St Albans Centurions

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St Albans Centurions

Full name	St Albans Centurions Rugby League Club
Emblem	See Above
Colours	Dark blue and yellow
Founded	1996
Sport	Rugby League
League	Rugby League Conference Southern Premier Division
Ground	Recreation Ground, Colney Heath
Official website	www.sacenturions.co.uk

St Albans Centurions is a rugby league club based in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Founded in 1996, they first played in various local leagues and the Rugby League Conference, and then, from 2003 to 2006, in National League 3. From 2007, following the clubs re-location to its new clubhouse and ground, they now play in the Rugby League Conference Southern Premier Division. 2007 also saw the club win the League Championship, the Southern Premiership Grand Final and the National Grand Final.

They play at the Recreation Ground in Colney Heath, a village on the outskirts of St Albans.

[edit] History

The club was established in 1996 and the first game was lost narrowly to a Hemel Hempstead Development team. In 1997 the Centurions replaced the Ashford club in London League Division 2, and progressed to the second round of the knockout competitions. Later that year the Centurions signed a membership agreement with Old Verulamians RU Club to secure ground sharing, giving them a firm base and offering good facilities for both players and sponsors. The team finished second in the league that season and established a rugby league development team to encourage junior development.

In 1998 the U13s competed in a Festival of Rugby League and also in the London Junior Competition and the senior team were accepted into the Rugby League Conference, where they finished runners-up in the Southern Division. The team was beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual winners, Crawley Jets.

In 1999 the team fielded a second team for the first time, and the first junior player graduated to the Open Age side.

From 2000 to 2002 the club consolidated itself in the RLC and in the London League.

In 2003 the club entered the newly created National League 3, playing teams from all over the country. They reached the play-offs, beating Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks before going down to Warrington Woolston Rovers. They also entered the Challenge Cup, losing to Birkenshaw in the first round.

In 2004 the Centurions finished 7th and then shocked Bradford Dudley Hill in the play-offs before losing to Bramley Buffaloes.

In 2005 the first team won 12 out of 16 league matches, finishing third and losing in the play-off semi-finals. The second team continued to play in the conference and the club continues its junior development programme. The club also relocated its home ground across town to share with Old Albanian Rugby Football Club at Woollam's.

In 2006 the first team qualified for the play-offs in fourth place in National League Three. It beat Dewsbury Celtic but lost an elimination match to the Warrington Wizards. The team also competed in the Northern Rail Cup, taking on semi-professional outfits London Skolars and Celtic Crusaders.

2007 has been a big year for the club. It relocated to Colney Heath and relaunched itself with a new committee and a new club logo in preparation for the 2007 season. The Cents, as they are known, then joined the 'Rugby League Conference Southern Premiership' and have gone from strength to strength. They now run a senior team, a development team (2nds) and under 16's, under 14's and under 12's teams in the London League. In the 'off season', the club also run three junior teams, the Hatfield Comets, The New Green Gladiators and the Cottonmill Crusaders in the Chilterns Junior League. The Centurions have won 12 of their 14 seasonal league games and finished top of the Conference (League Champions). They also became Major Premiers of the Southern Conference by beating South London Storm 16 - 10 in the Southern Grand Final. St Albans went through to represent the South in the NATIONAL GRAND FINAL semi finals and defeated the Welsh Champions Bridgend Blue Bulls 42 - 16. The Cents then went on to win the National Grand Final (the Harry Jepson Trophy) by defeating the Midland champions, Coventry Bears by 28 -20.

2008 Although the new season does not start until April, St Albans won the North London Cup, a pre season 'round robin' tournament between themselves, London Skolars A team and Hemel Stags.