Telford Raiders
Encyclopedia
Telford Raiders ARLFC are a rugby league club based in the town of Telford in Shropshire
, England
. Their first team plays in the Midlands Regional division of the Rugby League Conference
and they have a development team in the Midlands Rugby League
as well as an active junior development program.
leagues at both senior and youth levels but for a number of reasons they became unable to continue and folded.
In the early 1990s Dave and Janet Berry moved to Telford from Hull and over a number of years built up the Randlay Raiders youth team, which in turn inspired the formation of other boys teams, and a Shropshire
league was formed. At its peak the Shropshire league had more than 150 registered youth players, and the Randlay Raiders also travelled throughout the country to play. However the pressures of running a league like this in a non-heartland area were too great and the league folded.
However the enthusiasm, as well as the awareness generated over the years, remained and in the autumn of 2002 the committee of the Raiders club applied to enter an open-age team in the Rugby League Conference
to play under the name of Telford Raiders. Their acceptance into a national competition was a significant step forward for rugby league in the town.
In 2005 the Raiders stepped up to the Premier Central division of the Conference where they came up against teams from heartlands areas such as Leeds
, Dewsbury
and Hull
. This was a hard season in terms of travelling and in terms of the standard of rugby. In 2006 other Midlands teams joined the renamed Midlands Premier
division and this meant much less travelling and a more competitive season.
In 2006 a second club was formed in Telford: Telford Trojans. They competed in the Midland Merit League in 2006 then moved to nearby Shifnal in 2007 as Shropshire Scorpions but folded at the end of that season. 2006 was also a good year for the Raiders, finishing 5th in the Midlands Premier Division with good wins over local rivals Wolverhampton Wizards and two very close games against the Birmingham Bulldogs
. Junior players also had the opportunity to take part in four junior festivals, including the Raiders own, which were highly successful.
2007 was another promising year for the Raiders with numerous junior festivals across the Midlands and a Midlands Junior League
. The senior team again competed in the Midlands Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. The Raiders under-15 won the first ever Midlands Junior League match, beating the Sheffield Forgers
by 55 points to 20. The under-15 team went on to become the first winners of this competition. 2007 also saw the Raiders appear in a feature about rugby league in Telford on the Sky Sports
program Boots 'n' All.
2008 saw Telford competing in the West Midlands regional division, finishing a creditable 3rd. They also fielded an 'A' team in the Merit League plus junior teams at under-16, under-14 and under-12.
In 2009 Telford Raiders dropped out of the Midlands Premier Division with 3 games to go, and changed grounds when the Oakengates facility became unavailable. Both the under-16s and under-12s teams reached the finals of the Midlands Junior League
, but were beaten by Nottingham Outlaws and Northampton Knights respectively.
In 2010, Telford linked up with Super League side St Helens RLFC.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, 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...
. Their first team plays in the Midlands Regional division 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...
and they have a development team in the Midlands Rugby League
Midlands Rugby League
The 3vSport.com Midlands Rugby League is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It is a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and a successor league to the Midlands Merit League...
as well as an active junior development program.
History of rugby league in Telford
Rugby league has been played in the Telford area for many years with varying degrees of success. The Telford All Blacks played for several years in the North West CountiesNorth West Counties
The North West Counties A.R.L. are a series of rugby league regional leagues covering the following age groups in the North West of England:-* Age 8 to 12* Age 13 to 15* Age 16 to 18* Open Age...
leagues at both senior and youth levels but for a number of reasons they became unable to continue and folded.
In the early 1990s Dave and Janet Berry moved to Telford from Hull and over a number of years built up the Randlay Raiders youth team, which in turn inspired the formation of other boys teams, and a Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
league was formed. At its peak the Shropshire league had more than 150 registered youth players, and the Randlay Raiders also travelled throughout the country to play. However the pressures of running a league like this in a non-heartland area were too great and the league folded.
However the enthusiasm, as well as the awareness generated over the years, remained and in the autumn of 2002 the committee of the Raiders club applied to enter an open-age team in 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...
to play under the name of Telford Raiders. Their acceptance into a national competition was a significant step forward for rugby league in the town.
In 2005 the Raiders stepped up to the Premier Central division of the Conference where they came up against teams from heartlands areas such as Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
and Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
. This was a hard season in terms of travelling and in terms of the standard of rugby. In 2006 other Midlands teams joined the renamed 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 and this meant much less travelling and a more competitive season.
In 2006 a second club was formed in Telford: Telford Trojans. They competed in the Midland Merit League in 2006 then moved to nearby Shifnal in 2007 as Shropshire Scorpions but folded at the end of that season. 2006 was also a good year for the Raiders, finishing 5th in the Midlands Premier Division with good wins over local rivals Wolverhampton Wizards and two very close games against the Birmingham Bulldogs
Birmingham Bulldogs
Birmingham RLFC are a rugby league team based in Birmingham. They play in the Midlands Premier division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:Birmingham Bulldogs were founded in 1989...
. Junior players also had the opportunity to take part in four junior festivals, including the Raiders own, which were highly successful.
2007 was another promising year for the Raiders with numerous junior festivals across the Midlands and a Midlands Junior League
Midlands Junior League
The Midlands Junior League is an age group rugby league competition for club in the English Midlands. It is run by the Midlands Rugby League.Many of the teams taking part also run open-age sides in the Rugby League Conference or Midlands Rugby League....
. The senior team again competed in the Midlands Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. The Raiders under-15 won the first ever Midlands Junior League match, beating the Sheffield Forgers
Sheffield Forgers
Sheffield Forgers RLFC was a rugby league club in Sheffield, England. It has an Open Age team that plays in the summer in the Rugby League Conference and the Yorkshire & Humber Merit League and in the winter in the Pennine League It is also developing a junior section.-Foundation:The genesis of the...
by 55 points to 20. The under-15 team went on to become the first winners of this competition. 2007 also saw the Raiders appear in a feature about rugby league in Telford on the Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
program Boots 'n' All.
2008 saw Telford competing in the West Midlands regional division, finishing a creditable 3rd. They also fielded an 'A' team in the Merit League plus junior teams at under-16, under-14 and under-12.
In 2009 Telford Raiders dropped out of the Midlands Premier Division with 3 games to go, and changed grounds when the Oakengates facility became unavailable. Both the under-16s and under-12s teams reached the finals of the Midlands Junior League
Midlands Junior League
The Midlands Junior League is an age group rugby league competition for club in the English Midlands. It is run by the Midlands Rugby League.Many of the teams taking part also run open-age sides in the Rugby League Conference or Midlands Rugby League....
, but were beaten by Nottingham Outlaws and Northampton Knights respectively.
In 2010, Telford linked up with Super League side St Helens RLFC.
Honours
- Daz White (England Lionhearts)
- Matt Evans (England Lionhearts)
- Richard Whitehouse (England Lionhearts)
- Jim Berry (RLC Young Player of the Year 2004)
- Paul Szehofner (Germany RL)
Club records
- Biggest Win 67-16 vs Worcester Saints (H) 2004
- Biggest Defeat 6 - 68 vs Birmingham Bulldogs (A) 2003
- Personal Try Tally 13 by Paul Szehofner in 2004 Season
- Personal Goal Tally 35 by Daz White in 2004 Season
- Personal Drop Goal Tally 2 by Daz White in 2004 Season