London Irish Amateur
Full nameLondon Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club [1][2]
UnionsSurrey RFU, Ireland RFU, Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)The Wild Geese[3]
Founded1999 [1]
LocationSunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England
RegionRegional 2 Thames
Ground(s)Hazelwood (Capacity: 2,000)
ChairmanKevin Flynn [4]
PresidentBart O'Connell [4]
Coach(es)Ryan Gregory [4]
Captain(s)Rory Harrison [4]
League(s)Regional 2 Thames
Team kit
Official website
www.liarfc.co.uk
Union website
www.englandrugby.com/find-rugby?clubs=192

London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club, also known as London Irish Wild Geese, is an amateur English rugby union club based in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, who play their rugby in Regional 2 Thames[5]– a league at tier 6 of the English rugby union system – following their relegation from London & South East Premier at the end of the 2019–20 season.[6] They are the amateur team of former professional team London Irish[7] and play at Hazelwood.[8][9]

History

London Irish Amateur's former logo

The creation of London Irish Amateur was first discussed in 1995 when rugby union became professional and London Irish set aside resources for the creation of an amateur team.[10] The club was founded in September 1999 after London Irish left The Avenue to play at the Twickenham Stoop before moving to Madejski Stadium in Reading the following year.[11][8][12][13][1] It was formed to be the feeder club for senior and junior amateur players to then go on to play for London Irish, who until the end of the 2015–16 season played in the English Premiership.[14] A few players such as Adrian Flavin, Tom Smallbone[15],[16] Paul Burke, Kevin Barret, Justin Bishop and Kieran Campbell went on to play international rugby.

London Irish and London Irish Amateur[17][18] jointly share the new Hazelwood rugby complex[19][20].[21][9] Since 2012, links between London Irish and London Irish Amateur have been upgraded with the two becoming part of a joint venture in which London Irish Amateur players play for London Irish in the A League.[22] In return, members of London Irish's Academy are entitled to play for London Irish Amateur.[23]

The first team's official name was changed to London Irish Wild Geese after the Rugby Football Union's governance committee gave consent for the change of name. In 2011, they were promoted from London 1 into National League 3 London & SE.[24] In 2012, they were moved into National League 3 South West,.[25][26] In 2013, they were promoted into National League 2 South.[27]

London Irish Amateur receives a grant from the Irish Government's Emigrant Support Programme to support Mini Rugby.[28]

London Irish Ladies

London Irish Amateur Emeralds were formed in 2015 [11][29] and completed in their first fixtures in season 2016 to 2017. In season 2017 to 2018 they competed in Women's NC South East West 3[30] and were promoted.

London Irish Ladies[31] currently compete in the Women's Championship South 1[32] with home fixtures played at Hazelwood (Rugby Ground).

Mini & Youth Rugby

London Irish Amateur have both mini[6][33](school year reception to 6) and youth[34] sections (school year 7 to 12) based at Hazelwood (Rugby Ground). Mini Rugby is the game for all players, male and female who play together. Youth Rugby[6][35] is a game for boys and girls aged 12 – 17 who play in gender based teams.

The club hold an annual International Mini and U12 Festival each year which is frequented by teams from the home nations and Europe.[36] [37]

Honours

Coaching staff

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About the Club". london-irish.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "London Irish Amateur RFC Womens". www.liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  3. ↑ "Wild Geese on brink of the title". guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "London Irish Amateur Contacts". London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club. 24 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "England Rugby Regional 2 Thames". englandrugby.com. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 "RFU London Irish Amateur RFC Teams". englandrugby.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Titans tackle London Irish Wild Geese". Somerset County Gazette. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Cambridge eye hat-trick by clipping wings of Wild Geese". Cambridge News. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  9. 1 2 Martin, James. "Behind the scenes at the amateur wing of London Irish rugby club". The Irish Post. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "London Irish Amateur RFC: Wild Geese Flying The Flag For Amateur Status". Intouch Rugby. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  11. 1 2 Hunter, John (24 January 2023). "London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club History - Detailed". liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  12. ↑ "London Irish (Rugby Team)". 20thcenturylondon.org.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Exiles up for "Craic in the Valley"". ESPN. 11 July 2000. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  14. ↑ "London Irish Amateur RFC, Flourishing Thanks To A Former NIFC Scrum Half From Armagh". Intouch Rugby. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "Young prop Tom Smallbone extends his stay with London Irish". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "London Irish Amateur Mini, Junior World Championship & LI Professional - Tom Smallbone". liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Coles, Ben (28 September 2020). "London Irish to honour Matt Ratana before Exeter Chiefs match". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Godwin, Hugh (5 June 2023). "London Irish's name and 125-year history will live on, vow amateur club as Premiership deadline looms". I News.
  19. ↑ Nutta (5 June 2023). "The Chewsday Chew". Green and Gold Rugby. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  20. ↑ "Ground breaking ceremony held at London Irish training facility". 22 October 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  21. ↑ "Why not join the London Irish Amateurs?". London Irish. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  22. ↑ "London Irish join forces in Amateur partnership". Get Surrey. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  23. ↑ "Billy Clark excited by London Irish academy squad". Get Reading. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  24. ↑ "London Irish Wild Geese Rugby I XV 21 – 14 Sidcup Rugby I XV: London Division 1 Promotion play off – 23rd April 2011". Intouch Rugby. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  25. ↑ Owens, Trevor (13 May 2012). "Malvern RFC made to switch divisions". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  26. ↑ "The Wild Geese Division Transfer". London-irish-amateur.co.uk. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  27. ↑ "We just couldn't get our game firing, admits Dings coach Alex Guest". Bristol Post. 14 October 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  28. ↑ "British-based charities given £5.4m by Irish government". Irish Post. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  29. ↑ Newcombe, Jon (14 August 2022). "Charity matches will show strong links between rugby and the police". The Rugby Paper. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  30. ↑ "Womens NC3 South East". www.englandrugby.com. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  31. ↑ "London Irish Amateur RFC Womens". www.liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  32. ↑ "Women's championship South 1 RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  33. ↑ "London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club Mini Rugby". www.liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  34. ↑ "Youth Rugby at London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club". www.liarfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  35. ↑ "RFU". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  36. ↑ Ashton, Richard. "Obituary: London Irish chairman David Fitzgerald". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  37. ↑ "London Irish Amateur International Mini and Under 12 Rugby Festival". www.liarfc.co.uk. London Irish Amateur RFC. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  38. ↑ "ViewClubDetail". Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  39. ↑ "RFU Women's NC South East Middle 2". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  40. ↑ "RFU Women's Championship South West 2". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  41. 1 2 3 Godwin, Hugh Godwin (8 September 2022). "How London Irish aim to develop 'winning habit' without ditching free-flowing brand of rugby". inews.co.uk. Associated Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  42. 1 2 3 4 Heagney, Liam (20 July 2022). "O'Brien, Jackson head big-name cast coaching London Irish amateurs". Rugbypass.
  1. ↑ Wild Geese. "London Irish Amateur RFC Wild Geese". www.liarfc.co.uk. London Irish Amateur Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
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