Starting on Saturday, the first team face reigning champions Huddersfield Underbank Rangers in a clash which is certain to be one of the toughest encounters of the season. With the Butts Park Arena pitch undergoing reseeding and the Bears Xcel training centre pitch hosting the club’s under 16s and women’s team matches on Sunday, the match will be played at Coventry University Rugby League’s Westwood Heath ground, with the move seen as a chance to strengthen the Coventry club’s close ties with the university and local community.

Bears Director Alan Robinson said “We see this weekend’s match as a great opportunity to take the game out of the city centre to a facility that students of both Coventry and Warwick Universities are familiar with. It will also give us the chance to show people in the area what a great sporting spectacle Rugby League is. And with our opponents being the current league champions you couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the game.”

“We beat Huddersfield on home turf last year, and were the only team to beat them in the league all season so coaches Tom Tsang, Mark Sloan and the lads will be fired up for this match. Of course the job is made much easier with a good crowd behind you, and it would be great to see some strong support shouting for the Bears on Saturday.”

Entry to the match is only £3 for adults, £2 for concessions, with children under 16 getting in for free. Coventry University’s Westwood Heath ground is located at Westwood Heath Playing Fields, Coventry, CV4 8GP.

Saturday also sees the Bears A Team in action, who travel to Elmbridge Eagles in a National Cup tie (2.30pm kick off), and the under 18s make the short trip to face Birmingham Bulldogs (12.30 kick off).

Finally, on Sunday the women’s team face Featherstone Rovers in the Women’s Rugby League Premier Division at the Xcel Centre in Canley (2.30pm kick off). Also at the Xcel, the Bears under 16s side play Derby, and the under 11s, 13s, and 14s are all in away matches at Wolverhampton Wasps, rounding off a full schedule involving over 100 Coventry Bears players striving to continue the success of the club.

The lads received the kick off and showed their intent with Jay Neath running the ball in hard and managing to get a wonderful off-load away to Paul Gascoigne who ran a further 20 metres to get into the Outlaws half. And it was the Bears ability to get the offloads away that was the big difference between the two teams. Centre Matthew Roe crossed first for the Bears, followed quickly by Dan Rink showing that props can run as fast as the backs with a great run from 30 metres out. Then captain Joe James went over from a well worked backs move. Joe Higgins went over next, jinking his way over the line. Second row Jay Neath followed, powering his way over the line. Joe James then scored again from another well worked scrum move. Jay Neath scored the best try of the game started by George Carlton scooting from dummy half, off-loading to Matthew Roe who ran the length of the pitch, before passing to Joe Higgins who managed to get a great pass away to the supporting Jay Neath. After that display Joe Higgins popped across the line from dummy-half for yet another Bears try. Half back Elliot Norman scored next with a solo run down the middle of the field. He soon followed the try with an early kick in the tackle count deep into Outlaws territory, pacy full-back Joe James running at full-pelt to pick the ball up on the move to go under the sticks. Paul Crouch scored next, Paul another one of our very own Champion schools boys playing for President Kennedy. Hayden Freeman scoring another excellent centre try before Dan Rink scoring his second try with yet another powerful prop run. Hayden Freeman finishing off the scoring by scoring the last two tries.

Shortly after, St. Albans gave away two penalties, and from the resulting field position the Bears set up to score again wide on the right. Stephen Coleman held up the advancing defence to give a well timed pass to Tobias Rochester-Bremmer who went in in the corner. The Bears were starting to take control through their pack by good direction by halfback Scott Clendenning-Fenton.

On 21 mins the St Albans Centurions capitalised on a mistake from kick off my the Bears their prop crashing over from close in and the try was converted. Taking the score to 10 to 6.

The Bears then caught the Centurions from a kick off. The ball bouncing into touch and from the resulting scrum Jamaican International Fullback Ash Johnson was too strong shrugging off tackles to speed over again out wide.

With ten minutes remaining in the first half the Centurions managed to pinch the ball back from a speculative kick and narrowed the deficit to 14 to 10 before half time.

The second half started well for the Bears, when after good yardage from the Bears props Dan Ljazouli and the Captain Michael Venn, they won a scrum on the 20m line from continued pressure. The resulting set of six saw Tanaka Chamunokara score near the posts, with the kick converted by Stephen Coleman.

Over the next 10 minutes the Centurions managed to get back into the game from the Bears squandering possession. Firstly after breaking the line on 40 metres Scotland International Brad Massey gave a loose pass and the Centurions managed to pick up and go in unchallenged, the Bears also gave away more possession early in a set and put themselves under more pressure for St Albans to score wide out.

Despite this the Bears were never really in trouble and over a 5 minute period both Australian Luke Srama from dummy half and Elliott Hirst, one of four Loughborough students in the side, powered over from Bears continued pressure. Both tries were converted by Coleman. At this point the game was never in doubt for the Bears and as the Centurions faltered and Brad Massey scored with a one handed touchdown carrying three defenders over the line to take the score to 36 to 20. The remaining minutes saw no threat from St. Albans as they had no answer to gain a bonus point.

