Edinburgh Eagles

Last updated

Edinburgh Eagles
Edinburgheagles.png
Club information
Full nameEdinburgh Eagles Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)The Eagles
Founded1998;25 years ago (1998)
Website
Current details
Ground(s)
  • Royal High School, EH4 6AQ
Chairman Flag of Scotland.svg Barry McGuffog
Coach Flag of Scotland.svg Craig Robertson
Manager Flag of Scotland.svg Andrew McPhail
Captain Flag of Scotland.svg Lewis Clarke
Competition North East RL League
20191st
Uniforms
Kit left arm blackshoulders.png
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm blackshoulders.png
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Home colours

Edinburgh Eagles are a rugby league team based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club plays in the Scottish National League and North East Rugby League. The club was founded in 1998. The Eagles have won the Scottish title a record 10 times. They currently play at Royal High School, but home games have been played at a number of grounds including Corstophine RFC and Broughton RFC.

Contents

History

The Edinburgh Eagles club was founded in February 1998 and were admitted to the Scottish National League that same year, finishing as runners-up after losing out to Border Raiders in the final 14–40. The following season saw the club go one better when after defeating fellow Edinburgh side Portobello Playboys in the Grand Final 48–20, they lifted the Scottish title for the first time. [1]

The new millennium season started early for the Eagles as they became the first Scottish club to enter the Challenge Cup at the first round stage on 4 December 1999, defeated by Woolston Rovers by only 12–17. Despite losing just one match during the regular season they were beaten by Glasgow Bulls in the Grand Final 22–47. [2] The following season the same two sides met in the final again, Eagles winning 30–16. That victory was the start of a hat-trick of triumphs as they beat Portobello Playboys 46–24 in 2002 and Fife Lions in 2003. [3]

It was three more years before they won the title again, after losing to Fife Lions in the 2004 final they failed to reach the next two finals. There was also three first round exits in the Challenge Cup against Leigh East, Oulton Raiders and Heworth A.R.L.F.C. Another hat-trick of titles from 2007 was next as they saw off Fife Lions twice and Carluke Tigers in 2009, 18–10 in a game that went to extra-time.

In the challenge Cup, history was made by the club, when on 25 January 2009 Edinburgh became the first Scottish side to win a game in the competition, beating the RAF 18–16. In the second round they lost to Leeds Met University. They repeated this feat in 2010 when, after knocking out Gloucestershire Warriors 36–32, they lost out to Blackwood Bulldogs in the second round. In the league Carluke gained revenge by defeating the Eagles in the 2010 final 10–14. 2011 and 2012 brought the title count up to nine, with victories over Ayrshire Storm 26–10 [4] and Aberdeen Warriors 36–10. [5] Following three years out of the Finals the Eagles were runners up in 2017 behind Strathmore Silverbacks. After a 6-year wait 2018 saw the Eagles lift their 10th title with victory over Strathmore Silverbacks on points difference. 2019 saw the Eagles enter the North East Rugby league Competition which they went on to win, beating Jarrow Vikings in the grand final on golden point 38–34, along with defeating Strathmore for the 2019 Scottish Cup which sees them entered into the 2020 Challenge cup competition

Challenge Cup

DateOpponentsRoundH/AScore
4 December 1999 Woolston Rovers 1RH12–17
1 December 2001 Leigh East 1RH10–68
30 November 2002 Oulton Raiders 1RA8–26
30 November 2003 Heworth ARLFC 1RA8–34
2 February 2008Normanton Knights1RA8–38
25 January 2009 RAF 1RA18–16
16 February 2009Leeds Met Univ2RA6–20
24 January 2010 Gloucestershire Warriors 1RA36–32
14 February 2010 Blackwood Bulldogs 2RH16–28
18 February 2012 Stanley Rangers 1RA12–60
26 January 2019Normanton Knights1RA16–50

Players earning international caps while at Edinburgh Eagles

The Eagles team has gained international recognition with several of its players being selected: Paddy Coupar, Giles Lomax, Nick Broere, Callum Cockburn, Craig Borthwick, David Lynn, Andrew Todd and John Cox have all come through the ranks of the Edinburgh Napier University Knights, Edinburgh Eagles and Scotland 'A' before going on to represent their country at full International level.

Honours

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Fife F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

East Fife Football Club is a semi-professional football club established in 1903 in Methil, Fife, Scotland. They are members of the Scottish Professional Football League and compete in Scottish League Two, the fourth tier of the Scottish football league system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Borthwick</span> England international rugby union player

Stephen William Borthwick is an English rugby union coach who played lock for Bath and Saracens. At International level, he represented the senior England rugby union team between 2001 and 2010 and captained them between 2008 and 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fife Flyers</span> Scottish ice hockey team

Fife Flyers is the oldest professional ice hockey club in the UK, established in 1938. The Flyers play their home games at Fife Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy which has a capacity of just over 3000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penicuik Athletic F.C.</span> Association football club in Scotland

Penicuik Athletic Football Club are a Scottish football club. They were formed in 1888 and are based at Montgomery Park, in the town of Penicuik. Montgomery Park is ten miles south west of Edinburgh on the A702 road. The team now plays in the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division, having moved from the junior leagues in 2018.

