   WESSEX TOURIST BOARD RUGBY
 
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GUINESS PREMIERSHIP RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUBS
The 12 clubs in the 2009/10 GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP are: Bath Rugby, Gloucester Rugby, Harlequins, Leeds Carnegie, Leicester Tigers, London Irish, London Wasps, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks, Saracens and Worcester Warriors. The GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP 2009/10 commences on the weekend of 4th/5th/6th September 2009.
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  Bath Coach: Steve Meehan Captain: Michael Claassens Established
in 1865, Bath has
been
at the forefront of Rugby Union’s evolution in this country. Bath Rugby
(also known as just Bath) is an English professional rugby union club
that is based in the city of Bath. The club has experienced major
success, having in the past won England's domestic competition, the
Anglo-Welsh Cup (as the John Player and Pilkington Cup), as well as the
Heineken Cup.
Founded in 1865, Bath Football Club is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in existence. They play at the Recreation Ground, also known as the Rec, in the City of Bath. Their CEO is Nick Blofeld (former head of Epsom race course). Not only have we seen the standard of club rugby continue to rise in England, but also all Home Union international sides have benefited from the talent that has pulled on the Bath shirt and the men who nurtured them. |
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Recreation Ground Spring Gardens Bath BA2 6PW Capacity: 11,700 |
Tel: 01225 325200 Fax: 01225 325201 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0871 721 1865 |
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  GloucesterCoach: Bryan
Redpath Captain: Mike Tindall/Gareth Delve
The Club was started in 1873, a recent year in ordinary reckoning but a very long time ago in the history of football. Mr Francis Hartley, an ex-captain of the Flamingoes, one of the best London teams of that day, was mainly instrumental in starting the game, and he got up a scratch team to play against the College school which 25 years ago was in a flourishing condition.Curiously enough that match was played on the present Kingsholm ground, though it was then a playing field for the college boys. The match was considered such a success that games were arranged with Hereford and Worcester but Mr Hartley and his colleagues were ignominiously defeated.The devotees of the game, however, were not daunted by these severe thrashings, and steps were taken to start a club. Messrs Hartley, H.J.Boughton (now President of the County Union) W.A.Boughton, E.T.Garden (the present Clerk of the Peace for the County) and Riddiford were the moving spirits in the movement and after a couple of meetings the Club was successfully launched .The club has no official nickname but are often referred to as the 'Cherry and Whites' by supporters and the media in reference to the traditional hooped shirts worn by the team. Gloucester Rugby's fiercest rivals are Bath, Worcester and Bristol with matches between the four sides being referred to as west country derbies. |
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Gloucester
RFC, Kingsholm Stadium, Kingsholm Road, Gloucester, GL1 3AX Capacity: 16,500 |
Tel: 0871
8718781 Fax: 01452 383321 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0871 871 8781 |
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  HarlequinsCoach:
John
Kingston Captain: Will Skinner
Mascot: Harley and
Charley BearThe Harlequin Football Club was
founded in 1866 (although the first recorded game was not until 1867)
as Hampstead Football Club and renamed in 1870.An offshoot of this was
that there was a split in the membership of the Hampstead Football Club
and the half that did not form the Harlequins went off and formed a
club known as the Wasps. For our first 40 years, we were very
nomadic in our existence and played at a total of 15 venues. Since
1909, we have only played at three! In 1906, Quins were invited by the
Rugby Football Union to use the new national stadium in Twickenham. In
1963 we moved to the Twickenham Stoop . The club have won the
Rugby Football Union Clubs knockout competition on two occasions. The
John Player Cup in 1988 and Pilkington Cup in 1991. In addition they
played in the finals of 1992, 1993 and 2001. Quins became the first
British side to win the European Shield in 2001, defeating Narbone
42-33 in the final. They then became the first team to win the
tournament twice; defeating Montferrand 27-26 in the final of the
renamed Parker Pen Challenge Cup on 22nd May 2004.
