Page 95 - The Bugle Issue 12 Autumn 2016

Battalion Football Team
The 2015/16 football season provided a combination of success and frustration for the 4 RIFLES team. With a young squad, we gained promotion to the Southern Central Premier League and nished in third place, just three points behind the winners. Unfortunately the cup matches were less fruitful, with the team being knocked out at the early stages of each cup.
Aside from the league and the major cups, the Battalion has also competed in the infantry six-a-side competition, reaching the Quarter Final stage. Six of our ri emen have been selected to represent the Infantry: Cpl Sharpe, Cpl Goodall, Rfn Mead, Rfn Hibbert, Rfn Tilley and Rfn Horwood. Despite a season with no silverware, a number of new ri emen have made their debut which can only bode well for the future of the squad as we will look to build on our success for the coming season.
Maj Andy Pemberton, Football Of cer
Battalion Boxing Team
This season has seen 4 RIFLES Boxing Team execute year 2 of the “3 year plan” initiated by Maj Rob Cutler at the start of season 14/15. With a new Boxing Of cer, Capt Sean Lennon, Head Coach, CSjt Gav Wilmott and new Team Captain, LCpl Castl- edine, (one of many new re-joins back into army life this year) there was plenty of fresh energy and enthu- siasm to drive forward with what proved to be a long hard season ahead.
The season started back in Oct 15 by building a team that would go onto compete in the Army Inter-Unit Boxing Competition 2015/16. Having been knocked out of this competition by 2 PARA in the rst round last time out, the Bn was determined to bounce back and progress further in the competition this season. The Bn got off to a great start, travelling to Paderborn, Germany, to take on 1 PWRR on their home turf. Despite being out numbered and away from home, the boys destroyed 1 PWRR by winning the contest 6-1 on the night. Con dence was now high going into the Quarter Final draw with the belief that we could go on and challenge any team in the competition this year with the current squad. The draw was made and it was another away tie, this time to 3 PARA, in Colchester. With 2 weeks out, lady luck was not on our side, losing 3 of our rst team squad, we now had to travel to Colchester with a weakened rst 7 ghters. The ghters put in a great shift and pushed the 3 PARA Boxing Team right to the last ght of the evening. Unfortunately it was not to be for 4 RIFLES this time; 3 PARA went on to win the last bout of the night resulting in a 4-3 victory to 3 PARA.
With the Army Inter-Units now history, the squad had to switch re onto the 1 Brigade, Inter-Units Competition, headed up by Capt Chris Dowling and WO2 Jay Essam, which was held at the Combat Sports Centre in Aldershot. The First Fusiliers were the clear favourites going into the competition having just been crowned the 2015/16, Army Champions, defeating 3 PARA, in the Army Inter-Units Final. Again the contest went right down to the wire, it was the last ght of the night with all to play for, the winner of this bout would win the contest for their Bn and the Bn would be crowned,
the 1X Champs. It was time for
the team captains from both, 4
RIFLES, and The First Fusiliers,
to face each other in a Welter
Weight contest. The bout was
a great advertisement for
Army Boxing; it was an
absolute war with both
ghters having their
own success and the
ght swaying one way, then the other. It was all down to the last round, both ghters went toe to toe for the whole round, both wearing their hearts on their sleeve. The bell went and it was down to the judges’ score cards. The First Fusiliers come out on top and were crowned the winners of the competition with 4 RIFLES, the runners up. Despite coming runners up, it was a fantastic night of boxing and great experience for the 4 RIFLES boxers to take into next season.
The season ended here for the Bn squad, we said farewell to Maj Rob Cutler who has handed over the reins of the Regimental Boxing Of cer to Capt Chris Dowling, who has also taken on the role of Bn Boxing Of cer from Capt Sean Lennon. CSjt Wilmott has returned to CQMS and handed over the role of Head Coach to Sjt Chunk Hawkins and Rfn Davies has now stepped up to Team Captain whilst LCpl Castledine is concentrating on soldiering and career courses.
With the new team in place it was now time to focus on the Bn Inter-Coy Competition and recruit fresh talent to boost the squad for next season. With timings tight, due to the Bn being warned off for operations, the Rfn had to juggle PDT with boxing training. It was a fantastic night of boxing with some real courageous Rfn putting their body on the line, each bout was evenly matched with a good variety of Ranks ranging from, Rfn to Capt. Fight of the night had to be the Middle Weight contest between Rfn Handy and Rfn John-Jules, both boxers exchanged nonstop meaning full blows for the full 3 round with Rfn Handy getting the judge’s decision. Rfn John-Jules was awarded the referees most Coura- geous Boxer, Rfn Marks the Best Boxer, CO’s Best Boxer was awarded to Rfn Handy and the winning Coy awarded to A Coy by a narrow margin.
The Bn now gets set for deployment, however, the Bn Boxing Team will remain in Aldershot and will form back up in Oct 16, to prepare for the Brigade Competition which will take part in early
Dec, and the Army Inter-Units in the New Year.
Capt Lenny Lennon
LCpl Castledine (right) in action at the 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade Boxing Competition