opening 

four matches but came unstuck against 

Cheltenham at Berry Hill last week. With half 

a season still to play, they are still hotly tipped 

for a first finals appearance. Last season’s 

runners up, Swindon St George, also had 

their winning run ended in Pool 2 last week 

as they went down 30-26 to Portsmouth. 

They should still make the play-offs but there 

is no room for complacency with a number 


AVERAGE There are a number of clubs 

whose only consistency is their inconsistency. 

Southampton Spitfires thrashed Bath but 

then were thumped in turn by Portsmouth 

and Oxford. Somerset Vikings are strong 

at home but their recent away form has 

been disappointing with a heavy loss to 

Cheltenham and a struggle to raise a side for 

the trip to Gloucestershire Warriors. 

The Warriors have been making steady 

improvement after a disappointing start 

against the top two sides in the pool. They 

have beaten both Swindon St George A 

and Bath Romans in recent weeks and look 

capable of a challenge in the second half of 

the season. 


Bath RL’s results have not yet matched the 

club’s undoubted ambition as, after wins in 

their opening two matches, they were heavily 

beaten at Southampton before going down 

to Oxford. A midweek game against Bristol 

could see them back in the winners’ circle 

and into the mix for the play-offs. 

Southampton has propelled them into 

second place in the table and last season’s 

Plate winners could yet reach the finals 

weekend again. 

COULD DO BETTER While both Bath 

Romans and Swindon St George A have 

been putting in plenty of effort, it has yet 

to yield results. Neither has won a game 

though the Romans came close to defeating 

the Warriors a fortnight ago. Swindon are 

perhaps paying the price of being a reserve 

side, with calls from the firsts 

Champions Portsmouth Seahawks’ 

attendance record is not good and that 

could disqualify them from participation in 

the play-offs. When they are in class, they can 

show championship form as they did when 

beating Swindon 30-26 last week in a re-run 

of last season’s Grand Final. 

Oxford Cavaliers have yet to settle into 

the season but last week’s big win over 

likely to take players, the matchday team is 

not a settled unit and that has shown in their 

results. Both are in action in midweek with a 

chance to get off the mark. 

STAY BEHIND AFTER CLASS The main 

concern is Bristol Sonics whose only win this 

season has come courtesy of a no-show by 

Portsmouth to their Round 3 clash at the 

beginning of the month. 

They are capable of much better with a 

talented squad and their midweek game 

with Bath RL could see them begin a late 

charge to the play-offs in the second half of 

the season. 

19 

Pool 1 

Cheltenham Phoenix vs Swindon St George A 

Somerset Vikings vs Bath & Wiltshire Romans 

Gloucestershire Warriors vs Forest Bulldogs 

Next Week’s fixtures (July 1st) 

League Tables 

Pool 2 

Bath RL vs Portsmouth Navy Seahawks 

Oxford Cavaliers vs Bristol Sonics 

Southampton Spitfires vs Swindon St George 

Pool 1 Pld W D L For Agst Diff Pts 

Forest Bulldogs 5 4 0 1 264 114 150 8 

Cheltenha Phoenix 4 4 0 0 234 86 148 8 

Somerset Vikings 4 2 0 2 134 142 -8 4 

Gloucestershire Warriors 4 2 0 2 132 178 -46 4 

Bath & Wiltshire Romans 3 0 0 3 52 126 -74 0 

Swindon St George A 4 0 0 4 82 252 -170 0 

Pool 2 Pld W D L For Agst Diff Pts 

Swindon St George 4 3 0 1 135 92 43 6 

Oxford Cavaliers 4 2 0 2 160 100 60 4 

Southampton Spitfires 4 2 0 2 114 138 -24 4 

Bath RL 4 2 0 2 114 172 -58 4 

Portsmouth Seahawks* 4 2 0 2 98 94 4 3 

Bristol Sonics 4 1 0 3 94 119 -25 2 

(Not including midweek matches Swindon St George A vs Bath Romans and Bristol Sonics vs Bath RL due to be played on 21 June) 


SOUTHERN RL COMPETITION 

A STEP CLOSER 


An initial meeting of the proposed new Southern Premier Leagues 

took place on Sunday 18 June at Hemel Stags’ Pennine Way ground. 

20 

The aim of the meeting was to share the current 

thoughts around the proposed competition 

and to hear some feedback from the 20 

or so delegates 

from clubs at the 

gathering. 

