Somerset Vikings
Encyclopedia
Somerset Vikings RLFC are a rugby league
team from the county of Somerset
in England
. They play in the South West Division
of the Rugby League Conference
.
The team play at North Petherton
rugby club. This provides facilities alongside the M5 motorway
and close to junction 24.
In 2004/5 the Vikings became a club subject to a formal constitution and is now run by a committee of five officials elected at the annual general meeting in September assisted by two ex-officio members.
The club has never finished lower than 3rd in the league and were winners in 2004. The club have a number of sponsors made up of businesses in the Bridgwater area.
that same year.
Head coach, Chris Richards, and commercial manager, Darren Horne, manage the side made up of Taunton and Exeter based Royal Marines and a number of local rugby union players. The club were then, the most south-westerly rugby league club in England. The club's first base was Hyde Park, home of Taunton rugby union club.
Somerset Vikings were winners of the Western Division in 2004. In 2004/5, the Vikings became a club subject to a formal constitution. The Vikings finished the 2006 season in second place, losing to Gloucestershire Warriors
in the South West and Midlands Grand Final.
Somerset were promoted to the Midlands Premier
division for the 2007 season. The typical away match required a round trip of 300 miles; the team finished 4th out of 8. After a campaign by the RFL to form new clubs in the South West, a new South West Division
emerged this year for teams from the West Country, Vikings' newly formed second team competed but did not make the play-offs.
In 2008, the club withdrew from the Midlands Premier and rejoined the South West division. Somerset Vikings moved to Beggars Brook, North Petherton for the 2010 season.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team from the county of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They play in the South West Division
Rugby League Conference South West Division
The Rugby League Conference South West Division is a division in the Rugby League Conference, an amateur rugby league competition with sides from across Britain...
of the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
.
The team play at North Petherton
North Petherton
North Petherton is a small town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the eastern foothills of the Quantocks, and close to the edge of the Somerset Levels.The town has a population of 5,189...
rugby club. This provides facilities alongside the M5 motorway
M5 motorway
The M5 is a motorway in England. It runs from a junction with the M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Bromwich and west of Birmingham through Sandwell Valley...
and close to junction 24.
In 2004/5 the Vikings became a club subject to a formal constitution and is now run by a committee of five officials elected at the annual general meeting in September assisted by two ex-officio members.
The club has never finished lower than 3rd in the league and were winners in 2004. The club have a number of sponsors made up of businesses in the Bridgwater area.
History
Somerset Vikings were formed at the beginning of 2003 and joined the Rugby League ConferenceRugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
that same year.
Head coach, Chris Richards, and commercial manager, Darren Horne, manage the side made up of Taunton and Exeter based Royal Marines and a number of local rugby union players. The club were then, the most south-westerly rugby league club in England. The club's first base was Hyde Park, home of Taunton rugby union club.
Somerset Vikings were winners of the Western Division in 2004. In 2004/5, the Vikings became a club subject to a formal constitution. The Vikings finished the 2006 season in second place, losing to Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Gloucestershire in England. They play in the RLC West of England division of the Rugby League Conference and in 2006 made their debut in the Challenge Cup.-History:...
in the South West and Midlands Grand Final.
Somerset were promoted to the Midlands Premier
Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier
The Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands.It was first contested in 2006. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League....
division for the 2007 season. The typical away match required a round trip of 300 miles; the team finished 4th out of 8. After a campaign by the RFL to form new clubs in the South West, a new South West Division
Rugby League Conference South West Division
The Rugby League Conference South West Division is a division in the Rugby League Conference, an amateur rugby league competition with sides from across Britain...
emerged this year for teams from the West Country, Vikings' newly formed second team competed but did not make the play-offs.
In 2008, the club withdrew from the Midlands Premier and rejoined the South West division. Somerset Vikings moved to Beggars Brook, North Petherton for the 2010 season.