First team coach Tom Tsang said  ”Overall we are happy with the outcome of this game. We knew coming down here that St. Albans would make a good account of themselves, so coming away with the 2 points and ensuring the Centurions missed out on a bonus point is a good result. However there were times in this game that we came away from the things we have worked on in training, and allowed St. Albans a chance to put pressure on our defence. Three unforced errors from our players resulted in three tries against us. This is not good enough and is something we will address this week.”

“On a positive note, at 20-20 with 20 minutes to go and the Centurions with the momentum, we could easily have capitulated and lost this game. It is a credit to the character of the team, and their ability to dig in and work for each other that we managed to steady ourselves and pull away at the end. This is something we have talked about in pre-season, and I think the hard work we have done, pulled us through the back end of this match.”

Overall, a much needed game for the Bears who will learn from todays mistakes in occasionally giving away possession to easily. The Bears pack dominated the game with excellent direction by MoM halfback Scott Clendenning-Fenton and were always a threat out wide. They will take a lot of confidence form the match going into next week’s tough clash versus Huddersfield Underbank Rangers.

Brad Massey, Ashley Johnson and Tobias Rochester-Bremmer, return to the squad from holidays, as do Elliot Hurst, Sam Pacey and Dan Ljazouli who have had University commitments. Also into the 17, to play their first games in 2012 are Australian utility Tim Leishman, Club stalwart Alex Brown and Coventry Bears veteran Tom Watts. Leishman will replace fellow Australian Chris Stevenson in the halves after the former Sydney Roosters Junior was left with a torn Medial Knee Ligament, and subsequently sidelined for 2-3 weeks. Watts will cover for Coventry University student Harry Kaufman who is carrying several minor injuries including Wrist, Knee and Ankle strains. Brown will feature at Loose forward.

On this week’s squad Bears first team coach Tom Tsang said “The rain and cancellations haven’t helped our preparations for this match, but what we have done has been of a high standard, and I am confident we can put in a good performance against St Albans. We have a similar team to that which beat Nottingham and I am particularly looking forward to watching our young and exciting backline in action. We have so much speed out wide and hopefully our big guys in the pack can make an impact on Saturday and lay the platform for our backs to do some damage.”

Full team: Alex Brown, Ash Johnson, Ben Vivian, Brad Massey, Dan Ljazouli, David Oconnor, Elliot Hurst, Luke Srama, Mike Venn, Ross Bayston, Sam Pacey, Scott Clendenning Fenton, Steve Coleman, Tanaka Chamounakara, Tim Leishman, Tobias Rochester, Tom Watts

Kick off 2.30pm at St Albans Centurions, Sports Ground, Toulman Drive, St Albans AL3 6EE

Bears Team Coach

The team coach will leave Coventry Butts Park Arena at 10.30am with a further pick up at the Phantom Coach pub on the A45 at 11am before the coach leaves Coventry. Price for fans is the usual £10. Spaces may be limited for further information please contact Alan Robinson on 07974 517519.

Saturday’s games that were due to be played at the Xcel centre:

National Conference 3 First team game
Coventry Bears v Bramley Buffaloes

Midlands Premier League A team game
Coventry Bears A v Gloucester Warriors

Sundays West Midlands Junior Festival and U16s game is also off and will be rescheduled for a later date

We apologise for any inconvenience caused, next home game the Bears first team play will be on May 19th at the Xcel centre versus Huddersfield Underbank Rangers at 2.30pm ko

Saturday the Bears new A team are due to play Northampton Demons the game is currently still on

Sunday the Bears First team were due to play South Wales Hornets this Sunday but the game has now been postponed to a later date due to water logged pitches due to heavy rain this past week

Next week the Bears First team are at home to Bramley Buffaloes from leeds at the Xcel leisure centre, Canley, Coventry, CV4 8DY

Admission is with Bears season ticket, £5 adults £3 concessions, Children u16 free entry, please come and support the club

Saturday the Bears new A team take on Northampton Demons in the Midlands Premier League, the Demons have had a lot of success in the past few years and this will be a big challenge for the new A team which will be featuring many new and returning players to the club this season.

Sunday the First team travel to South Wales Hornets this will again be another big challenge for the club. Last week South Wales defeated St. Albans Centurions and had a good start like the Bears.

The Bears women are away to Warrington also on Sunday please contact Debbie Drake on debbie.drake@coventrybears.co.uk or on 07879 687847

There will be a coach to South Wales from the Butts Park Arena this Sunday April 29^th from 9.15am, the First team Squad will be on the coach and there will be space for fans to come along at a cost of £10 adult £5 Children. To book your place please email or call Alan Robinson on 07974 517519 or on alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk

Training continues this Tuesday at 6.30pm at the Xcel Centre in Canley, Coventry, CV4 8DY

New players are welcome please contact Barry McGuffog to get involved in the Bears A team on barry.mcguffog@coventrybears.co.uk or on 075814 87302

 Saturday April 21^st 5pm Kick Off, Butts Park Arena, Coventry RFC

The game started at a great pace with some early exchanges, Ross Bayston looked good to score on the left but was adjudged to have knocked on while touching down. Nottingham took heart from the mistake and scored after a solid set up the field with Adam Thompson powering over from the centre after five minutes.

