All Golds v NW Crusaders KPL1S 2017 Final

WELCOME TO
THE ALL GOLD
WRITTEN BY CHRIS WILSON
4
This edition of the All Gold
accompanies our fourth
home meeting with North
Wales Crusaders this
season – surely something
of a record!
While we lead the series 2-1,
the Crusaders finished just
outside the top eight and
will be one of the favourites,
along with Hunslet – who
we meet in a few weeks –
for the League 1 Shield.
Our challenge got off to a
bad start when we lost to
an inspired Ironmen side
at Stebonheath Parc. I was
unable to go as I was at
Weston super Mare with the
Gloucestershire Warriors,
but having been to the
Welsh club’s new venue
before with the Warriors’
Conference League South
side a couple of years ago,
I can attest that it is a great
venue for rugby league and
I’m sure the Ironmen will
make it a fortress.
On another Welsh note,
it was pleasing to see
that match official Jamie
Jones was awarded his
first League 1 match as a
referee this weekend as he
officiates at the Oxford vs
Hunslet game in Abingdon.
Having seen Jamie in action
at Community and Student
level, his elevation to the
League 1 refereeing ranks is
richly deserved and we wish
him well for a successful
career as a rugby league
referee.
Following
the
announcement that Wigan
would play Hull in Australia
next season, there was
news that Super League
chief, Roger Draper, thinks
that there could be more
on-the-road games in the
future.
Those with long memories
will recall that, in 1998,
there was a round of
Super league fixtures in
venues across England and
Wales. The mighty Wigan,
including Gary Connolly,
Jason Robinson and Henry
Paul, were due to play St
Helens at the Vetch Field
in Swansea and they were
invited to stop off here
in Cheltenham to take in
the (then) Cheltenham
Warriors’ game with Oxford
Cavaliers.
At the time, Wigan
were twinned with the
Cheltenham side who wore
the Wigan away strip from
1997. There is a photo of
Andy Farrell presenting
Warriors captain Ronnie
Haines with a ceremonial
sword in a pre-match
ceremony. Quite what they
made of the game is not
recorded but they made
short work of the Saints
36-2 the following day on
their way to a Grand Final
triumph over Leeds.
What price an On The Road
Super League fixture at
Kingsholm with an All Golds
game on the undercard in
the next few years?
Once again big thanks to
Craig at Craig Paul Design
for producing this edition
of the All Gold and for
George Cowburn, Jack
Conlon, Patrick Baines and
others for providing some
entertaining and hopefully
thought-provoking content
for you to enjoy.
www.allgoldsrugby.com
@AllGolds facebook.com/AllGoldsRugby