1st XV News

It's Friday Night Lights once again as Hartpury pay a visit to Goldington Road in Round Ten of the Greene King IPA Championship.

It will also be the first ever encounter between the Blues and Hartpury with everyone at Bedford excited about the challenge ahead. The Blues battled back to overturn a ten point deficit to record a 25-25 draw at Castle Park against Doncaster Knights last weekend and will be hoping to go one better this weekend.

Hartpury have quickly established themselves in the Championship and despite a slight dip in form, no one will be taking them for granted come 7.45pm.

The Blues return home under the Friday night lights this weekend against recently promoted Hartpury RFC hoping to keep hold of their top four position (kick off 7:45pm).

The fixture doubles as the Club's first ever Community Schools Night with nearly 20 Bedfordshire schools represented and over 250 pupils. Blues Community department will deliver the club’s largest training session, the Guard of Honour and a pitch parade with SSG Services. If any schools would like to join up there is still space by emailing community@bedfordrugby.co.uk.

If you've never seen the 'head to head' feature in a match day programme (and why wouldn't you?), here's a little taster of what you've been missing as Ben Adams and Ollie Dodge took on an array of questions. 

This feature is available in every home match programme, buy yours on the gate this Friday for just £2.50.

Bedford Blues headed to France and Belgium last week to commemorate Remembrance Day. How was the experience? What were the highlights?

Blues players and coaches recently took advantage of a week off to make a special trip to France and Belgium to pay their respects to those who sacrificed their lives to secure and protect our freedom as well as remembering former Bedford players who died during World War One.
 
On Tuesday 31st October, the squad travelled across the English Channel to visit Dunkirk where over 300,000 allied soldiers were evacuated from the beaches and harbour during World War Two. The operation - codenamed Dynamo - was the largest military evacuation of its kind and took place between 26th May and 4th June 1940.
 

It was honours even at Castle Park on Saturday afternoon as Bedford Blues scored late on to level the game before collectively sighing in relief as Simon Humberstone's drop goal attempt drifted just wide of the uprights in the final play of the game.

It was a fitting ending to a hugely entertaining game which saw both sides fighting tooth-and-nail to try and win the game as Bedford reduced a ten point deficit to set up the grandstand finale.