 Bears debutant wingerTobias Rochester-Bremmer then hit back out wide on the right with some good footwork to beat the defence and score in the corner.

Coventry then took the lead with Ross Bayston rectifying his mistake with a powerful run on the right to score a good first try for the Bears in the 30^th minute

 Nottingham however again hit back on 35 minutes with Reece Needham who powered over from dummy half catching the Bears napping in defence.

 On 38 min Chris Stevenson switched play back inside to Scotland International Brad Massey who was to much to handle and reached out to score by the posts. Scott Clendenning-Fenton converted the points to take the score to 18-12 at halftime

Nottingham again opened the scoring 4 minutes into the second half with Adam Thompson adding his second on the left edge then on 48 minutes Stephen Coleman was put in by a Brad Massey offload on the right after some clever touches from Chris Stevenson, the Australian starting to show some real skill in attack.

In the 62^nd Minute Bears wingerTanaka Chamunokara scored following a scrum 20m out and used good footwork to wrongfoot 4 defenders to the line. This was a real blow to the Outlaws and the final blow was then struck on the 72^nd minute when

Newly named 2012 season Captain Michael Venn scored the game breaker powering through the middle from the first tackle on a set play to beat the fullback from 40m out

With 2 mins remaining never say die Nottingham pulled a score back with prop Chris Byrne from close at the ruck but it was to late, the Bears were out of the woods!

 Final score Coventry Bears 34- Nottingham Outlaws 22

 Coventry Bears team:

1.Ash Johnson 2. Tanaka Chamunokara 3.Stephen Coleman 4. Ross Bayston 5.Tobias Rochester-Bremmer 6. Chris Stevenson 7.Scott Clendenning-Fenton 8.Machael Venn 9.Luke Srama 10. Dan Ljazouli 11. Brad Massey 12. Dave Oconnor 13. Elliott Hirst 14. Sam Pace 15.Jack Powley 16. Harry Kaufman 17. Ben Vivian

 1.Mick Tasker 2.James Goodwin 3.Steve Page 4. Adam Thompson 5. Will Thomas 6.Oliver Crick 7.Alex Whittle 8.Will Ephraim 9.Mike Harrison 10. Chris Byrne 11.Matt Hammond 12. Eddie Shaw 13. George Strachan 14. Reece Needham 15.Dan Smith 16.Rory McQueen 17.James Simpson

 Bears MOM: Chris Stevenson Outlaws MOM: Eddie Shaw

 Coaches Quote:

We are very happy with the result there are some issues to address in defence but very pleased with the 10 debutees. There were some good stand out performances from the likes of Brad Massey and Michael Venn while new boys Ross Bayston and Tobias Rochester Bremmer really showed potential. It was Chris Stevenson whose deft touch passing display and nerves of steel that earned him the MOM award. There is plenty of potential in the squad and we will endeavour to realise that in the coming weeks.

 Next Sunday 29^th April the Bears travel to South Wales Hornets, Coach transport is available for fans at £10 and the meet is 9.15am Coventry RFC, Butts Park Arena.

Contact Alan Robinson to book your seat on 07974 517519.

Next home game is at the Xcel Leisure Centre, Coventry versus Bramley Buffaloes on Saturday May 5^th 2.30pm kick off. This is due to reseeding at the Butts Arena.

Saturday April 21^st 5pm Kick Off, Butts Park Arena, Coventry RFC

The game started at a great pace with some early exchanges, Ross Bayston looked good to score on the left but was adjudged to have knocked on while touching down. Nottingham took heart from the mistake and scored after a solid set up the field with Adam Thompson powering over from the centre after five minutes.

Bears debutant wingerTobias Rochester-Bremmer then hit back out wide on the right with some good footwork to beat the defence and score in the corner.

Coventry then took the lead with Ross Bayston rectifying his mistake with a powerful run on the right to score a good first try for the Bears in the 30^th minute

Nottingham however again hit back on 35 minutes with Reece Needham who powered over from dummy half catching the Bears napping in defence.

On 38 min Chris Stevenson switched play back inside to Scotland International Brad Massey who was to much to handle and reached out to score by the posts. Scott Clendenning-Fenton converted the points to take the score to 18-12 at halftime

Nottingham again opened the scoring 4 minutes into the second half with Adam Thompson adding his second on the left edge then on 48 minutes Stephen Coleman was put in by a Brad Massey offload on the right after some clever touches from Chris Stevenson, the Australian starting to show some real skill in attack.

In the 62^nd Minute Bears wingerTanaka Chamunokara scored following a scrum 20m out and used good footwork to wrongfoot 4 defenders to the line. This was a real blow to the Outlaws and the final blow was then struck on the 72^nd minute when

Newly named 2012 season Captain Michael Venn scored the game breaker powering through the middle from the first tackle on a set play to beat the fullback from 40m out

With 2 mins remaining never say die Nottingham pulled a score back with prop Chris Byrne from close at the ruck but it was to late, the Bears were out of the woods!

