80-453: Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Portway, Birmingham . There have been three rugby clubs, each one a separate legal entity, that have borne the "Birmingham & Solihull" name: The club to bear the ‘Birmingham & Solihull’ name was a merger of Birmingham RFC and Solihull RFC. Birmingham RFC was founded in 1909. Birmingham RFC
160-570: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
240-497: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
320-571: A death threat against a WRU lawyer, but no case was ever brought. In July 2005, the WRU wrote to Bridgend RFC, threatening to sue for over £200,000 owed by the club if they lost the Warriors case; however, the case was ultimately settled in October 2006 without having to go to court. With the demise of the club, players' contracts were effectively torn up as they were pushed around to fill positions in
400-402: A ground share arrangement which lasted for two seasons. The Sharmans Cross Road ground is currently unused. In 2014 the former clubhouse at the ground was damaged by fire. In October 2006 plans were revealed to Bees members for a new multi-purpose £60 million stadium to be built at Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C.'s training ground at Portway. However progress stalled due to Portway being under
480-594: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
560-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
640-412: A new stadium for the Warriors in either Treforest or Llantrisant , financed by the sale of Brewery Field. However, Pontypridd RFC went into administration in October 2003 with debts of £670,000, leading to the sale of their half of the Warriors to Samuel, which he in turn gave to the WRU. In November 2003, they also made the decision to play all future Warriors games at Brewery Field, due in part to
720-534: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
800-470: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
880-486: A temporary merger of Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC . The Celtic Warriors played just one season before disbanding. The Celtic Warriors were one of the five original Welsh regional rugby sides . They were established in the summer of 2003 when the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) controversially elected to reduce the top tier of professional rugby in the country from nine clubs to five regions, attempting to mirror
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#1732794181930960-424: A watersports lake. However, this project came to nothing. In June 2007 the club's coach Steve Williams left with one year still left on his contract to become assistant manager at Magners League side Ulster. Williams, a former Northampton and London Irish player, won 29 caps for Wales. The 2007–08 season began under a split coaching structure in which two former England Sevens internationals had equal control over
1040-538: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
1120-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
1200-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
1280-885: Is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America , the United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when
1360-570: Is named after the road it lies off in Solihull, West Midlands . However, the Bees were obliged to give up the ground following the first club's financial difficulties in the 2009/10 season. A stand was purchased from Worcester Warriors in 2005. Then, in Summer 2010, the Bees (in the form of the second club) left Sharmans Cross Road and moved to local football side Solihull Moors F.C. Damson Park in
1440-422: Is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called
1520-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
1600-1035: The Top 14 in France, the Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
1680-569: The split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at the highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport
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#17327941819301760-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
1840-542: The 2002–03 Welsh Premier League title and Pontypridd RFC performing consistently well in domestic rugby, the Warriors were considered one of the strongest line-ups of the five Welsh regions. However, problems dogged the region from the very start, as they similarly did with the other merged regions of the Neath–Swansea Ospreys and the Newport Gwent Dragons . Discussions and arguments abounded about
1920-470: The 2007–08 season and would return to his post at Hartpury College . The Bees were relegated to National Division Two at the end of the 2007–08 season finishing in 15th position. Following their relegation they would also end the clubs association with the Pertemps Group losing the moniker of 'Pertemps Bees' and changing back to using the club's official name. Birmingham & Solihull finished
2000-513: The 2008–09 season as winners of National Division Two and were promoted to the newly formed Championship . Fly half Mark Woodrow finished as top point scorer within the National Leagues and winger Simon Hunt as top try scorer. Sharmans Cross Road was the Bees' main ground until the end of the 2009/10 season. They owned the freehold of the car park & leased the remaining land from Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council. The ground
2080-455: The 2012–13 season the Bees moved to what had formerly been their training ground, Portway. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby , is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game
