Coventry R.F.C.

Coventry RFC

Full name	Coventry Rugby Football Club
Founded	1874
Ground(s)	Butts Park Arena (Capacity: 4,000)
Coach(es)	Phil Maynard
Captain(s)	Jamie Miller
League(s)	National League One
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.coventryrugby.co.uk

Coventry Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in the city of Coventry, England. The club enjoyed national success during the 1960s and the 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries.

Their home ground is the Butts Park Arena, which was opened in Coventry in 2004. From 1921 to 2004 the club played at Coundon Road Stadium, Coventry.

History

The club was founded in 1874. It was one of the premier rugby clubs in the UK in the 1960s and 1970s and many of its players were capped during that time for England. These included Phil Judd, George Cole, Bill Gittings, Peter Rossborough, John Barton, Barry Ninnes, Keith Fairbrother, Geoff Evans, Peter Preece, Alan Cowman, Graham Robbins and David Duckham. Other top players of that era were John Gray, Brian Holt and Steve Thomas. The club was renowned for exciting attacking rugby. Playing at Coundon Road Stadium, their major local rivals were Moseley, with whom they had a regular and popular Boxing Day fixture. This was in the days when Leicester were a second order force in Midlands rugby. Cardiff and London Welsh were regular visitors. David Duckham scored the most impressive try of his career against London Welsh in a match in 1973. The latest Coventry player to gain an honour was Jamie Miller who represented the Barbarians in November 2008

Coundon Road was a ground of character. On the clubhouse side was the homely, wooden-seated stand. Opposite was the Cowshed, a standing terrace, with a flimsy, corrugated and rusty iron roof that frequently flapped in the breeze, showering rust on its occupants. The Cowshed was renowned for its amusing characters, strong community spirit and ribald comments, which did much to raise the spirit of the Cov players and intimidate the opposition. The City end of the ground was essentially a mix of railway sleepers and shale. All in all a fabulous ground at which the international stars of their day exhibited their skill and flowing rugby in the late 60s and throughout the 1970s, the club's heyday.

Squad 2009-2010

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 Rob Dugard Prop England Kevin Davis Prop England Dai Maddocks Prop Wales Scott Roberts Prop Wales James Hall Prop England Ross McMillan Hooker England Joseph Merrigan Hooker Ireland Sam Herrington Lock England Arthur Brenton Lock England Benjamin Dechartes Lock England Henno Venter Lock South Africa Louis McGlone Lock New Zealand Ben Pons Flanker England Richie Bignall Flanker England Seb Pearson Flanker Canada Jake Abbott Flanker England John Cocker Flanker Tonga

Player Position Union Nathan Jones Scrum-half England David Askew Scrum-half England Greg Goodfellow Scrum-half England Mike Walls Scrum-half Ireland Tommy Hayes Fly-half Cook Islands Fangatapu Apikotoa Fly-half Tonga Joe Carlisle Fly-half England James Thomas Fly-half England George Crook Fly-half England Simon Frewin Centre England Chris Lewis Centre England Kurt Johnson Wing Barbados James Lewis Wing Wales Romain Plantey Wing France Will Hurrell Wing England Ben J. Russell Fullback England Ollie Winter Fullback England

Recent events

Coventry playing their last ever match at Coundon Road in April 2004.

On 23 August 2006, Andrew Green became the new owner and chairman of the club when he bought the club's controlling company (Butts Park Ventures (Coventry) Ltd) from Keith Fairbrother. Andrew Green is a former player and chief executive of Reading R.F.C.

Keith Fairbrother, a former player for the club, had been chairman for eight years. He took over the club after it had gone into receivership in 1998.