Final score Coventry Bears 34- Nottingham Outlaws 22

Coventry Bears team:

1.Ash Johnson 2. Tanaka Chamunokara 3.Stephen Coleman 4. Ross Bayston 5.Tobias Rochester-Bremmer 6. Chris Stevenson 7.Scott Clendenning-Fenton 8.Machael Venn 9.Luke Srama 10. Dan Ljazouli 11. Brad Massey 12. Dave Oconnor 13. Elliott Hirst 14. Sam Pace 15.Jack Powley 16. Harry Kaufman 17. Ben Vivian

Nottingham Outlaws team:
1.Mick Tasker 2.James Goodwin 3.Steve Page 4. Adam Thompson 5. Will Thomas 6.Oliver Crick 7.Alex Whittle 8.Will Ephraim 9.Mike Harrison 10. Chris Byrne 11.Matt Hammond 12. Eddie Shaw 13. George Strachan 14. Reece Needham 15.Dan Smith 16.Rory McQueen 17.James Simpson

Match pictures by Trevor Jones

Smart Detail Bears MOM: Chris Stevenson Outlaws MOM: Eddie Shaw

Coaches Quote:

We are very happy with the result there are some issues to address in defence but very pleased with the 10 debutees. There were some good stand out performances from the likes of Brad Massey and Michael Venn while new boys Ross Bayston and Tobias Rochester Bremmer really showed potential. It was Chris Stevenson whose deft touch passing display and nerves of steel that earned him the MOM award. There is plenty of potential in the squad and we will endeavour to realise that in the coming weeks.

Next Sunday 29^th April the Bears travel to South Wales Hornets, Coach transport is available for fans at £10 and the meet is 9.15am Coventry RFC, Butts Park Arena.

Contact Alan Robinson to book your seat on 07974 517519.

Next home game is at the Xcel Leisure Centre, Coventry versus Bramley Buffaloes on Saturday May 5^th 2.30pm kick off. This is due to reseeding at the Butts Arena.

Coventry Bears First team Squad to face Nottingham Outlaws
5pm KO, Saturday April 21st, Coventry RFC Butts Park Arena.
(after Coventry RFC play Jersey RU)
Admission £5 adults, £3 concessions, u16s free

1.Ash Johnson

2.Tanaka Chamunokara

3.Ross Bayston

4.Stephen Coleman

5.Tobias Rochester-Bremmer

6.Chris Stevenson

7.Scott Clendenning-Fenton

8.Mike Venn (C)

9.Luke Srama

10.Dan LJazouli

11.Brad Massey

12.Dave OConnor

13.Elliot Hirst

14.Ben Vivian

15.Jack Powley

16.Sam Pace

17.Harry Kaufman

Check out our new match day programme ROAR POWER!

The Bears have new coaching staff, and over 50% of the squad is also new players. There have been some big steps forward taken with Alan Robinson last years Head Coach moving upstairs to a more managerial role as Head of Rugby, and the recruitment of Tom Tsang and Barry McGuffog to join the First team and A team coaching setups.

The Bears are still looking for new players and sponsors for the season please feel free to contact us for further information or just come along to a training session.

To Join the Event on facebook please go here and share and invite your friends along:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/events/299224230147044/

Alternativley you can contact the Bears A team Coach:

Barry McGuffog

barry.mcguffog@coventrybears.co.uk

07581 487302

Training commences on April 5th for all Junior teams at the same venue 6pm start but we would please ask that you register before training so you are fully insured.

Please find details below for what you will need as a player, parent or guardian to join the Bears this season.

BEARS JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP COSTS

£25 (U11-U14s)

£35 (U16-U18s)

This Covers:

Insurance for playing
Training costs
Club Administration Registration

For Junior registration we need:

Passport picture

Medical Card Number/ NHS Number

Birth Certificate

(Information will be taken on the evening of registration these will not be retained)

Please speak to either of the contacts below if you have any queries or problems:

Debbie Drake: debbie.drake@coventrybears.co.uk   07879 687847

Barry McGuffog: barry.mcguffog@coventrybears.co.uk    07581 487302

Alternativley you can contact us through the Playfor tab on the homepage

We are also activley seeking parents to assist us in runing game days and supporting us, if you wish to put yourself forward to help and volunteer in any way please email or speak to us. We are also interested to find out if anyone is willing to assist us in seeking sponsorship for any of our Junior Academy teams.

Bishop Ullathorne  42 Ossett Secondary 26

Bishop Ullathorne school have done it again and are now through to the last 8 in the country at the year 8 age group of the Carnegie Champion schools Rugby League tournament.

The Coventry school showed some real class in the game against Ossett secondary school from Wakefield running out 42-26 winners.

There were standout performances from Fullback Jacob Wint who scored four trys on the day, but this was a team effort all round as credit must also go to half backs Captain Philip Murcardo and Paolo David who were behind a determined Bishop Ullathorne pack and Shaveen De Silva whose power stood out on a number of occasions. Bishop Ullathorne never gave up and showed some real determination to stay on top throughout the game.

