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Regent Edition - ENHANCED
- news - results - div one - div two - div three - statistics - averages - honours - - rider search: gsa/age - rider search: name - transfer list - international standings/averages -
Comment now on the latest news at the Forum KEEP DIGGING Rugby seek domestic grand slam Rugby remain in the hunt to complete a domestic clean sweep of competition wins later this season after reaching the final of the Division One Cup. It’s the only major club competition they have yet to win—outside of the European Cup—in their 28 years in the sport, Valeri Elin and Zygmunt Jablonski having secured a long awaited maiden Pairs success for one of the founder members of the league earlier in the campaign. The Gravediggers have struggled for any sort of success previously in the Division One Cup, exiting at the group stage in all ten of their appearances at this level prior to SL28. Their maiden semi-final went all the way to the wire, with opponents Bridgwater leading on aggregate in the second leg at Rugby’s Fugiendo Vincimus right up until the very final race, that despite holding just a two point advantage from their own home meeting. It was the Pairs Champions that took it over the line for the hosts, Elin (14) racing to his fourth win in the decider, backed up by Jablonski who held off Odell Espeseth in an exciting four-lap tussle for the all-important second spot. It was Rugby’s second 5-1 of the meeting, earning them a 47-43 success on the night and completing victory on aggregate by two. That was also the margin of success in the second semi-final, with Whitemoor coming out on top in yet another fiery battle with Chalvington, the side that had eliminated them from the KO Cup just last week. Winners by two, but the Witches had secured their second successive year as Division One Cup finalists by the end of heat 14, a race in which reserve Eugeny Kolesnikov (12) earned his fourth victory of the meeting.TODAY: Shorts Glasshoughton will bid to win the Division Two Cup for a record breaking third time when they take on SL12 winners Smethwick in this years final. The two through to the decider following solid home second leg successes in their last four ties this week, with the Meerkats completing an impressive 16 point aggregate victory over Plymouth with a 53-37 win. Much closer for the Gazelles, who beat Claygate by four thanks to a 49-41 win, the unbeaten Adam Schofield (15) and Joshua Russell ending the visitors resistance with a last heat 4-2. Meanwhile ten point aggregate victories over Great Barr and Haleswoen respectively, earned SL15 and SL23 winners Kesgrave plus competition rookies Bradwell places in this years Division Three Cup final.
After five career runners-up finishes it was success at last for George Bull in a WSO meeting this week. Claiming second in the SL24 WU21 Final was the biggest prize to date for the now 24 year old Sedgemoor number one, the British title earned at Glasshoughton tops that, a deserved victory for the rider who cost the Rebels £1million when he moved from Holt earlier this season, the only dropped point in his five rides coming in his opener in the final against Andy James (13). Crucially three-time winner of the competition James blotted his copybook when finishing only third in heat ten, while Bull won all four of his remaining races, including against pre-meeting favourite and SL26 Champion Mike Conlon (9) in heat 11.
The third GP of the year provided the third different winner of the current series. A maiden success for one of the SL28 rookies in Kassel, with the German round victory going the way of 35 year old Krakow number one Taavi Raudnagel (13), who finished a point clear of Bridgwater’s Odell Espeseth in the standings. Defending World Champion Bengt Karim took third after beating leading Brit’ Mike Conlon and Deniz Rask in a race-off.
In division one the gap between leaders Whitemoor and second placed Bridgwater remains at four points after the two both won home and away. However they’ve pulled further clear of Chalvington, whose only point in the latest rounds of fixtures came in a home draw with bottom side Wordsley, a meeting in which former British Champion, 37 year old Gary Stant—who also won the WU21 title some 17 years ago—scored 10+1 for the Wizards at reserve. Whitemoor’s seventh away victory of the campaign was returned at Oxford, 42-48, while heat 11, 13 and 15 5-1’s involving Bernd Hoover (13+1) took Bridgwater to a 41-49 success at fourth placed Rugby. Earlier the Gravediggers gained a point for a draw at Sedgemoor, a side that then went on to beat Nottingham on the road, 44-46. That result a blow for the Red Stars hopes of avoiding relegation this season, it wiping out the good work done at Wordsley, where 11+1 from second string Stephen Charnock had taken them to a 44-46 victory. In division two there was a second success away win for March in the league, they coming out on top at then third placed Plymouth, 44-46, to move above the Pilgrims in the standings.
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