The new structure 

was discussed in 

the last issue of 

The All Gold and 

a draft diagram is 

produced below. 

The proposals 

for the Southern 

Premier League 

were originally put 

forward in 2016 

when the future 

of the Conference League South was being 

debated. Discussion crystallised into two 

proposals, one by the Welsh Rugby League and 

another from representatives of the London 

Leagues. 

Both proposals noted that 2017 was the 20th 

anniversary of the Rugby League Conference, 

which has developed into the competition that 

the Community Clubs in the South of England 

play in. It was also noted that there needed to 

be a pathway for clubs to develop along from 

entry level to potentially semi-professional. 

It would also act as a resource pool for clubs 

in the region currently in League 1 like the 

Hemel Stags, Coventry Bears, Oxford and the 

Gloucestershire All Golds. 

David Raybould, Competition Manager at the 

RFL, facilitated the discussion which covered a 

wide range of issues around the new structure, 

which is intended to create a coherent pyramid 

structure for rugby league in the South of 

the UK, provide 

stability to the 

community game 

in the area. 

Such structure 

would enable 

clubs to find an 

appropriate level 

of competition 

and encourage 

stronger clubs to 

progress from the 

regional leagues 

without the 

financial burden 

of massive travel 

commitments in the top tier. 

Things are very much at the discussion stage at 

the moment and nothing is set in stone with the 

views of any clubs who do eventually apply to 

join the competition up for consideration before 

any final structure and calendar are confirmed. 

The application process for clubs to join will 

close on 31 August and a decision will be made 

on whether the competition is viable for 2018 in 

September. 

There is potential for further meetings and 

discussion to finalise the make-up of the 

competition before a formal launch is held. 

The Southern Premier Leagues look to be 

a proposal that, if successful, should help to 

ensure the development of the game of rugby 

league in the south. 



OBE FOR WALES RL STALWART 

WRITTEN BY IAN GOLDEN 

Richard Greenwood (Right) with the WRL Board and sponsors the day before Wales’ World Cup qualifier against Italy in Monza. 

Wales Rugby League have 

congratulated their board 

member John Richard Heaton 

“Dick” Greenwood after being 

awarded an OBE on the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours list. 

The 75-year old was given this 

award for his services to National 

and International Rugby which 

includes the work he currently 

does with Wales Rugby League. 

addition, he has raised thousands 

of pounds for seriously injured 

rugby players in North Wales since 

2012. 

Greenwood said: “I’m a rugby man 

and rugby has been my lifelong 

passion. It is a great team game, so 

I am above all a team player, and 

my debt is to all my team-mates 

who have supported me through 

the years. 

supporting WRL as an active 

board member. 

WRL chief executive Chris Thair 

said: “I’m delighted for Dick, his 

family and this tremendous honour 

befits a wonderful man. Due to his 

intellect, skill and dedication, Dick 

has led such a remarkable life that 

is well documented however it is 

humility and lovely selfless values 

that make him truly standout. 

21 

A volunteer with the WRL, he has 

contributed significantly since 

being elected to the board 26 

months ago. Colwyn Bay-based, 

he is also the chairman of Rhyl 

and Prestatyn Panthers RLFC, 

developing the junior section, 

coaching at under 16, under 12 and 

under 10 levels. 

Greenwood is also well-known for 

his charitable work. He is a driving 

force behind Wooden Spoon - the 

children’s charity of rugby, aiding 

physically, mentally and socially 

disadvantaged youngsters 

throughout the British Isles - 

since 1994, first as a fund-raiser 

and latterly as an ambassador. In 

“It’s all the people I’ve played with 

and worked with over all these 

years who have acted as the 

enabling factor, which is a source 

of great joy and pride to me.” 

WRL chairman Brian Juliff 

said: “This is a well-deserved 

recognition for Richard after his 

years of selfless hard work and 

commitment to so many excellent 

causes. 

“Richard is an enthusiastic 

volunteer who is always prepared 

to roll his sleeves up to give drive 

and direction towards achieving 

a successful outcome. We are 

very thankful to have Richard 

“This is the ex-England rugby 

union captain and coach who 

having resided in North Wales for 

many years, knew it would be a 

great idea to push rugby league 

in his home town after efforts 

were made to start a North Wales 

League in 2011. Dick has been 

doing this ever since, certainly 

not for himself but the children of 

his community. He understands 

the power sport can wield and 

his passion to make a difference 

is exemplarily. Dick has been on 

the WRL Board for over two 

years now and his experienced 

insight has certainly helped shape 

a better future for the sport in 

Wales.” 


