Tribute Man of the Match Winner – Cam Taylor – Sponsored by Atlantic Reach.
Cornwall & Royal Navy end honours even under Tregorrick lights
CORNWALL 26 – 26 ROYAL NAVY
By Bill Hooper, Tregorrick Park, St. Austell
Cornwall began their preparations for this season’s Bill Beaumont Cup campaign in an exciting match against a very lively Royal Navy side which ended all square on the night.
Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for former referee and St. Austell club stalwart Fred Woods.
After a cagy opening it was the Navy who landed the first salvo when their wing Kane Teear-Bourge plucked a Cornish pass as the Black & Golds looked to play out of their twenty-two, to fly in under the posts, full back Ben Chambers added the simple conversion.
Roared on by the one thousand plus Tregorrick Park crowd, flanker Adam Hughes steamed up to the Navy twenty-two, the ball was re-cycled quickly by the forwards who went through a couple of phases before the ball got to wing Harry Larkins, via a Josh Matavesi pass, the wing darting into the corner to score, full back Matt Shepherd judging the conversion to perfection.
Cornwall kept the momentum going when hooker Luis Powell finished off a great phase of play for the Black & Gold’s second try, which went unconverted.
The nip and tuck of the game continued as Navy skipper Kye Beasley made good ground into the Cornwall twenty-two, from an ensuing maul the Navy got over the line with hooker Jack Wright credited with the score.
Teear-Bourge time and again showed his pace out wide keeping the Cornwall defence on it’s toes.
Just before half-time Wright got his second try, again from a powerful Navy maul, with Chambers adding the extras, Navy turned around at the break 19-12 up.
Shepherd, fly-half Will Hennessy and flanker Cam Taylor had caught the eye for Cornwall in the opening period.
Kickable penalties were ignored by both sides as they looked to their set-piece. From a kick to the corner Cornwall got the drive on for Powell to score his second try of the game, Shepherd adding the extras to tie the scores.
With the game well into the final quarter and both sides emptying their benches, Cornwall’s No.8 Brandon Rowley cut a fine line to dot down a fourth try for the Black & Golds, Shepherd judging his third conversion to perfection.
Navy had a final broadside up their sleeves; a chip over the Cornwall defence was seized upon by Teear-Bourge who steamed in unopposed under the sticks for Danny Ronald to tie the game with his conversion.
Both sides had chances to win it, but a draw was a fair result at the final whistle.
The Tribute man-of-the-match award went to St. Austell’s No.7 Cam Taylor, sponsored by Atlantic Reach.
After the final whistle, Cornwall head coach was satisfied with the result. He said. “Credit to the boys, they played for the shirt tonight, we can look back and perhaps if one or two lineouts had gone our way we could have made more of it. Our scrum went well, thought the reserve front row went well when they came on, overall we missed some chances in that second half.
“Hopefully the lads will go away and train hard, improve their fitness and look to fight their way into the squad come May.”
CRFU Chairman, Dave Saunter thanked St. Austell RFC for hosting the game and thanked the match sponsors for their valuable support.
Cornwall (Launceston unless stated): Matt Shepherd (St. Austell), Lewis Thomas (Redruth), Josh Semmens (Pirates Ams), Josh Matavesi (Capt,), Harry Larkins (both Camborne, Will Hennessy (Truro), CJ Boyce (St. Austell); Ethan Pearce-Cowley, Luis Powell (Truro), Declan Prowse (Camborne), Albert Horne, Dan Goldsmith, Adam Hughes (Camborne), Cam Taylor (St. Austell), Brandon Rowley.
Replacements: Peter Harris (St. Austell), Adam Strick (Penryn), James Lambourn (Pirates Ams), Mark Vian (St. Austell), Chris Fuca (Camborne), Adam Powell (Liskeard/Looe), Will Tanswell (Camborne), Freddie Davies (Devonport Services), Cameron Fogden, Ben Bryant.
Tries; Larkins 15, Powell 23, 54, Rowley 67, Cons, Shepherd 16, 55, 68
Royal Navy: Ben Chambers, Kane Teear-Bourge, AJ King, Jesse Lowe, Kristen Dobson, Dan Rutter, Jay Toogoog; Kye Beasley (Capt), Jack Wright, Dom Cleverley, Dan MacAdams, Will Scott, George Wagstaff, Ben Mallet, Chris Mills.
Replacements: Connor Turgood, Harry Wright, Tam Lindsay, Lewis Sutton, Evan Williams, Robbie Hume, Ronald, Ryder, Briggs, Hall, Duncan.
Tries: Teear-Bourge 9, 88, Wright 28, 39, Cons, Chambers 10, 40, Ronald 89
Referee: James Milliner-Woodcock
Crowd: 1,025
Park & Ride St. Austell RFC, Cornwall v Royal Navy
County Fixtures – Updated
Kick-off times and price of ground entry to home games will be advised nearer the time of the fixture.
