Bridgy Gunning For Cup Success

On Saturday afternoon, in Doncaster, Graeme Gunn and his coaching staff of Mike Holford, Scott Johnson, Gareth Kerr, and Roy Reeve will lead out West Bridgford in the Papa Johns Regional Cup final.

Having overcome that of Newark, Morley, and an under-strength Scarborough in the semis, Bridgy now face a Walsall side who finished level on points with them in the Regional 2 North, their opponents having by far the more superior points tally on their ledger.

It matters not on cup final day though; Bridgy have enjoyed their three-round bounce to the final dance, running in some twenty-seven tries overall to get to this point; fourteen of those were put past Scarborough in the last round alone.

All three of their ties have been at home; against Newark there was nine tries registered in a 60-40 success (Walsall were awarded their tie against Moseley Oak) as Daniel Langton, Stephen Terara, Harry Camm, Euan Murray, Michael Hyatt, Benjamin Berridge, Steven Kpaka, George Williams, and Calum Gunn, all crossed, Gunn adding six conversions and a penalty to his afternoon’s work.

The quarter-finals pitted Bridgy against Morley, narrowly winning 28-27 (Walsall brushed off their visitors Cheltenham 34-21); the Notts side seeing four tries and four conversions, the former being a brace from Jacob Heath and one apiece from Terara and Berridge, with Gunn kicking the extras.

Then came the visit of Scarborough, this past weekend, again at Stamford Road, the visitors turning up understrength due to an already, pre-arranged tour to the continent, and Spain.

That scenario bit the visitors badly as the hosts put on a demolition job, running in fourteen tries, and numerous conversions, in a thumping, 92-21 win (Walsall edged past Ilkeston 22-21 in their final four match-up).

There was a hat-trick of tries from Yaw Afirfah-Mensah, braces from William Hardwick and Calum Gunn (who added double figures in conversions, George Williams also chipping in there), whilst there were further tries from Euan Murray, Oscar Smart, Henry Henson, Jacob Heath, Steven Kpaka, Zachary Hill, and Michael Hyatt.

Ahead of the final, a statement from the club read as follows: “Every once in a while, an opportunity comes along for you to make history.

“And out of the fog of a very upbeat season, where the 2s have won promotion, the academy conveyor belt has been jump started and the 1s have had to go through something of a grind, there is an ever-glowing light at the end of the season.

“In 2023, after a very difficult season in Regional 1, and the 2s finding their feet in the RFU Leagues, we came together as a club to voyage to a Papa Johns cup final.

“We unfortunately lost that day, but these were the fledging steps of a club uniting together to deliver more and more special days.

“A remarkable group of lads have stood together, through thick and thin and in a club that keeps creating history, we ask the boys to go to the well ONE LAST TIME for 80 mins and near immortality.

“This last week we spoke about Everest; here we stand, On the last, steep steps, to the summit.”

Now it’s time for the final, as West Bridgford and Walsall prepare to face each other for the end-of-season, Papa Johns Cup; the Bridgy squad for the day being as follows –

Tom Hackland, Sam Bignall, Steve Corban, Joe McMenamin, Oscar Smart, Ben Berridge, Oscar Sampson, Henry Henson (capt), Alex Smit, Calum Gunn, Steven Kpaka, Daniel Langton, Euan Murray, Yaw Afirfah-Mensah, Stephen Terara, Jack Daley, William Hardwick, Michael Hyatt, Rhyden Teal, Harry Camm, George Williams, and David Robertson

West Bridgford will face Walsall at the home of Doncaster Knights, on Saturday 17 May 2025, kick-off scheduled for 17:00.