March 2016

Bedford Blues can confirm that all-time leading point scorer, James Pritchard, will be leaving the club at the end of the season to take up a player/coach role with National One side Coventry.

Pritchard, 36, or Skippy as he is known, celebrated his testimonial with the club last season and has been a key figure at Goldington Road for more than a decade.

Originally from Parkes in Australia, Pritchard started his sporting career in Rugby League before switching codes, and continents, to join Bedford Blues in 2001. After a mini tour around the UK and France with Plymouth Albion, Northampton Saints and Perpignon, Pritch returned to Bedford in 2006 and made the town his home.

Bedford Blues was deeply saddened to hear of the premature death of former player Norman Hadley at the age of just 51 over the Easter weekend.

A Canadian international, who captained Canada five times, he made an outstanding contribution to his country's success in reaching the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup in 1991.

Second row 'Stormin' Norm joined Bedford at the start of the professional era in 1996 and although uncompromising on the field he proved a popular gentle giant in the clubhouse.

Bedford Blues head north this weekend as they prepare to face fourth placed Yorkshire Carnegie in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Sunday afternoon.

Both teams have 58 points in the Championship table, but the Blues sit in third place having won one more game than their opponents.

When the teams met at Goldington Road back in November, Carnegie had stormed into a 21 point lead with 17 minutes remaining before three Blues tries from Camilo Parilli-Ocampo, Steffan Jones and George Perkins turned things around. With the game in the balance, Jones then slotted a 50 plus metre penalty in the dying moments to seal the victory.

The draw for the 2016 Bedford Blues Under 19s 10-a-side competition was made nearly a fortnight ago before the Blues’ first team fixture against Ealing Trailfinders.
 
The draw was made by Geoff Irvine, Chairman of Bedford Blues and the Greene King IPA Championship Clubs Committee, and Ian Baggott, President of the East Midlands Referees Society, for only the second tournament of its kind.  Following last year’s successful tournament, Bedford Blues host the event again on Sunday 24 April at Goldington Road.