Coventry and Warwickshire community coach Debbie Drake commented: This was a great performance by the lads and they really deserve to make the next round of the competition. Bishop Ullathornes defence is really strong and every game they play they become more dangerous in attack.

A lot of the team are now starting to come down to Coventry Bears to play in the summer and this will all help the school in the next few years.

Teacher Ben Wise has been doing a lot of rugby league with the boys and has organised trips to watch Live Rugby League, last year they went to the Carnegie Challenge Cup Final and the Four Nations Final and I know this year they have other outings planned, they are becoming part of a real Rugby League community in the area.

To get involved with the Bears Junior Academy come along to our Junior registration day on April 1st at 5pm at the Xcel Centre, training for all Junior age groups starts on April 5th from 6pm.

Bears Matchday Section: (Please click on the team of your choice for fixtures)

http://coventrybears.co.uk/matchday/

Coventry Bears Mens Teams

This year Coventry Bears are running a record number of teams and will have for the first time two mens teams competing at the highest level of the sport in the region. The Mens Premier team or A team will compete in the Midlands Premier division against top First teams from Leicester, Birmingham and Northampton. This team will be a reserve grade or feeder to the Mens Coventry Bears First team who compete at Tier 3 which is the Rugby League Conference National division. The Bears also have aspirations to become a professional Championship one side in the near future so its a great time to get involved with us.

Coventry Bears Womens Teams

Coventry Bears womens team also compete at the highest level of Womens Rugby League in the country, competing against top sides in the National Premier Division.  The new competition can also boast a truly national flavour, with eight of the nine English regions represented, with notable entrants from Peterlee Pumas (North East), Nottingham Outlaws (East Midlands) and Coventry Bears (West Midlands) who will be flying the flag in the full March to October programme.

Coventry Bears Junior Academy U11-U18s

Coventry Bears Junior Academy will recruit from the Coventry schools and local community of the city from Under 11 all the way to U18s. U11-U14 compete in festivals throughout the West Midlands against other cities and towns from across the region. The U16s and U18s have a full league season of their own and will also play across the West Midlands representing Coventry city. There will be a Junior registration night from 5pm on Sunday April 1st then training will commence from 6pm on Thursdays from 5th April onwards.

Please follow these links to either train or playfor and contact us direct

http://coventrybears.co.uk/training-times/

or contact our coaches direct through the Play for section on the homepage.

http://coventrybears.co.uk/play/

To get involved with the club and Sponsor any of our teams, players or match day programme please find more information here.

http://coventrybears.co.uk/sponsor/

Coventry Bears Womens team kick off their 8th season on Saturday away at rivals Nottingham Outlaws.

The development of the Womens game in the Midlands and South has grown considerably over the last few years and the Rugby Football League have now introduced a new structure to the Womens game with Coventry now playing in the National Premier Division.

The new competition can also boast a truly national flavour, with eight of the nine English regions represented, with notable entrants from Peterlee Pumas (North East), Nottingham Outlaws (East Midlands) and Coventry Bears (West Midlands) who will be flying the flag in the full March to October programme.

These are exciting times for Coventry Bears Women who have developed and promoted the game in the West Midlands and have been rewarded with opportunities to play alongside teams from the heartlands of rugby league.

Head Coach Michelle Umaga who has played with and against many of the teams her girls will now face confessed ” it will be a big task for many of our players, I know from my playing days in the North of England how strong and experienced these teams are but I am confident we will give a good account of ourselves and we will learn from each game. We pushed Warrington Ladies all the way in our play off semi final last summer and our girls are keen to test themselves on a national level.”

The Bears have kept most of last years squad and some new players including some girls who have come through the successful schools programme will also be having a run out against Nottingham.

Founder member, captain and Coummity Rugby League coach Debbie Drake who is looking forward to the new re-structured season said

” Playing from March til November will take some getting used to but we have a good number of players with new players contacting us all the time and youngsters keen to have a go, it will be a new experience for many of them and nice to see new clubs heading to Coventry.”

Coventry’s first home game is against Warrington Ladies on the 18th March 2.30 kick off at the Xcel Centre, Canley, Coventry

To get involved with Coventry Bears women please follow the playfor tab on the homepage here: http://coventrybears.co.uk/play/

Or contact us direct :

Michelle 07828 190326  michelle.umaga@coventrybears.co.uk or Debbie 07879 687847 debbie.drake@coventrybears.co.uk

Coventry’s Bishop Ullathorne school is taking the Midlands Rugby League region by storm

Both year 8 and year 11 teams have qualified for the national rounds of the RFL’s Carnegie Champion schools tournament with wins at the recent Midlands Finals day in Derby. The school is coached by Debbie Drake Coventry & Warwickshire Community Rugby League coach and Bears Junior coordinator. The teams also feature a number of Bears players and recently the school decided to feature the Coventry Bears logo on their kit to show of the proud partnership.