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Twickenham
Stoop
Stadium Langhorn Drive Twickenham Middlesex Capacity: 14,816 |
Tel: 020 8410 6000 Fax: 020 8410 6001 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0871 527 1315 |
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  Leeds CarnegieCoach: Andy Key Captain: Marco
Wentzel
Mascot: Terry The Terrier
Leeds RUFC was
originally formed in 1992 by a merger of Roundhay and Headingley. In
turn Leeds RUFC became Leeds Tykes after the club was bought by Paul
Caddick and became part of Leeds Rugby Limited, the world's first dual
code rugby partnership which saw one company controlling and running a
professional teams in Rugby League (Leeds Rhinos) and Rugby Union
(Leeds Tykes).
However, following the Championship winning campaign of 2006-07, it was announced that Leeds Metropolitan University had entered into a joint venture with the club and taken a majority stake in Leeds Tykes, with the club renamed Leeds Carnegie for their return to the Guinness Premiership. |
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Headingley
Carnegie
Stadium St Michael's Lane Headingley Leeds LS6 3BR Capacity: 20,500 |
Tel: 08450 700881 Fax: 08450 70082 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 08700 60 60 50 |
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  Leicester
TigersCoach: Richard Cockerill Captain: Geordan Murphy Mascot: Leicester Tigers Founded in 1880, Leicester
Football Club, or Leicester Tigers as they are more commonly known,
have gone on to become one of the most successful and well-known rugby
clubs in the world. The club was formed in August
1880 at a meeting in the George Hotel, Leicester and was an
amalgamation of three clubs: Leicester Societies AFC, Leicester Amateur
FC and Leicester Alert. Leicester Football Club played their first game
that October against Moseley at the Belgrave Cricket and Cycle Ground
in their original club colours of black. It was towards the end
of the 1970s that Tigers really began to grow. At the start of the
decade the club had just 600-700 members and gates less of than 1,000.
By end of the '70s, Tigers had reached their first cup final and the
club was on its way towards a substantial period of growth. Supporters
and players alike attributed this change in attitude to the presence of
Chalkie White, who came to Leicester in 1968. He was a very forward
thinking coach with high standards in terms of fitness and tactical
awreness. His unique style of coaching brought the team success on the
pitch and with that success came an increase in supporter
numbers. The 70s was a fantastic era for the famous Barbarians
fixture where, in contrast with the usual 750-2000 spectators, the team
played in front of a packed house at Welford Road. In the 1980s, the
club still enjoyed the benefits of amateur rugby with nights away and
Easter tours, but off the pitch they were taking their first steps
towards corporate sponsorship. The turn of the century saw an
impressive run of success for Leicester Tigers as they took the
Premiership title for four years in a row from 1998-2002 and became the
first team to win the European Cup in successive seasons.
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Welford
Road Aylestone Road Leicester LE2 7TR Capacity: 24,000 |
Tel: 0116 254 1607 Fax: 0116 285 4766 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 08701 28 34 30 |
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  London
IrishCoach: Tony Booth Captain: Bob Casey Mascot: Digger the Wolfhound As the 19th century drew to a
close there was a consensus of opinion on both sides of the Irish Sea
that a sporting club for Irishmen in London was badly needed. Part of
the inspiration for this was the example of the exiles from the other
home countries, London Scottish had been formed in 1878 and London
Welsh seven years later in 1895. These clubs offered their countrymen a
home away from home in London, a place to meet and relax while
employment or education or other reasons took them away from their home
country. So it was in 1898 that a
group of Irishmen came together to form their own club, the London
Irish Rugby Football Club. The founding fathers were an exceptional
group of powerful personalities embracing politicians, lawyers and
businessmen united by a sense of Irishness and passion for rugby. From
the beginning London Irish was to provide a welcoming "home" and
hospitable meeting place for all Irish people, regardless of creed or
politics. The 1990s were a period of great change for rugby throughout
the world. London Irish appointed Clive Woodward as Coach in 1995 and
he was to play an important role in ensuring the club was positioned to
stay among the upper echelons of the game when it went professional in
August 1996. Encouraged by its success in making Madejski Stadium
a ‘home from home’, the club entered into an agreement with Reading FC
in 2008 that will see London Irish play its home matches at the stadium
until 2025.
