Somerton
Club Captain, Dan Dury, provides an overview of
the stable player base the club enjoys.
“It has been a great privilege and pleasure for me
to lead Somerton as club captain over the last
season. We are fortunate to have a very talented
squad of players that are capable of rising to
any challenge on the pitch, no matter who the
opposition, when the availability of players allows
the strongest team selection. This has been proven
time and again in the past when we have both
won games, or lost by the smallest margin, to
stronger, very successful teams.
Turning out week after week with a team that
trains and plays together on a regular basis
remains a constant challenge to us and is one of
our strategic objectives we hope to resolve in the
future in terms of continuity of players.
The development work being undertaken with
our U16 boys and U15 girls provides a very exciting
opportunity for the club. One of my personal
ambitions is to do what I can, as club captain, to
promote the suc cessful integration, and transition,
of our U16 squad into the 1st XV, as they get older,
stronger, and become more experienced players.
I would take this opportunity to sincerely thank
my players and the Management Committee
for their continued support and look forward to
another successful season next year.”
Royal Navy
Rugby League
Royal Navy
Rugby League
The Royal Navy Rugby League (RNRL) is based at the US Sports Ground on Burnaby Road
in Portsmouth and they are currently led by the team of President Commodore Alex
Burton RN and Chairman Captain Phil Waterhouse RN. They have made a considerable
amount of progress under their guidance.
The Royal Navy played their first Rugby League
match on the 25th February in 1997 when HMS
Collingwood defeated HMS Collingwood by 42
points to 20. They went on to compete in the
annual Army Rugby League 9s competition which
was held at Chatham and beat a number of teams
including the Parachute Regiment in the final.
They were officially launched on the 17th
September in 1997 when they took on Great
Britain U23s at Burnaby Road, Portsmouth. The
game was funded through sponsorship from local
firms and donations by various Welfare Funds and
was watched by around 1,000 spectators.
this game forwards as they look to string together
a good run of consecutive wins and if they can
continue to perform in the same manner they
should be in with a good chance of doing just
that.
The RNRL 9’s competition is next on the calendar
and is due to be held on Wednesday 14th May. It
is set to be a keenly fought competition as HMS
Sultan look to claim an incredible hat trick of
Although a 3 year period is normally required for
recognition from the Royal Navy Sports Council
they were given exceptional approval in October
of 1997 only 6 months after their first game was
played as there was clear support for getting the
game going.
They have developed well since then and took
victory in their most recent fixture, defeating
Hemel Stags by 28 points to 20 in a hard fought
encounter. This was despite getting off to a slow
start when they found themselves trailing by 8
points to nil.
They rallied however with Emeri Ratucoko and
Mike Haldenby both going over for scores before
half time to turn the game on its head. Tries from
Kev Botwood and Ryan Matthews saw the team
go into the final quarter of the game with Richie
Matthews securing the game with the final try for
the team.
It was a fine victory for them and one which
should provide a great morale boost for the whole
side. They will be looking to take momentum from
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ISSUE 45
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Royal Navy Rugby League
As a trusted, experienced and committed provider of retail,
catering and leisure services, we work in partnership with
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their families overseas and on the front line.
For us it’s more than running shops and clubs; it’s about
making a difference to those who count on our services.
NAAFI wishes to pay its own tribute to the men and women
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