The school  year 11 team also featured Joe James who has come through the ranks of the Coventry Bears academy and has recently been awarded a Midlands scholarship to be part of a new professional scheme developed by the RFL in the region, Joe is full of ambition and enjoys his Rugby league to the full, he is a testament to what can be achieved by a local Coventry lad. I know many of his team mates have plans to play with the Bears this summer and hope to make a name for themselves.

Bears Junior Academy U11-U18  training will commence on April 5th at the Xcel centre from 6pm, there is also an Academy registration day planned for Sunday March 18th and Sunday April 1st at 5pm in the Xcel Leisure Centre. For more information on the Bears Junior Academy please contact Debbie on 07879 687847 or email debbie.drake@coventrybears.co.uk

Regional Article:

Midlands Carnegie Champion Schools Finals day delivers on all levels!

This week the Midlands Showcase Carnegie Champion schools Finals event took place at Derby Rugby Club and the day delivered in more ways than one.

Fast running rugby, dynamic hits, great team camaraderie with passionate supporters, all served up in the sunshine! What more could we have asked for.

The event also saw a new breed of match officials come through the ranks, giving the day a great development feel on all levels for the region.

Telford school Burton Borough took the majority of the spoils winning both year 7 and year 10 finals to a spirited and passionate Frederick Gent from Derbyshire. Charlie Gamble dancing through the defence on many occasions in the game for Burton Borough. Another North Derbyshire school, Dronfield, looked a class act taking the Year 9 Final versus Moreton from Wolverhampton, who did very well their first year in the competition making the Midlands final. Dronfields Stand Off Sam Bennett was a points machine with a number of trys and conversions to his name.

At year 8 it certainly looked like a few new International Rugby League stars were in the making as no less than nine nationalities from across the world featured in Bishop Ullathornes team from Coventry. Sri Lanka, Poland, Slovakia, Philippines and Ireland to name but a few of the nations represented. Philip Markado whose family hails from the Phillippines took both the Winners trophy as captain and the man of the match award with a skillful effort from halfback. Bishop Ullathornes Northamptonshire opponents Abbeyfield gave a pride filled performance their captain Elliott Bartley regularly calling ‘Northampton’ in the huddle to motivate his team throughout the match.

Carnegie Champion Schools 2012 Results Year 7-10

Year 7 Burton Borough School (Telford) Champions

MoM: Charlie Gamble, Centre, Burton Borough

Burton Borough 48-0 Frederick Gent.

Year 8 Bishop Ullathorne School (Coventry) Champions

MoM: Philip Makardo, Scrum half, Bishop Ullathorne

Bishop Ullathorne 38-12 Abbeyfield

Year 9 Dronfield School (North Derbyshire) Champions

MoM: Sam Bennett, Stand off, Dronfield

Dronfield 54-8 Moreton

Year 10 Burton Borough School  (Telford) Champions

MoM: Ricky Bailey, Centre, Burton Borough

Burton Borough 36-20 Frederick Gent

Year 11 Bishop Ullathorne  (Coventry) Champions

Bishop Ullathorne 60 v Frederick Gent 10

Season tickets are now available to buy directly from the Butts Park Arena during normal office hours. The ticket office number at Coventry RFC is 02476 231001.

Tickets are priced at £35 for Adults and £30 for concessions. 

 Coventry Bears First team Rugby League Fixtures 2012

Preseason games

Saturday February 25^th   Coventry Bears v The Royal Artillery 12.30pm Kick off, Xcel Centre, Coventry, Admission free

March Preseason games to be confirmed

Sunday April 1^st          Coventry Bears v Hemel Stags   2pm Kick off, Xcel Centre, Coventry, Admission free

 Conference 3 League games

(Home games at Butts Park Arena Kick off 2.30pm unless specified otherwise, please keep in touch with our website and local press for any late changes in our schedule)

Round 1          Saturday         April 21^st                      Bears v Nottingham                         HOME    6pm

(Double Header Coventry RFC v Jersey)

Round 2          Sunday            April 29^th                  South Wales Hornets v Bears                  AWAY

Round 3         Saturday        May 5^th                        Bears v Bramley                                    HOME

Round 4          Saturday         May 12th                     St Albans v Bears                               AWAY

Round 5         Saturday        May 19^th                      Bears v Huddersfield                          HOME

Free weekend                        May 26th

Round 6          Saturday         June 2^nd                      Bristol Sonics v Bears                       AWAY

Round 7          Saturday         June 9^th                       Kippax Knights v Bears                  AWAY

Round 8          Sunday            June 17^th                     Hemel Stags v Bears                        AWAY

Round 9          Sunday            June 24^rd                     Bramley v Bears                                AWAY

Round 10        Saturday         June 30^th                     Bears v St Albans                          HOME

Round 11        Saturday         July 7^th                         Warrington V Bears                      AWAY

Round 12        Saturday         July 14^th                      Bears v Bristol Sonics                   HOME

Round 13        Saturday         July 21^st                      Bears v South Wales Hornets     HOME

Round 14        Sunday            July 29^th                      Bears v Hemel Stags                      HOME

Round 15        Saturday         August 4^th                    Nottingham v Bears                     AWAY

Round 16        Saturday         August 11^th                  Bears v Kippax Knights               HOME

Round 17        Saturday         August 18^th                  Huddersfield v Bears                   AWAY

Round 18        Saturday         September 1^st             Bears v Warrington                       HOME

Play offs         Saturday        September 8th

Play offs         Saturday        September 15th

Play offs         Saturday        September 22nd

Grand Final                            September 29^th or 30^th Venue TBC

Its finally been decided! and here is the winning design which will be produced for our 2012 First team Jersey, I think you will agree that the design will make the club stand out this season and make an impression. We held a competition on facebook to help us determine the winning design and with 24 likes this jersey was the winner. Speaking of winners our competition winner is Tracey O’Donnell  we would like to congradulate Tracey a new jersey will be winging its way to you once they have been manufactured.