2160-611: The International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845, the first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895,
2240-513: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
2320-820: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
2400-476: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
2480-480: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C. - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-553: The Warriors. Samuel ultimately accepted that the WRU had bought his share of the team, but that he would be challenging the sale on the basis that the WRU had misrepresented their intention to keep the Warriors going. Despite claims that the team would continue for at least another season, it was expected that the union would dissolve the Warriors, following a review by WRU chief executive David Moffett, leaving just four regional sides in Wales. The Warriors' players were then divided among
2640-443: The Warriors. Two months later, it emerged that Samuel had agreed to sell his remaining 50% share of the Warriors to the WRU; however, on 19 May 2004, Samuel claimed that he had withdrawn the offer to sell the region, after the WRU missed his deadline of 14:00 to complete the purchase. The WRU counter-claimed that no deadline had been set and that the funds had been transferred to Samuel by 14:45 that day, making them 100% shareholders of
2720-465: The alias Pertemps Bees for league and marketing purposes, following a five year sponsorship deal with the Pertemps Group (an employment agency). However, the official name of the club remained unchanged during the (prematurely terminated) sponsorship period and 'Bees' has never appeared in any of the three Birmingham & Solihull clubs' official names, although the nickname has persisted &
2800-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
2880-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
2960-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
3040-591: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
3120-588: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
3200-496: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
3280-586: The extra revenue brought in by the 16 hospitality boxes at the Bridgend ground, though they did play one more game at Sardis Road at the start of April 2004. Financial difficulties at the Warriors led to talks of a merger with the Cardiff Blues, but these were quashed in January 2004. In March 2004, Samuel announced that he would be withdrawing his financial backing for Bridgend RFC to focus entirely on
Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C. - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-486: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
3440-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
3520-474: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Celtic Warriors The Celtic Warriors ( Welsh : Y Rhyfelwyr Celtaidd ) were a rugby union team from Wales , who played in the 2003–04 Celtic League and the 2003–04 Heineken Cup following the introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales . They were effectively
3600-522: The first game was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England,
3680-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
3760-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
3840-405: The following season. Solihull's ground at the time of its merger with Birmingham RFC was at Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull. Nickname After the first Birmingham & Solihull Rugby Football Club Ltd was founded it was given the nickname the ' Bees ', it is reputed by a local journalist in a match report, and became widely adopted. In 2001 the club underwent a large scale rebranding , adopting
3920-525: The four remaining teams, and the club was put into liquidation on 1 June 2004. Samuel first brought his legal challenge against the WRU in October 2004, also claiming that he was owed £1.75 million from the sale and in repayment of a "significant financial contribution" made by his company Décor Frame Ltd, and proceedings began in the High Court in April 2005. That June, Samuel was accused of making
4000-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
4080-408: The jurisdiction of Stratford District Council whereas the Bees are a Birmingham & Solihull club. Bees' campaign in the 2009–10 season was blighted by administration. Bees finished the main season on negative points, at the bottom of the table. However a mini-league of the bottom four teams was played to decide relegation. Unfortunately, due to an administration error back in January, Bees started
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#17327941819304160-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
4240-518: The other four regional sides. A number simply chose to turn their back on the Welsh game and moved to teams in England and France . This left the ex-Warriors' fans feeling alienated from the professional game. In the aftermath of the demise of the Warriors, a new rugby league club Celtic Crusaders was formed and played at Brewery Field. They were funded by Leighton Samuel, who claimed that they were
4320-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
4400-462: The play-off league on −2 points. Yet despite the Bees were able to retain their position in the league and avoid relegation However, their stay in English rugby union's second tier was not confirmed until 26 May 2010, when the RFU published a Press Release confirming that the second club had passed an audit of their finances and business plan – and were accepted as full members of the union. For