Ayr Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club. Its professional men's side currently plays as Ayrshire Bulls in the Super 6 competition; and its women's side play in the Scottish Womens National One. The club also runs a "Club XV" which competes in the Tennent's National League 1, a 2nd XV "Ayr-Millbrae", which plays in the SRU West Reserve League Division 1, and various age group teams, from age 4, up to age 18.

Boroughmuir RFC is a rugby union football club in the Scottish Rugby Union. The club's home ground is Meggetland, in southwest Edinburgh and the club plays in the Super 6, where they are known as the Boroughmuir Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Scotland</span> Overview of sports traditions and activities in Scotland

Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness. However, many other sports are played in the country, with popularity varying between sports and between regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fife Lions</span> Scottish amateur rugby league club, based in Fife, East Scotland

Fife Lions ARLFC are a rugby league club located in Fife, Scotland. They play in the Scottish National League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carluke Tigers</span> Scottish amateur rugby league club

Carluke Tigers are an amateur rugby league team. They play in the Scotland Division of the Rugby League Conference. The team is the only premier rugby league side in Lanarkshire. The club plays their home games at Hamilton Palace, Hamilton, while training takes place at The Moor Park in Carluke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish National League (rugby league)</span> Football league

The Scottish National League was first played for in 1997 under the name The Scottish Conference before changing to its current name the following season and is the top tier domestic rugby league club competition in Scotland. It was renamed the Scottish RL Conference League between 2007 and 2011 and formed a division of the Rugby League Conference competition.

Cameron George Mather is a rugby union footballer who plays in the back row. He won eleven caps for Scotland between 1999 and 2004.

Paddy Coupar is a former Scottish professional rugby league footballer who played for the Edinburgh Eagles in the Rugby League Conference Scotland Division. He previously played for Workington Town as a second-row. He is a current Scotland international.

Howe of Fife RFC is a rugby union club based in Cupar, Fife, Scotland. It was founded in 1921, and they play in blue and white hoops. The men's first XV team currently competes in Scottish National League Division Three, the women's XV - known as Howe Harlequins - plays in Scottish Womens National One.

The 1994 New Zealand rugby league season was the 87th season of rugby league in New Zealand. The main feature of the season was the inaugural Lion Red Cup competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League. The North Harbour Sea Eagles won the Cup by defeating the Counties Manukau Heroes 24–16 in the Grand Final. At the end of the season the New Zealand national team was also assembled for a tour of Papua New Guinea.

The 1993 New Zealand rugby league season was the 86th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the National Provincial Championship competition that was run by the New Zealand Rugby League. Canterbury won the Championship by defeating Auckland 36–12 in the Final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meigle Cricket Club</span>

Meigle Cricket Club is a cricket club in Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aberdeen Warriors</span> Defunct Scottish amateur rugby league club, based in Aberdeen

Aberdeen Warriors were a Scottish rugby league club based in the city of Aberdeen. The club was founded in 2010. They played in the Scottish National League and won the league on four occasions. Home games were played at the Woodside Sports Complex, also known to have played at Hazlehead Academy, Westdyke Leisure Centre and Rubislaw Playing Fields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Toolis</span> Rugby player

Ben Toolis is a Scottish rugby union player who plays for Kintetsu Liners in the Japan Rugby League One. Toolis represented Scotland at an international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moray RFC</span> Rugby team

Moray Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club from the city of Elgin, Moray that compete in the Caledonia North Two. Moray also have a 2xv that competes in the BT Caledonia 3 North League. Moray has a number of youth teams taken from different age groups including micros and minis, S1 and S2, Under-16, Under-18 team. They play their rugby at Morriston Park in Elgin, Moray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strathmore Silverbacks</span> Scottish amateur rugby league club

Strathmore Silverbacks are a Scottish rugby league team, part of Strathmore RFC, based in Forfar, Angus. They play in the Scottish National League. Their home ground is Inchmacoble Park.

References

  1. "Eagles avenge final defeat".
  2. http://www.angelfire.com/pr/srl/newsconffinal%7C00.html%5B%5D
  3. "Scotland Rugby League - SCOTLAND RL SUMMER CONFERENCE REVIEW 2002".
  4. http://www.rlef.eu.com/news/article/244/eagles-clinch-eighth-scottish-title.html%5B%5D
  5. http://www.edinburgheagles.co.uk/Edinburgh.Eagles/news/entries/2012/8/5_Eagles_claim_9th_title.html%5B%5D