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Madejski
Stadium Junction 11, M4 Reading RG2 0FL Capacity: 24,105 |
Tel: 01932 783034 Fax: 1932784462 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0870 999 1871 |
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  London
WaspsCoach: Tony Hanks Captain: Paul Rees Mascot: Sting Wasps RUFC was originally
formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North
London, before the advent of the Rugby Football Union as an
administrative body. The Club's first home was in Finchley Road,
North London although subsequent years saw grounds being rented in
various parts of London. In 1923 Wasps moved to their previous home of
Sudbury, eventually buying the ground outright. Although the team
currently grace the Adams Park Stadium, High Wycombe, on home
matchdays, the Sudbury clubhouse still exists and Sudbury is still
considered the Club's spiritual home by diehard fans. The history of
Wasps is a long and proud one and if next season is anything like the
past few years, the loyal fans of Wasps are in for some great
times. London Wasps is certainly a Club and Team to be proud of
and we look forward to this Rugby World Cup year to see our stars set
the world alight.
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Adams
Park Hillbottom Rd High Wycombe HP12 4HJ Capacity: 10,516 |
Tel: 020 89938298 Fax: 020 89932621 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0870 414 15 15 |
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  Newcastle
FalconsCoach: Steve Bates Captain: Carl Hayman Mascot: Flash the Falcon The Newcastle Falcons story
dates back to 1877, when a group of old boys from Durham School met in
a private house in Gosforth to discuss the formation of a new rugby
club in the area. From there, the Gosforth Football Club was born, with
its first game taking place in November of that year. Maintaining its
links with Durham School, Gosforth played in the school’s colours of
green and white hoops, right through until the 1990s. The 1996/7 season
saw the first under the current name of Newcastle Falcons, and the club
also changed its home colours to black and white. That year saw the
team rise through the second tier of English club rugby and clinch
promotion to the Premiership, scoring masses of points on the
way. So, after more than a century-and-a-quarter of existence, it
is clear that the history of Newcastle Falcons – under whichever name
and at whichever ground – has been one of great persistence and
resilience, under-pinned by the dedication of those charged with its
upkeep, and its loyal and growing support base.
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Kingston
Park Brunton Road Kenton Bank Foot Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE13 8AF Capacity: 10,000 |
Tel: 0191 214 5588 Fax: 0191 2715213 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0871 226 60 60 |
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  Northampton SaintsCoach: Jim Mallinder Captain: Dylan Schofield Mascot: Bernie the St. Bernard The
history of Northampton Rugby Football Club goes back to 1880. A local
clergyman, the Reverend Samuel Wathen Wigg, was credited with starting
the Saints. He formed a rugby team from something called the church
improvement class as a way for some high-spirited boys to let off
steam. Franklin’s Gardens was formerly a pleasure gardens and small
zoo. In the 2007/8 season, the team played in England's second tier,
National Division One, but has returned to the Guinness Premiership for
the 2008/9 season, having clinched the ND1 championship with their
victory over Exeter Chiefs on March 22, 2008.
The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. The club won their first - and only - major trophy when they defeated Munster in the 1999-2000 Heineken Cup final. The Saints are back where they belong. But the hard work starts now... |
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Franklin
Gardens Weedon Road Northampton NN5 5BG Capacity: 13,591 |
Tel: 01604 599110 Fax: 01604 751543 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 01604 581000 |
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  Sale SharksCoach: Kingsley Jones Captain: Dean Schofield Mascot: Sharky The club is an
offshoot of Sale F.C., which is based in Sale, Greater Manchester, but
Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with
Stockport County F.C.
