Cornwall RLFC is a British professional rugby league team based in Penryn, Cornwall, England. They play their home matches at Penryn RFC's Memorial Ground and compete in League One the third tier of British rugby league.
 | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cornwall Rugby League Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | Choughs |
| Colours | Black and Gold |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Website | www |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) | |
| Coach | Mike Abbott |
| Captain | Liam Whitton |
| Competition | RFL League 1 |
History edit
2019–20: Ottawa Aces edit
It was first announced in March 2019 that a consortium from Canada, led by Toronto Wolfpack founder Eric Perez, had purchased the Rugby Football League membership of club Hemel Stags and planned to relocate their licence to Canada.[3]
More due diligence took place during 2019 to decide if the club was ready to join League 1 for the 2020 season along with the New York City Rugby League,[4] however at the end of July 2019 it was announced that the club would not enter the league in 2020 and would instead work towards joining the league in 2021.[5]
On 9 March 2020, Ottawa announced they would push back their debut season and enter League 1 in 2021.[6] However, due to travel restrictions between Canada and the United Kingdom resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aces and the RFL agreed to defer entry to the League 1 another year again, until 2022.[7]
Come March 2021, it was announced Ottawa would compete in the newly founded North America Rugby League along with the Toronto Wolfpack, however Perez said the club still expected to play in League 1 in 2022 and suggested the club could play as a 2nd team in the NARL.
On 22 October 2021, it was announced that Ottawa Aces would relocate back to the United Kingdom permanently due the "unstable operating environment" of running a club in the British leagues from Canada during a pandemic.[8] They would also withdraw from the NARL effectively disbanding as the Ottawa Aces.
2021–present: Relocation to Cornwall edit
On 2 November 2021 the club was officially relocated to Penryn, Cornwall and rebranded as Cornwall RLFC. The club were allocated a place in Betfred League 1, the third tier of the British rugby league system.[9]
On 8 December 2021 it was announced that Neil Kelly had been appointed as head coach,[10] and Anthony Mullally, a former Super League winner with Leeds Rhinos and Ireland international was the first player signing.[11]
Players edit
Current squad edit
Squad for 2022 RFL League 1;
| Cornwall RLFC League 1 Squad | |
|---|---|
|
Fullbacks
Wingers
Centres
Halfbacks
|
Props
Hookers
Second Rows
Loose forwards
|
Coaches edit
- Mike Abbot 2022-Present
- Neil Kelly 2021–2022
Seasons edit
| Season | League | Play-offs | Challenge Cup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Dif | Pos | |||
| 2022 | League 1 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 276 | 864 | 2 | 10th | Did not qualify | Did not participate |
| 2023 | League 1 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 13 | 257 | 712 | 10 | 9th | Did not qualify | R2 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Band of Brothers - Lions of '71 roar one more time". ESPN. 28 May 2008.
- ^ "Penryn denied by last-gasp penalty". South West Farmers. 17 October 2007.
- ^ "Toronto Wolfpack founder looking to bring rugby league team to Ottawa". globalnews.ca. 21 March 2019.
- ^ "Overseas clubs - What happens next". RFL. 12 April 2019.
- ^ "Ottawa miss out on 2020 arrival". Total Rugby League. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Eric Perez unveils 2021 League 1 expansion team Ottawa Aces". Rugby League Hub. 9 March 2020.
- ^ "Ottawa Aces: Canadian club defer League One entry until 2022". BBC Sport. 5 November 2020.
- ^ "Ottawa Aces forced to relocate to the UK in sensational move". 22 October 2021.
- ^ Cornwall to host new professional rugby league team after Ottawa plans shelved
- ^ "Neil Kelly: Cornwall RLFC appoint ex-Widnes coach for inaugural season". BBC Sport. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Cornwall make Anthony Mullally first signing". Love Rugby League. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.