Rugby League and 

Cumbria - the perfect 

way to spend a weekend 

WRITTEN BY PATRICK BAINES 

22 

Lionel Hurst and I have spoken often about a 

rugby league weekend away, what better way 

to spend a couple of days than watching the 

greatest game? As luck would have it a day 

before the All Golds played Whitehaven we 

noticed Kells were playing Siddal. Perfect. We 

booked a B&B and train tickets and were off. 

We set off from Cheltenham at 8am. It was a 

long journey up to Cumbria, some five and half 

hours. We arrived into Whitehaven at lunchtime 

and were greeted with glorious sunshine. After 

dropping our bags off at our B&B we wondered 

into the town centre for a much needed drink. 

After ten minutes of searching we found the 

perfect watering hole - a pub owned by the 

Whitehaven rugby league supporters trust. 

Lionel and I were both wearing our All Golds 

polo shirts and within 30 seconds of entering 

the premises we were chatting to the locals 

about rugby league. If you’re a rugby league 

fan you MUST pay this place a visit. Such is the 

rivalry between Whitehaven and Workington, 

as soon as we reminded the locals that we 

beat Workington a few months back they were 

offering to buy us our next pint! 

The weather forecast for Saturday couldn’t 

have been worse for a game of rugby - heavy 

rain all day and strong winds. The downpour 

started just as we were tucking into our bacon 

and eggs and it didn’t look like stopping any 

time soon. 

There are three top amateur teams in Cumbria 

and its clear that rugby league is still at the top 

of the sporting pecking order. Kells, Wath Brow 

Hornets and Egremont Rangers play in the 



treated to a fantastic cottage 

pie by the Kells chairman. The 

game was played in fantastic 

spirits which was reflected 

in the post match speeches. 

Gareth Greenwood - brother 

of our head coach - said his 

team were pushed all he 

way and were relieved to be 

heading back with the win. It 

was a fantastic afternoon of 

rugby, if you’re in the area you 

simply must watch a game. 

The standard is very high, the 

crowds are knowledgeable 

and passionate. 

National Conference Premier 

division and games between 

the sides draw huge crowds. 

We were informed that when 

Wath Brow play Kells it’s not 

uncommon for over one 

thousand people to turn up 

and watch - Incredible! 

Kells v Siddal looked the pick 

of the National Conference 

Premier fixtures on the 

Saturday. The Yorkshire side 

came into the game with a 

perfect record - played nine 

won nine. But Kells wouldn’t 

be a pushover, they sat in 

fifth place and would have 

been confident of pulling 

off a shock win on their own 

ground. 

with another former All Gold 

- Joe Martin - running the 

water. Siddal started brightly 

and soon went ahead, their 

smart kicking game proving 

the difference in a first half 

they dominated. Kells came 

out after the break and looked 

a different side. The home 

side had their chances to win 

it but Siddal weathered the 

storm and claimed their tenth 

win in a row to remain top 

of the table. After the game 

both sets of players walked 

down to Kells’ clubhouse for 

a post game meal and much 

needed drink. Again the 

generosity of the locals shone 

through - Lionel and I were 

Of course the following day 

we were playing Whitehaven. 

It was always going to be 

a huge ask against a side 

that has genuine ambitions 

of returning back to the 

Championship and it proved 

a tough afternoon for our 

lads who went down 62-6. 

Some of the Whitehaven tries 

were a delight to witness and 

you have to think they’ll have 

a great chance of winning 

promotion. 

Rugby league is more than 

a game in these parts, if you 

love the greatest game an 

afternoon at Kells, Egremont 

or Wath Brow is something 

you must put in your diary. 