Apoua Stewart, the Samoan international full-back, was suspended for two years on 1 November 2006 after testing positive for the banned stimulant ephedrine. In doing so, he has become the first Coventry player to fail a drug test. Stewart gave a positive sample after the game against Earth Titans at the Butts Park Arena on 9 September 2006. He admitted the offence when he appeared before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel at the Filton Holiday Inn Hotel in Bristol.^[1]

On 15 November 2006 the coach Mike Umaga, older brother of Tana Umaga, was suspended following unspecified allegations.^[2] Umaga had been at the club since July 2004, initially as the backs coach, becoming the assistant coach in September 2004, and the head coach in April 2005. He resigned a fortnight later on 27 November 2006. ^[3]

21 June 2007, it was reported that Coventry Rugby Club banned Claire Harrison from their ground after she gave evidence against the club in a dispute between Coventry and the kit supplier for whom she was working. The civil court found against Coventry and the club were ordered to pay Flash UK £4,354 plus interest over the debt and £220 costs.

The statement chronicled events in the case from start to finish, including comments on any possible manipulation of media outlets.^[4]

After a series of poor results, Coventry Rugby Football Club announced that the then coach, Murray Henderson, would be being moved within the club from 17 December 2007. He will be working on developing community aspects of rugby at the club and looking after the development of Warwickshire’s younger players who aspire to play for Coventry. The club are currently looking for a new Rugby Director to replace Mr Henderson. ^[5] The team are currently being coached by Phil Maynard, former coach of local rivals Pertemps Bees.

On 1 December 2009, it was reported that club owner Andrew Green had put the club into voluntary liquidation.^[6][7] It was later reported that this attempt had failed and that the club would instead go into administration.^[8] On 8 January 2010 it was announced that the club had come out of administration with the formation of a new company Coventry Rugby Ltd with investment from businessman Jon Bowles.^[9]

The 2010/11 season saw the return of Phil Maynard, although he got the club relegated into National League 1, the management saw him as the man to start the new era at Coventry Rugby Club. A whole new squad was been formed, alongside new coaching staff. The season started with a heavy loss at Tynedale, but there were positives there. The aim this season was to not get relegated and for the team to gel.

A relegation scrap at the end of the 10/11 season was still not enough to see Phil Maynard sacked and he returns for a further season. The playing budget has been cut and the aim once again is just to avoid relegation.

Although it was announced by Peter Rossborough, at a public meeting at the club that the 2011-12 budget would start lower than that for 2010-11, the starting squad for 2011-12 appears to be as large as that for 2010-11. During 2010-11 it became clear that a number of the players brought in during the shortened closed season in order to ensure that Coventry started with an adequate sized squad to fulfil its fixture list were not likely to play at that level on a regular basis. The squad for 2011-12 appears to have been put together in less of a hurry and to have more players actively considered for places in the first XV team. The Nighthawks team has been reformed, giving fringe players and those requiring games to regain match fitness the chance of match time through lower tier matches against other local opposition.

Notable former players

• David Addleton
• Adam Balding
• Zinzan Brooke
• Richard Cockerill 1991/92
• Fran Cotton
• David Duckham
• Andy Goode
• Matt Goode
• Danny Grewcock
• James Grindal
• Barrie-Jon Mather
• Shaun Perry
• Alan Rotherham
  (IRB Hall of Fame inductee)
• Clem Thomas
• Mike Umaga
• Craig Quick

Previous Coaches

• 2008–Present Phil Maynard (DOR)
• 2008 David Addleton (Acting)
• 2008 Brett Davey
• 2007 Murray Henderson
• 2006 David Addleton (Acting)
• 2005–2006 Mike Umaga
• 2004–2005 Steve Williams
• 2004 John White
• 2003 Mark Donato
• 2002–2003 Mark Ellis
• 2000–2002 Peter Rossborough
• 2000 Harry Roberts
• 1999 Keith Richardson
• 1997–1999 Derek Eves

Club honours

• John Player Cup 1973, 1974

International Players

The following players have played for their country while playing for Coventry. Unless otherwise noted, all played for England.