4480-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
4560-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
4640-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
4720-719: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
4800-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
4880-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
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#17327941819304960-590: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
5040-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
5120-415: The squad. Ben Harvey coached the backs and Russell Earnshaw was player/forwards coach. The coaching structure however was widely viewed as unsuccessful and former Bees scrum-half Harvey was sacked shortly before Christmas. On a temporary basis former Rotherham head coach Andre Bester was appointed to take charge of the side before being replaced by former Wales A coach Allan Lewis . In November 2007 it
5200-611: The successful formats of rugby union in Ireland , South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . Officially representing the Mid Glamorgan area, including Merthyr Tydfil , Aberdare , Pontypridd , Caerphilly , Maesteg and Bridgend , as well as south Powys , in practice the Celtic Warriors were a combination of two Welsh Premier Division clubs: Pontypridd RFC and Bridgend RFC . With Bridgend RFC having clinched
5280-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
5360-545: The team name, colours and home grounds for most of the summer of 2003. The team originally adopted the name "RCT Ravens", reflecting the region's primary location in the county of Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) and Bridgend RFC's nickname, the Ravens; however, this name was rejected due to the fact that Bridgend is not in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Pontypridd supporters objected to the inclusion of Bridgend's nickname. That name
5440-474: The time of its merger with Solihull RFC was at Forshaw Heath Lane, Portway and is where the third club currently plays. Solihull RFC was founded in 1933. Solihull, also an independent club, found difficulty in adjusting to the demands of league rugby too. Seeded in Area League North the club lost all ten games in 1987/88 and having been relegated to Midlands Division One, finished ninth from twelve
5520-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
5600-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
5680-715: Was / is used by the two successor clubs, their supporters etc. Notable events The club is remembered by many fans for their cup success of 2004, in which they caused a significant upset by beating London Wasps 28–24 in the quarter-final of the Powergen Cup overcoming odds of 250–1; they subsequently played Newcastle Falcons in the semi-final, live on BBC television. The club however hit rock bottom just two seasons later in 2005–06 when they finished last in National Division One but were saved from relegation because of league expansion. In October 2006 it
5760-412: Was announced as the head coach. Lewis brought experience to the club after previously holding the role of head coach at Celtic Warriors , Moseley , Newport and Bridgend . Lewis had also worked with the Welsh national squad working as selector, backs coach and Wales A head coach at different times throughout his career. However, by 17 April it was reported that Lewis would not remain at the club past
5840-496: Was announced that Bees were in the planning stage of building a £60 million super stadium at their training ground known as Portway just off Junction 3 of the M42 near Solihull. It would be one of the nation's largest sports villages to rival anything built for the 2012 Olympics. Plans included a regional sports academy, education and conference centre, 12,000 capacity stadium, seven all-weather rugby pitches, archery and shooting ranges and
5920-427: Was announced that Bees would sell their Sharmans Cross Road pitch and play at local football side Solihull Moors Damson Park as part of a ground share arrangement. However, while the second club did later spend two seasons at Damson Park, this particular arrangement was never fulfilled with the first club continuing to play at Sharmans Cross Road until its demise. On 28 January former Llanelli centre Allan Lewis
6000-559: Was dropped in June 2003, and other names, including "Crusaders", "Glamorgan Gladiators" and "Glamorgan Celts", were also rejected, before settling on the Celtic Warriors name in July 2003. In response to the branding issues, as well as the structure of the region's board, Bridgend RFC owner Leighton Samuel resigned as chairman of the Warriors board. Originally, the team decided to play an equal number of games at Bridgend's Brewery Field and Pontypridd's Sardis Road , ahead of plans to build
6080-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
6160-704: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
6240-599: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
6320-652: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
6400-505: Was seeded in Courage National Division Three with Exeter, Fylde, Maidstone, Met Police, Morley, Nuneaton, Plymouth Albion, Sheffield, Vale of Lune, Wakefield and West Hartlepool, when league rugby started in 1987/88. At the end of the first season it was relegated, together with Morley. A second successive relegation followed in 1988/89 after all ten games in Area League North were lost. Birmingham's ground at
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