23 

Fortunately, just as the players 

lined up for the kick-off 

the rain stopped. Ominous 

looking grey clouds covered 

the sky and mist covered the 

surrounding hills. The swirling 

wind would make things 

difficult for the players but at 

least the pitch wasn’t covered 

in puddles. Zack McComb, 

who played four games for 

the All Golds last season, was 

starting at centre for Siddal 


ALL GOLDS FIXTURES & RESU 

DATE K.O. OPPONENTS RES FULLBACK WING CENTRE CENTRE WING STAND OFF 

Sun Feb 19 14:00 A Hemel Stags (L1CupR1) 12-48 GASKELL 1T AGORO 1T COWBURN KISLINGBURY 2T BARLOW STEAD 1G 

Sun Feb 26 14:00 H North Wales Crusaders (LCCR3) 36-18 GASKELL 1T AGORO 1T COWBURN KISLINGBURY 2T BARLOW HOUGHTON 

Sun Mar 5 15:00 A Hunslet (KPL1) 10-06 HOUGHTON AGORO BRICKHILL WILLIAMS KISLINGBURY STEAD 1G 

Sun Mar 12 15:00 H Keighley Cougars (KPL1) 46-22 GASKELL AGORO 4T COWBURN KISLINGBURY BARLOW MITCHELL 1T 

Sun Mar 19 15:00 A Doncaster (LCCR4) 48-22 GASKELL AGORO COWBURN KISLINGBURY 1T BARLOW 1T MITCHELL 

Sun Mar 26 15:00 A Workington Town (KPL1) 54-22 GASKELL AGORO 1T COWBURN 1T KISLINGBURY BARLOW 1T MITCHELL 

Sun Apr 2 14:30 A Workington Town (L1CupQF) 22-30 MITCHELL AGORO WILLIAMS COWBURN 2T BARLOW 1T FALLON 

Sun Apr 9 15:00 H London Skolars (KPL1) 22-24 COWBURN AGORO 2T BRICKHILL NIELD BARLOW FALLON 

Fri April 14 15:00 A South Wales Ironmen (KPL1) 30-36 NIELD AGORO 3T COWBURN 1T KISLINGBURY 1T BARLOW WARD 

Sun April 30 15:00 H North Wales Crusaders (L1CupSF) 28-37 MITCHELL AGORO 1T COWBURN KISLINGBURY 1T BARLOW 2T WARD 

Sun May 7 15:00 H York City Knights (KPL1) 10-56 NIELD AGORO COWBURN KISLINGBURY 1T BARLOW WARD 2G 

Sun May 14 15:00 H North Wales Crusaders (KPL1) 36-28 MITCHELL AGORO 1T NIELD KISLINGBURY BARLOW STEAD 6G 

Sun May 21 15:00 A Coventry Bears (KPL1) 18-26 MITCHELL 1T AGORO 1T NIELD 1T KISLINGBURY 1T BARLOW 1T STEAD 3G 

Sun Jun 4 15:00 H Newcastle Thunder (KPL1) 10-56 MITCHELL AGORO WILLIAMS KISLINGBURY BARLOW 1T STEAD 1G 

Sun Jun 11 14:00 A Whitehaven (KPL1) 62-6 MITCHELL AGORO 1T NIELD KISLINGBURY BARLOW DAVIES 1G 

Sun Jun 18 14:00 A Hemel Stags (KPL1) 20-32 NIELD AGORO 1T COWBURN KISLINGBURY BARLOW 1T DAVIES 4G 

Sun Jun 25 15:00 H Oxford (KPL1) 

Sat Jul 1 18:30 A Barrow Raiders (KPL1) 

Sat Jul 8 12:00 A Toronto Wolfpack (KPL1) 

Sun Jul 16 15:00 H Doncaster (KPL1) 

THE KEY | Home games appear in bold | KPL1 = Kingstone Press League 1 | KPL1S = Kingstone Press League 1 Shield 

LCC = Ladbrokes Challenge Cup | L1Cup = League 1 Cup | Sin-binned Red Card (Sent Off) | T = Try | G = Goal | DG = Drop Goal 