We are still seeking sponsors for this jerseys arms, shoulders and shorts if interested please get in touch at alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk

The Bears are now seeking sponsors and selling season tickets for the forthcoming season please get in touch with us through our homepage tabs for more information and to request a call, we would be delighted at the opportunity to come and speak with you about how we can promote your business.

We are also now seeking players for all teams, training has now commenced for First team, A team and U18s please find information in the teams section.

Thank you.

The Bears players have been preparing for the new season off the field, but the club has also been developing a new kit design and now we need your help.

USA illustration company Ink Tycoon who developed the new Bears logo brand have been looking at a new Jersey  design and have come up with some stunning ideas.  The designs are all so good we couldnt choose a winner so this is where you ‘the Bears fan’ comes in!

For this weekend the Bears would like your feedback and are launching a campaign to select the new Jersey design that the Bears First team will wear in 2012. There are also other options to use the designs for training shirts and promotional jerseys but the primary goal is to pick a design which will be developed into the main first team playing  jersey.

All you have to do is comment and like the jersey of your choice on the Bears facebook fanpage, then once you have commented/liked, your name will go into a draw to win a jersey once it is manufactured.

Facebook link here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CoventryBearsRL

Bears Alan Robinson commented: I cant wait to see what people think as these designs are at the cutting edge of sports design. Mike Ray from Ink Tycoon is a very respected illustrator in the USA sports market and has years of experience creating branding and imagery for some of the top sports teams in the states. I think the designs show the forward thinking nature of the our club and that we want to stand out from the crowd and not make an easy choice of hoops or a V design for a jersey.  There was alot of debate from behind the scenes at the club so we thought the best thing was to let the fans decide the outcome!

Bears announce pre-season training

The Bears pre season training dates have now been announced for all Mens teams, the Bears are recruiting players for U18 and First teams including the newly formed Midlands Premier Bears A team.

Coventry Bears new community manager Barry McGuffog commented:

Everyone is looking forward to getting stuck into Rugby League again we have had a great response so far to player recruitment. It should be exciting to see what our two first team coaches have in store. We have some fantastic facilities available now having both the Xcel centre and Coventry RFC gym at our disposal. We are now in a great position to re-launch our Men’s A team as with our development work we have quite a few players coming through our pathway from our junior section. Along with a large squad planned for our first team and new partnerships developed with Coventry University and other sectors we are hoping to have a very strong pool of players available at senior level.

New Coventry Bears First team coach Tom Tsang commented on becoming First team coach and the season ahead:

“After aggravating an old shoulder injury playing for the Bears last year, I faced a tough decision whether to retire from playing or not. So when Alan Robinson offered me the opportunity to join the coaching staff with the Mens 1st team, I jumped at the chance. I believe the Bears are a forward thinking club, and have the potential to do some great things for Rugby League and sport in the region. “Pre-season is due to start on the 19^th January, and the new and returning players can expect it to be tough, hard work, but there will definitely be an emphasis on enjoyment and team bonding. Our aim is to reach the play-offs this year, and then challenge for the title – to do so we will need a large squad of players who are willing to go that extra mile for their team-mates.”

The Bears have a big year ahead with the First team competing in the RLC National and newly formed Bears A team competing in the Midlands Premier division. We are now seeking players of all levels and experience so please get in touch through the links below or just pop along to preseason training and have a look at what the Bears have to offer.

Pre season Training will commence on Thursday 19th January 2012, 7pm-9pm and will then change to Tuesdays from the week after Tuesday 24th January, 7pm -9pm.

Training Venue: Xcel Centre, Canley, Coventry, CV4 8DY

Contact us through our PLAY FOR form on the homepage to be added to our team mailing list

Divisions for next year;

RLC National Division (still to be fully tbc)

Coventry Bears, Nottingham Outlaws, Bramley Buffaloes, Warrington Wizards, Huddersfield Underbank, Dewsbury Celtic, Valley Cougars, Bristol Sonics, St Albains Centurions, Hemel Stags

RLC Midlands Premier

Coventry Bears A team, Leicester Storm First team, Northampton Demons First team, Birmingham Bulldogs First team, Coventry Dragons, Gloucestershire Warriors

Midlands U18s division;

Coventry Bears, Birmingham Bulldogs, NEW Ravens, Northampton

New Coventry Bears Head of Rugby Alan Robinson explains. We have become increasingly business orientated over the past few months and have been making some read inroads into developing local partnerships both on the commercial and playing sides. We have also spent a lot of time looking at what we need to do to put ourselves in a better position to be considered for Championship one in the near future. It was mainly due to this that I have decided to step back from direct coaching to concentrate more on overall club development. I will still be involved in developing our coaching and support our coaches at all levels but we are in a much stronger position now with the right personel being available at the club to deliver what we need at the highest level.

