Page 19 - Bugle Autumn 2023

Known in the regiment as ‘The Redcoat Fend’
2 RIFLES
RUGBY
The Rugby Union 2022/23 season is now over and 2 RIFLES can boast great success at Battalion, Infantry, Army, UKAF and Premiership Level. In our first season back in the Army Premiership we exceeded expectations as we breezed through to
the knockout competition via a string of wins, one narrow loss, and an impressively hard-fought draw to the eventual champions 12 RA.
Our semi-final game was a thriller, losing out to R WELSH in a physical 16-12 loss, with
a well-read intercept opportunity narrowly falling away from the fingers of winger Rfn Kuruselavakabisi in the dying moments of
the game, dashing 2 RIFLES’ hopes of a cup final in our first year back. As a result of this 2 RIFLES played 1 YORKS in the plate final. This is always a fiercely competitive fixture with 1 YORKS speed giving success around the sides early, before 2 RIFLES structure and power began a strong comeback in the second half. Eventually 2 RIFLES came off second best taking home silver. This placed us fourth in the Army inter-unit rankings – a fantastic result for a first season back on the big stage.
Beyond Battalion success, 2 RIFLES players Capt Ackers and Rfn Qorowale displayed one of the few times a Rifleman should wear red as they started for the Army in both interservice tournament matches, with a Regimental highlight being a dazzling 50m break by Rfn Qorowale breezing between RAF players before an effortless offload putting Capt Ackers in for the try. Shortly after Rfn Qorowale was through himself to add a try to his personal tally. Just two weeks later both players were
Outworking the yorks
out again this time representing the Army v Navy on the biggest stage at Twickenham.
Rfn Qorowale is now back with Newcastle Falcons ready to represent The Rifles in the Premiership, he will also be representing
the UKAF rugby team in the near future. When asked about his last few months he said; “It was a pleasure to represent the
Army XV team, and to play at Twickenham was a massive personal success. While it obviously didn’t go the way we wanted we have to accept that’s rugby – we didn’t turn up with the right mindset and were chasing shadows for the game – congratulations to the Royal Navy for 2023 but we are going to make it special for the Army in 2024. I am now back in the Newcastle Falcons pre-season camp which has been great! I am enjoying welcoming our new boys and importantly our new Head Coach, this makes it an exciting new team for pre-season into the new season starting in September. I am currently in the UKAF rugby camp with an upcoming match in my home stadium in Newcastle before we get stuck into a tournament in France. It’s a pleasure to be released by my coach, allowing me to play the wide spectrum of competitive rugby that I have this year.”
This draws our Rugby Union season to a close, however with Riflemen representing Infantry Rugby League and a 2 RIFLES team in the Army 7’s tournament we are certainly not finished yet!
Lt Sebastian Jones
OC 5 Platoon, B Coy
Would you want to tackle him?
RIFLES The Bugle 19
Representing the battalion at the highest level