1894 (Ireland) Benjamin Tuke (Ireland) HG Wells 1895 (Ireland) BB Tuke 1899 (British Isles XV) H.G.S. Gray 1908 WL Oldham 1909 WL Oldham 1927 T Coulson 1928 T Coulson 1932 AJ Rowley RS Roberts 1935 AJ Clarke JL Giles 1936 AJ Clarke HF Wheatley 1937 JL Giles HF Wheatley A Wheatley 1938 HF Wheatley A Wheatley JL Giles 1939 HF Wheatley 1946 Victory Internationals HF Greasley (C) H Pateman NJ Stock HF Wheatley 1947 H Walker 1948 H Walker 1948 I Preece 1949 I Preece (C) 1950 I Preece (C) SJ Adkins 1951 I Preece EN Hewitt

1953 SJ Adkins RCC Thomas 1954 E Robinson 1956 DF Allison PB Jackson PGD Robbins JS Swann 1957 DF Allison PB Jackson PGD Robbins JS Swann 1958 DF Allison PB Jackson PGD Robbins 1959 HO Godwin PB Jackson 1961 J Price E Robinson PB Jackson 1962 PE Judd TA Pargetter PGD Robbins 1963 HO Godwin PB Jackson PE Judd JE Owen TA Pargetter BJ Wightman 1964 HO Godwin PE Judd JE Owen 1965 PE Judd JE Owen 1966 JE Owen PE Judd 1967 PE Judd (C) J Barton RE Webb RE Jones

1968 PE Judd (C) JE Owen HO Godwin WJ Gittings RE Webb RE Jones 1969 DJ Duckham KE Fairbrother RE Webb TJ Dalton 1970 DJ Duckham KE Fairbrother 1970/71 J Broderick JP J Gray 1971 DJ Duckham KE Fairbrother PA Rossborough BF Ninnes RN Creed 1972 DJ Duckham RE Webb J Barton GW Evans PS Preece 1973 DJ Duckham PS Preece AR Cowman GW Evans FE Cotton PA Rossborough 1974 GW Evans PA Rossborough FE Cotton DJ Duckham 1975 PA Rossborough PS Preece FE Cotton (C) DJ Duckham 1976 DJ Duckham PS Preece BJ Corless

1981 GH Davies WMH Rose 1982 GH Davies WMH Rose 1984 SE Brain 1985 SE Brain 1986 GL Robbins 1996 CN Quick 1994 RJK Hardwick 1997 DJ Grewcock 1999 M Mika 2001 E Vunipola K Johnson 2003 J Barker Ian Nimmo 2004 J Cannon Ian Nimmo 2005 J Cannon N Witkowski K Johnson D Farani K Pulu 2006 K Johnson A Stewart

This information was taken from display boards inside the clubhouse on 15 October 2006.

References

1. ^ "Coventry player suspended for two years". Rugby Football Union. 2006-11-01. http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/RFUHome.News_Detail/StoryID/15031. Retrieved 2006-11-13. 
2. ^ "Coventry RFC Statement Regarding Mike Umaga". Coventry R.F.C.. 2006-11-14. http://www.coventryrugby.co.uk/content/view/534/51/. Retrieved 2006-11-16. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Umaga resigns as Coventry coach". BBC Sport. 2006-11-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6150866.stm. Retrieved 2006-11-27. 
4. ^ [1]
5. ^ "Coventry RFC Announce New Role For Henderson". Coventry R.F.C.. 2007-12-17. Archived from the original on 2007-12-18. http://web.archive.org/web/20071218160032/http://www.coventryrugby.co.uk/content/view/718/1/. Retrieved 2007-12-30. 
6. ^ Mairs, Gavin (2009-12-01). "Coventry RFC owner puts troubled Championship side into voluntary liquidation". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/6703122/Coventry-RFC-owner-puts-troubled-Championship-side-into-voluntary-liquidation.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
7. ^ "Coventry Rugby Club face doubts over future". BBC Sport (BBC). 2009-12-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8388775.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
8. ^ "Rossborough hopes for rescue deal at Coventry RFC". BBC Sport (BBC). 8 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8401882.stm. Retrieved 8 December 2009. 
9. ^ "Businessman Jon Bowles secures Coventry RFC's future". BBC Sport (BBC). 2010-01-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8448630.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 

External links

• Official site
• Unofficial site
• Coventry on itsrugby.co.uk
• [2]
• Coventry Rugby Football Club Historical Archive of Photos, Press clippings, Programs and Match Statistics