County Senior XV
Weds 28 February, Cornwall 26 – 26 Royal Navy @ St. Austell RFC
Weds 27 March, TAMAR CUP, Devon 28 – 5 Cornwall @ Ivybridge RFC
BILL BEAUMONT CUP
Sat 18 May, Surrey v Cornwall @ Esher RFC 2 pm
Sat 25 May, Kent v Cornwall @ Charlton Park RFC 2 pm
Sat 1 Jun, Cornwall v Hampshire @ Redruth RFC. 3 pm
Cornwall Under 20s
Weds 24 January, Cornwall U.20 48 – 7 Camborne School of Mines @Hayle RFC
Weds 21 February, Cornwall U.20 v Cornwall Clubs XV @ St. Austell RFC, Cancelled due to weather
JASON LEONARD CUP
Sun 10 Mar, Cornwall U.20 7 – 41 Devon U.20 @ Camborne RFC
Sun 21 Apr, Somerset U.20 22 – 34 Cornwall U.20 @ Taunton RFC
Sun 5 May, Gloucestershire U.20 v Cornwall U.20 @ Stow-on-the-Wold RFC 2 pm
Cornwall Women
Women’s Tamar Cup
Cornwall Women v Devon Women – CANCELLED
GILL BURNS CUP DIVISION 2
Sun 12 May, Cornwall Women v Hampshire Women @ Truro RFC, 2:30 pm
Sun 19 May, Hertfordshire Women v Cornwall Women @ Tabard RFC, 2:30 pm
Sun 26 May, Somerset Women v Cornwall Women @ Taunton RFC, 2:30 pm
Sponsor Spotlight – MSB Helston
Cornwall Rugby Football Union are proud to unveil yet another primary sponsor MSB Group Mechanical & Electrical LTD
MSB Group Mechanical & Electrical LTD are an experienced and professional team of mechanical and electrical engineers.
They specialise in all aspects of electrical and mechanical applications including gas, appliance repair, install and maintenance for large commercial operators.
They are based in Helston, Cornwall and their team of industry experts are able to operate anywhere in the UK.
Their professional and extensive services are also available for domestic customers.
Four Cornish Lads represent SW in Regional games
Forty-five boys attended Hartpury college in early February for a south west under 18 selection.
These four lads from Cornwall were selected in the team of twenty-three players;
Dan Bennett Truro RFC (formally of St Austell RFC)
Kaea Griffiths Penzance & Newlyn RFC
Sam Vickery Launceston RC (Formerly of Bude RFC)
Idris Logan Helston RFC
They attended a 3 day England RFU development camp at Warwickshire university and ended with a 31 – all draw against the North counties development team. Sam Vickery scored in this game
On Sunday they all played London and south East at Cotham RFC and ended with a good win 22 – 12.
Congratulations to Dan, Kaea, Sam & Idris on their achievements, looking mighty fine with their SW Divisional Caps.
Sponsor Spotlight
CRFU are delighted to introduce another new sponsor for this season. Lusty Glaze. This privately owned cove has been crowned Britain’s Best Beach by the Sunday Times and named Cornwall’s most Instagrammable Wedding Venue.
Lusty Glaze is purely a slice of Cornish Heaven.
Check out 129 Restaurant – www.onetwentynine.co.uk for an unforgettable eatery experience with view defying description.
Sponsor’s Spotlight
Today we turn the spotlight on Ann’s Pasties
The CRFU are delighted to welcome back Ann’s Pasties as one of our valued sponsors for 2024.
Here is a little background information on our pasty provider;
About Ann
All of the women in my mother’s Cornish family traditionally made pasties.
I learned to make pasties in an emergency, I was summoned by my mother, Hettie Merrick, a professional pasty-maker, to a Breton agricultural fair, where demand was dramatically and unexpectedly outstripping supply at a stall mother had set up. At the end of a day of pasty-making, I could crimp them as fast as my mother, which was the perfect confidence boost and eye opener into the fact that there was a business to be had producing a good Cornish pasty.
Soon afterwards I began making pasties for my neighbours, who’d bring gifts of fresh fish they’d caught or vegetables they’d grown, and who treated my living room like a waiting room, sitting around gossiping over cups of tea if the pasties hadn’t come out of the oven yet.
Inspired by the response, mother and I started selling our wares from a stall at the nearby market town of Helston. We soon found business good enough to graduate to a shop in Porthleven. But when juggling family and pasty shop became too much, my husband transformed the garage of our house at the Lizard into a pasty kitchen, where I was able to crimp with one eye on the family.
The business has since flourished, so much so that my son Fergus has stepped in to help keep up with the demand! The family recipe lives on through Fergus who makes a pasty so good even mother approves!
Age Grade Festivals & Cup Finals Dates
County Festivals; U7 – U14 & Age Group Cup Finals
The dates and venues for the age group festivals for 2023/24 season.
Under 7/8 – Sunday 28th April – Penryn RFC
Under 9 – Sunday 21st April – St. Austell RFC
Under 10 – Sunday 14th April – Truro RFC
Under 11 – Sunday 28th April – Launceston RC
Under 12 – Sunday 21st April – St. Ives RFC
Under 13 – Sunday 14th April – Liskeard-Looe RFC
Under 14 – Sunday 4th May – Newquay Hornets RFC
Under 15 Cup Finals Day – Sunday 21st April – Camborne RFC
Under 16 Cup Finals Day – Sunday 28th April – Newquay Hornets RFC (Boys & Girls)
Colts Cup Finals Day – Saturday 20th April – Hayle RFC, 4 finals from 10 am
CRFU launch Cornwall Women’s Cup
A new Cup competition for Cornwall’s Women’s Cup is set to be launched next month.
Teams will compete in a Super 20 format with the whole competition taking place on Sunday 24th March at Truro RFC.
Further details to be released nearer the date.