Part of the process of creating a rugby union team to represent the North West region has been in the development of a strong academy. Through their junior team The Jets (presumably named to go alongside The Sharks as a reference to West Side Story) , the club has developed many talented home-grown players, including; Steve Hanley, Mark Cueto, Dean Schofield, Chris Jones, Andy Titterrell and Charlie Hodgson as well as taking on Jason Robinson when he converted codes after leaving Wigan Rugby League Club. |
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Edgeley
Park Hardcastle Road Stockport Cheshire SK3 9DD Capacity: 10,641 |
Tel: 0161 286 8888 Fax: 0161 286 8900 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 08444 994994 |
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  SaracensCoach: Brendan Venter Captain: Steve Borthwick Mascot: Sarrie the Camel based in St.
Albans – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in
Watford. Saracens were founded in 1876 by the Old Boys of the
Philological School in Marylebone, London (later to become St
Marylebone Grammar School). Saracens amalgamated with neighbouring club
Crusaders two years later. In 1892 Saracens moved from Crown Lane,
Southgate, to Firs Farm, Winchmore Hill then played on nine different
grounds before the move to Bramley Road for the 1939-40 season
(although the war actually prevented them from playing there until
1945). They are currently members of the Guinness Premiership, the top
level of domestic rugby union in England. Now incorporated as Saracens
Ltd, the club was established in 1876 as the Saracens Football Club.
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Vicarage
Road Stadium Watford WD18 0EP Capacity: 18,214 |
Fax: 01923 475275 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 01923 475222 |
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  Worcester WarriorsCoach: Mike Ruddock Captain: Pat Sanderson The Worcester
Rugby Football Club are an English rugby union club and use the
nickname Warriors. They also compete in the Anglo-Welsh EDF Energy Cup
and the European Rugby Cup competitions, as well as this they
participate in the Guinness A League. The club's kit is made by sports
manufacturer Cotton Traders and they are sponsored by npower.
The club was founded in 1871 by the Reverend Francis John Ede, with the first known game played against the Artillery on November 8th 1871. The club began playing at Bevere in Worcester in 1954 and left Bevere for Sixways in 1975 when the clubhouse was opened. They play at Sixways Stadium, and the team colours are blue and gold. Their nearest rivals are Gloucester and Bristol rugby clubs. |
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Sixways
Stadium Warriors Way Worcester WR3 8ZE Capacity: 12,024 |
Tel: 01905 454 183 Fax: 01905454183 Website Buy Merchandise Buy Tickets Ticket Hotline: 0870 990 5650 |
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CORNISH PIRATES
ESHER
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An
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Tom Rees, Simon Shaw, Danny Cipriani and James Haskell have posed naked for a women's magazine | Canturbury
Ladies
Rugby Club Calendar Girls 2007 |
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CALENDAR GIRLS
 It's enough to make England's World Cup heroes Martin Johnson and Jonny Wilkinson blush! A group of Cheshire women are appearing in a nude calendar to raise money for a cancer charity and Congleton Rugby Club. The calendar - Girls With Balls – was inspired by the recent British blockbuster movie Calendar Girls, and features the wives, mums and girlfriends of members of the Club wearing very little... but it's all in a good cause! The twenty-four ladies of Congleton, who get their kit off in the dressing rooms, on the pitch and behind the bar, hope to raise at least £10,000 from the calendar. Dawn Gibbins, a participant and a member of the calendar organising committee, said: " The enthusiasm and courage that the women had was just roaring. We got them to fill in a questionnaire to say what parts they would be happy to expose and then had a couple of brainstorming meetings. The days when we were shooting were absolutely fantastic, so much fun! " Raising
cash
for good causes
The women were keen
to raise awareness of the rugby club and provide some much needed
funds, especially to invest in their 100 “Minis” - the young players
that turn up to enjoy rugby every Sunday. But the calendar will also
raise cash for the charity Against Breast Cancer, chosen for its
emphasis on prevention of the disease. Dawn added: “Quite a few of the ladies had got
connections with those who had suffered”. |
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