Appointments in the new look staffing team:

Community Manager

To develop our junior and youth Rugby and help to sustain a flow of development through to our men’s A and First teams, we have appointed Barry McGuffog as our new community manager. Barry originally from Barrow in Cumbria brings a wealth of coaching and playing experience both overseas and in this country he also has a valuable network of experienced rugby league officers at other professional clubs which he can call upon for advice. One such example was how he has set up a pathway in the South of France for a number of our First team players in the off season.

First Team Coach

Next new appoitment is to the Bears First team staff. Tom Tsang has been appointed as First team coach and will work alongside our other current First team coach Mark Sloan. Tom is currently studying for his level 3 coaching cert and is rubbing shoulders with some of the best professional coaches in the game, he has decided to step back from playing due to further shoulder problems so it took no time at all for him to take this offer from the Bears and decide to concentrate fully on his coaching development. Current coach at Loughborough University First team and a former Leeds Metropolitan student, Tom has pedegree at England and Great Britain student level as both a player and a coach. He will add real value to the club.

 
We are very lucky to have such experience at our disposal I have every confidence that with this new team now in place we can look to a bright year ahead in 2012.

Team Sponsorship

Sponsor a Bears team from U11 to U18s Juniors, Bears Women’s or one of two Men’s teams. There are great local advertising benefits as well as high profile Local, Regional and National benefits to supporting the Bears. We feature regularly in local press and radio and have a loyal fan base that follow us at our First team games at the Butts Park Arena and online through the social networks. Let us help you reach a new audience.

Packages range from £500+

Player & Coach Sponsorship

Sponsor a Bears player from U11 to U18s Juniors, Bears Women’s or one of two Men’s teams. Generally player sponsorship gives the following benefits:

• Player has membership and insurance costs covered for the season
• Player will receive a number of leisurewear items
• Player has your name featured under his or her profile on the website

First team only

Player has your name featured by their profile picture on Bears programme

Your name is featured during match day announcements

Packages range from £50-£150

Programme Sponsorship

Feature in the new Coventry Bears programme, this will be a new full colour 16 -20 page Match programme with a print run of 100+ for all Bears First team home games, sponsors will also have the opportunity to advertise through the Bears Facebook or Twitter accounts.

Packages: £100 (1/4 page) £150 (1/2 page) £250 (Full page) Full season

Match day Sponsors: £100 (feature on the front of the programme)

Website Sponsorship

The Bears now have a fantastic new website and we are starting to grow a new Local community who follow and support us. With this in mind we would like to offer you the opportunity to advertise on our website and link through to your business website. You will also receive a season ticket and options to bring along guests at discounted rates.

Package example: £250 (Your logo and name as a Bears sponsor on website plus Bears 2012 season ticket and guest benefits)

Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss getting involved with the Bears as a new sponsor.

Alan Robinson,

Club Director,

tel. 07974 517519

email. alan.robinson@coventrybears.co.uk

The Bears now have a new website which we hope will help take the club forward in 2012 in preparation for the start of the new season in March. We hope you like the new format and would love it if you could take the time to follow us on twitter, like us on facebook let us know what you think and share our news with everyone, you can also share this news story from the links below. We have dedicated sections for our teams aswell as featured tabs for supporters and new ways for you to interact and get involved.

The main focus of our new site is gathering information so whether you want to become a fan and sign up to our e news, look into options for sponsoring the club or you are interested in giving Rugby League a try with one of our teams in the new year then its never been easier to get involved!

We look forward to hearing from you.

New for 2012

Coventry Bears Mens A team will be relaunched in 2012, the team will compete in the Midlands premier division against other top Midlands regional teams, the A team will play games from both the Butts Park Arena and the Xcel Leisure centre and will train alongside the Coventry Bears RLC national squad.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Alternativley you can purchase tickets from Coventry Rugby Clubs Butts Park Arena office during normal hours or match days at the Butts Park Arena.

Next season will be very simliar to the last with the Bears competing in the RLC National league.

Coventry Bears Rugby League 2012 Season tickets are only £30 until January 31st 2012, they will then be £35 for the remainder of the season.

Bears community manager Barry McGuffog commented: We can now play games at the Xcel centre and utilise this fantastic facility to the full, previously we just used the grass for training and junior games but now we have installed the new pitch it gives us many more possibilities for other teams to play. The new pitch has also been measured up to be the same size as the Butts Park Arena Stadium pitch which is a full size 100m x 68 m. This will allow the Bears teams to play at both grounds and feel at home while being able to train to the maximum capability.

We are all looking forward to the first game at the Xcel im sure it will be a great day for the club which ever team will take to the field.