There wasn’t much rugby to shout about on Saturday afternoon, with just the Nottingham Casuals versus Keyworth game in the Counties 2 Midlands East (North) beating the cold snap, although there has been some warm news out of Southwell, and their Jamaican connection.
Roman Priestley-Nangle (Southwell), along with his brother, Stone Priestley-Nangle (Sale), were recently called up to the Jamaican Rugby Sevens, in the Rugby Americas (North) Sevens tournament, a three-day competition just concluded in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago.
Stone, who captains the Jamaican Sevens, along with his brother Roman, helped their country to three wins from their three, beating Cayman Islands 22-21, and hosts Trinidad 17-5, before taking care of Mexico, 12-0 (Roman crossing for a first-half try), in their last match, to finish third in the tournament overall – the top two countries in the respective brackets would qualify for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games’ Sevens competition.
Away from the warmth of Trinidad & Tobago, and a snowy, cold East Midlands, it’s a case of as you were across the regional rugby divisions, West Bridgford (6-1-2) sitting third in the Regional 2 Midlands North, within touching distance of a top two of Lichfield, and Dronfield.
Newark (3-1-5) is in sixth place, whilst Paviors (3-0-6) are one of three sides on nineteen points, and Mellish are bottom, two off Tamworth, ahead of scheduled games on 30 November, they being as follows –
West Bridgford vs. Tamworth; Newark vs. Walsall; Lichfield vs. Paviors; Melbourne vs, Mellish
Southwell (6-0-3) are third in the Counties 1 Midlands East (North), behind leaders Hinckley IIs, and Belgrave, with Nottingham Moderns down in eighth, and Mansfield eleventh; Southwell are scheduled to travel to mid-table Nuneaton Old Edwardians this coming weekend.
Nottingham Casuals moved into third place in a tight, Counties 2 Midlands East (North) division after they won the days’ only game, a 15-12 derby success against Keyworth, who sit in fifth, the top six being at present Ashby (37), Ashbourne (36), Nottingham Casuals (33), Melton Mowbray (33), Keyworth (32), and Mosborough (31).
Meanwhile Ashfield, and Newark IIs, are in the bottom two, on four points apiece, with the Newark side having lost all nine games thus far.
And in the Counties 3 Midlands East (Central) division, the top four are Notts clubs, whilst ten points split the top five heading into matchday ten.
West Bridgford IIs (8-0-1) lead the way with 41 points, followed by Southwell IIs (7-0-2, 35), Bingham (7-0-2, 33), and Nottinghamians (5-2-2, 31), Long Eaton IIs the other side, also on 31; Mellish IIs are sitting in tenth place whilst Nottingham Moderns IIs find themselves bottom of the pile.
Of those games scheduled at the end of the month, there’s a battle of the top two on the cards as second place Southwell IIs welcome leaders West Bridgford IIs, third place Bingham travel to sixth place Castle Donnington, and fourth place Nottinghamians are at home to eighth place Leesbrook.
In the Women’s NC 1 Midlands (North), top-of-the-table clash, on Sunday, West Bridgford edged hosts and leaders Lincoln, 12-10, to move within a point of them at the top, Holly Felton and Kiki Leah both crossed for tries for Bridgy, whilst the one conversion was made by Samantha Abbott.
Bridgy, with four wins from five so far this season. go again on 13 December when they play host to East Midlands rivals, second bottom Derby, who’ve won one and lost four.
Neither of the three Notts sides in the Women’s NC 2 Midlands (North) were in action, bottom club Mellish seeing their game at home to Scunthorpe, postponed, they host fellow Notts side, second bottom Ashfield, on 8 December; meanwhile Mansfield, joint-top with Sheffield Tigers, also face Ashfield in their next outing, that the week before, on 1 December.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @Jamaica_Rugby Roman & Stone Priestly-Nangle two brothers recently called up for Jamaica.