LTS 2017 

SCRUM HALF PROP HOOKER PROP 2ND ROW 2ND ROW LOOSE FWD SUB 1 SUB 2 SUB 3 SUB 4 

HYDE 5G PURSLOW PARRY (C) 2T WALTER WORRALL McCLEAN 1T ELLIOTT 1T HOUGHTON WILLIAMS 1T LLOYD-JONES KIDD 

HYDE 2G PURSLOW PARRY (C) 2T ELLIOTT WORRALL McCLEAN 1T BRICKHILL MITCHELL ANDRADE LLOYD-JONES KIDD 1T 

HYDE PURSLOW PARRY (C) KIDD JONES McCLEAN ELLIOTT MITCHELL ANDRADE 1T LLOYD-JONES WALTER 

HYDE 5G PURSLOW PARRY (C) 2T KIDD WORRALL McCLEAN BRICKHILL WILLIAMS ELLIOTT 1T FALLON 2G WALTER 

HYDE 3G PURSLOW PARRY (C) 2T KIDD McCLEAN WORRALL BRICKHILL WILLIAMS ELLIOTT ANDRADE WALTER 

HYDE 3G PURSLOW PARRY (C) ELLIOTT WORRALL McCLEAN 1T BRICKHILL LLOYD-JONES ANDRADE WALTER KIDD 

HYDE 5G KIDD 1T PARRY (C) 1T WALTER ELLIOTT McCLEAN WORRALL STEPHENS O’KEEFFE PURSLOW LLOYD-JONES 

HYDE 3G KIDD PARRY (C) 1T WALTER ELLIOTT McCLEAN 1T WORRALL LOBWEIN JONES PURSLOW LLOYD JONES 

HYDE 6G ELLIOTT 1T PARRY (C) PURSLOW MCCLEAN WORRALL BRICKHILL LOBWEIN O’KEEFFE WALTER ANDRADE 

HYDE 2G PURSLOW PARRY (C) 1T KIDD 1T WORRALL McCLEAN BRICKHILL FALLON O’KEEFFE ELLIOTT LLOYD-JONES 

HYDE PURSLOW PARRY (C) 1T ELLIOTT O’KEEFFE McCLEAN WORRALL BRICKHILL REECE KIDD LLOYD-JONES 

FALLON PURSLOW PARRY (C) WALTER REECE 2T McCLEAN WORRALL BRICKHILL 1T ELLIOTT LLOYD-JONES KIDD 2T 

FALLON PURSLOW PARRY (C) WALTER REECE McCLEAN WORRALL BRICKHILL HARGREAVES ELLIOTT KIDD 

FALLON PURSLOW PARRY (C) ELLIOTT REECE WORRALL BRICKHILL WARD HARGREAVES LLOYD-JONES KIDD 1T 

PARRY (C) PURSLOW BRICKHILL KIDD REECE McCLEAN WORRALL HARGREAVES ELLIOTT LLOYD-JONES STEPHENS 

MITCHELL 1T WALTER PARRY (C) 2T KIDD 1T WORRALL McCLEAN BRICKHILL STEPHENS HARGREAVES LLOYD-JONES JONES 


ALL GOLDS 

HEAD COACH: 

LEE GREENWOOD 

OXFORD 

HEAD COACH: 

TIM RUMFORD 

26 

MO AGORO 

CHRIS BARLOW 

BILLY BRICKHILL 

PHIL COWBURN 

COURTNEY DAVIES 

HARRISON ELLIOTT 

BRADLEY HARGREAVES 

RICHARD JONES 

HARRY KIDD 

BRAD KISLINGBURY 

MALIKHI LLOYD-JONES 

JOE McCLEAN 

JACK MITCHELL 

STEVE PARRY (C) 

LEWIS REECE 

LUKE STEPHENS 

JAMES WALTER 

KADEEM WILLIAMS 

CHRIS WORRALL 

THOMAS ALEXANDER 

MARCUS BROOKER 

HARRISON BROUGH 

HARVEY BURNETT 

CASEY CANTERBURY 

ANTHONY COX 

ADAM DENT 

SCOTT-DANIEL FLEMMING 

MARK HAYES 

JAKE JOYNT 

JOSHUA KITTRICK 

DWAINE MCRAE 

BRADLEY MOULES 

LIAM O’CALLAGHAN 

JONATHAN PAYNE 

KANE RILEY 

JORDAN-PAUL SIDDONS 

FRANCIS WELSH 

CALLUM WINDLEY 

REFEREE: M. MANNIFIELD | RESERVE: J. COLLINS 

TOUCH JUDGES: A. GILL, J. TURNER | M COM: D. HAYES 


Oxstalls Campus, Gloucester, GL2 9HW 


@AllGolds facebook.com/AllGoldsRugby 

Tel: 01242 715332 | Official Website: www.allgoldsrugby.com

All Golds v Oxford KPL1 2017 Final

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?