- Plymouth Albion R.F.C.
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Plymouth Albion 
Full name Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club Founded 1875 Location Plymouth, England Ground(s) The Brickfields Coach(es) 
Pete DrewettLeague(s) RFU Championship 2010–11 10th Official website www.plymouthalbion.com Coordinates: 50°22′15.78″N 4°10′13.12″W / 50.37105°N 4.1703111°W
Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club who play in Plymouth, England. The club was founded around 1915 from a merger between Plymouth RFC and Devonport Albion RFC. Since 2003 they have played their home games at The Brickfields stadium.
Albion's traditional strip and club colours are white, strawberry (red or cherry) and green.
Contents
Plymouth RFC
Formed 1875, the club played at South Devon Place.
In 1912, the Northern Union attempted to form a Western League of clubs in Devon and Cornwall. Huddersfield beat Oldham 31-26 in an exhibition game at South Devon Place in front of 8,000 spectators and as a result a meeting was held and the Plymouth Northern Union club was formed.
In July, the Northern Union club took over South Devon Place and as a result Plymouth RFC disbanded, later to re-emerge as part of a merger with Devonport Albion to become Plymouth Albion.
Devonport Albion RFC
Albion was formed in 1876 from apprentices at Devonport Dockyard and originally played at Devonport Park. After moving to Bladderly in 1887 they then moved to Home Park in 1893. The club stayed at Home Park for one season only, returning to Bladderley Lane in 1894, then, in 1896, Albion took a 14-year lease of Rectory grounds,[1] (the current home of Devonport Services R.F.C.).
Current club
At match between Plymouth Albion and Cornish Pirates at the The Brickfields in 2007
The current club continued at the Rectory until an enforced move in 1957 to Beacon Park. In 2003, they moved from the run-down Beacon Park ground to a considerably more modern ground, The Brickfields, in Devonport. The Brickfields also has an adjacent athletics stadium.
Albion were a major force in English rugby union in the 1920s having five internationals on their books at one time. Around this time they attracted a crowd of 18,000 to a midweek game against Oxford University which established a record crowd for a club match in England which was not exceeded until the 1980s.
They were promoted to National Division One in 2002, and finished third in the 2003/04 season. Observers say it was Plymouth Albion's best position nationally since the 1920s. On their way to promotion, the team went on a two season unbeaten streak of over 50 games, starting when the club was in Division Three South and ending after their promotion to National Division One.
The major local rivals are Exeter Chiefs who also have an impressive new stadium at Sandy Park perched above the services junction of the M5. Devon local derbies have become major popular events.Together these clubs have reinvigorated the passion for rugby in the county.
Current Standings
2011-12 RFU Championship Table watch · edit · discuss Club Played Won Drawn Lost Points For Points Against Points Difference Bonus Points Points 1 Cornish Pirates 10 6 3 1 293 215 78 5 35 2 Bristol 10 7 0 3 243 205 38 6 34 3 London Welsh 10 6 1 3 286 195 91 7 33 4 Bedford Blues 10 6 1 3 311 230 81 7 33 5 Rotherham Titans 10 6 1 3 261 192 69 6 32 6 Doncaster Knights 10 5 1 4 224 236 -12 6 28 7 Leeds Carnegie 10 6 0 4 209 248 -39 2 26 8 Nottingham 10 4 2 4 252 233 19 4 24 9 Plymouth Albion 10 4 0 6 204 247 -43 2 18 10 London Scottish 10 3 0 7 236 269 -33 6 18 11 Moseley 10 2 1 7 212 281 -69 4 14 12 Esher 10 0 0 10 125 305 -180 0 0 - If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Number of matches won
- Difference between points for and against
- Total number of points for
- Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams
- Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled
Green background are promotion play-off places. Pink background are relegation play-off places. Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.
Player Position Union Chey Bryce Hooker EnglandGareth Evans Hooker EnglandRupert Freestone Hooker EnglandRyan Hopkins Prop EnglandMark Manton Prop EnglandDavid Morton Prop 
ScotlandJordan Patey Prop EnglandDan Collier Lock EnglandTyler Hotson Lock 
CanadaOwain Lloyd Flanker 
WalesWayne Sprangle Flanker EnglandSean-Michael Stephen (c) Flanker CanadaJamie Tripcony Flanker EnglandAaron Carpenter Number 8 CanadaPlayer Position Union Ruairi Cushion Scrum-half 
IrelandAlex Jeffery Scrum-half EnglandJohn Broadley Scrum-half EnglandKenni Fisilau Centre 
TongaCameron Mitchell Centre ScotlandJamie O'Gallagher Centre EnglandSteve Johns Wing EnglandFionn McLoughlin Wing IrelandMark Lee Fullback EnglandNat Saumi Fullback 
FijiMax Venables Fullback EnglandTyson Lewis Wing EnglandBevon Armitage Centre EnglandNotable former players
- William "Avon" Davies - Former Wales international centre
- Graham Dawe - Former England international hooker
Jané du Toit - Namibian International prop- Justin Mensah-Coker - Canadian international wing
- David Palu - Tongan international scrum half
Martin Schusterman - Argentinean International flanker- Dan Ward-Smith - English number 8
- Nat Saumi - Fiji international Full back
- Rory Watts-Jones - Current Wales 7's international player
References
External links
RFU Championship 2011-12 Teams Bedford Blues · Bristol · Cornish Pirates · Doncaster Knights · Esher · Leeds Carnegie · London Scottish · London Welsh · Moseley · Nottingham · Plymouth Albion · Rotherham Titans ·Seasons Rugby union in England Governing body Rugby Football Union • Rugby Football Union for WomenNational teams England • England Saxons • 7's • U-20 • U-21 • U-19 • U-18 • Schoolboys • Women's • British and Irish Lions • England Counties XVCompetition Divisions Premiership • National Leagues • London and SE Division • Northern Division • Midland Division • South West DivisionNational Competitions Aviva Premiership • LV Cup • The Championship • British and Irish Cup • National League 1 • National League 2 North • National League 2 South • National League 3 Midlands • National League 3 North • National League 3 South East • National League 3 South West • EDF Energy TrophyLondon and South East Competitions London 1 North • London 1 South • London 2 North East • London 2 North West • London 2 South East • London 2 South West • London 3 North East • London 3 North West • London 3 South East • London 3 South West • Eastern Counties 1 • Eastern Counties 2 • Essex Canterbury Jack 1 • Essex Spitfire 2 • Hampshire 1 • Hampshire 2 • Herts/Middlesex 1 • Herts/Middlesex 2 • Herts/Middlesex 3 • Herts/Middlesex 4 • Shepherd Neame Kent 1 • Shepherd Neame Kent 2 • Surrey 1 • Surrey 2 • Surrey 3 • Surrey 4 • Sussex Spitfire 1Midland Competitions Midlands 1 West • Midlands 1 East • Midlands 2 West (South) • Midlands 2 West (North) • Midlands 2 East (South) • Midlands 2 East (North) • Midlands 3 West (North) • Midlands 3 West (South) • Midlands 3 East (North) • Midlands 3 East (South) • Midlands 4 West (North) • Midlands 4 West (South) • Midlands 4 East (North) • Midlands 4 East (South) • Midlands 5 West (North) • Midlands 5 West (South) • Midlands 5 East (North) • Midlands 5 East (South)Northern Competitions North 1 East • North 1 West • North Lancashire/Cumbria • North Lancashire 1 • North Lancashire 2 • Cumbria • South Lancs/Cheshire 1 • South Lancs/Cheshire 2 • South Lancs/Cheshire 3 • Durham/Northumberland 1 • Durham/Northumberland 2 • Durham/Northumberland 3 • Yorkshire 1 • Yorkshire 2 • Yorkshire 3 • Yorkshire 4 • Yorkshire 5 • Yorkshire 6South West Competitions South West 1 East • Tribute South West 1 West • Southern Counties North • Southern Counties South • Tribute Western Counties North • Tribute Western Counties West • Tribute Cornwall/Devon • Tribute Cornwall 1 • Tribute Cornwall 2 • Tribute Devon 1 North and East • Tribute Devon 1 South and West • Gloucester Premier • Gloucester 1 • Gloucester 2 • Gloucester 3 • Tribute Somerset Premier • Tribute Somerset 1 • Tribute Somerset 2 North • Tribute Somerset 2 South • Tribute Somerset 3 North • Tribute Somerset 3 South • Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier • Berks/Bucks & Oxon Prem A • Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 North • Berks/Bucks & Oxon 1 South • Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 North • Berks/Bucks & Oxon 2 South • Dorset & Wilts 1 North • Dorset & Wilts 1 South • Dorset & Wilts 2 North • Dorset & Wilts 2 South • Dorset & Wilts 3 North • Dorset & Wilts 3 South • Dorset & Wilts 3 WestCounty Competitions County Championship Cup • County Championship Shield • County Championship PlateRelated articles International playersCategories:- Sport in Plymouth
- English rugby union teams
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