Bedford Tigers

Bedford Tigers

Club information
Full name	Bedford Tigers RLFC
Colours	Black, White & Gold
Founded	2004;20 years ago (2004)
Website	www.bedfordtigersrlfc.com
Current details
Ground(s)	Putnoe Woods, Wentworth Drive, Bedford
Competition	Men - Southern Conference League Women - Southern Women's Conference

Bedford Tigers RLFC ^[1] is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Southern Conference, with a second team in the East Premier League. The Tigers are a fore running club in the amateur game in the south of England and continue to push boundaries of what can be achieved in the sport both on and off the field. As a club, Bedford Tigers have moved to their own ground in 2018 and boast two senior sides as well as two junior sides, a satellite programme and proposed schools program too.

History

Rugby league was played in Bedford from 1997 until the summer of 2002 under the control of the Bedford Swifts rugby union club who operated a league team in the Rugby League Conference. ^[2] However, the Swifts decided at the conclusion of the 2002 summer season to cease operations.

In 2004 Bedford Tigers RLFC was founded and competed in the London League. The Tigers only fielded one team but moved up into the Eastern Division of the Rugby League Conference in 2005.

In 2006 the Tigers first team were crowned champions of the Eastern Division after defeating St Ives Roosters in the regional grand final. A feat they replicated the following year too. The Tigers first team moved into the stronger Midlands Premier before trying the Rugby League Conference South Premier in 2009 and finished in fifth place.

In 2015 Tigers became "Triple Crown" Champions and secured the 2015 East RL league as well as East RL 9s and Cup double, a feat that has yet to be matched. This was by far the Tigers most successful season both on and off the field.

In 2016 Tigers Tigers came top of the East RL but lost in the play off final. However, they retained the East RL Cup and 9s trophies for the second year in a row. Tigers went on to become finalists in the league play off final in 2017 and 2018, retaining the East RL Cup again in 2017, and again in 2018 for an unprecedented fourth time in a row. In the five seasons from 2014 to 2018, Bedford Tigers had made the final of every competition they entered.

In 2019 Bedford Tigers gained inclusion into the new Southern Conference League, ^[3] the fourth tier of Rugby League, where on their debut season finished fourth.

In 2020 Bedford Tigers for the first time in their history, competed in the Challenge Cup away to 2019 Cumberland Cup winners Distington. ^[4]

• 2004 – Founded and competed in the LARL Merit League
• 2005 – East Conference
• 2006 – East Conference "Champions"
• 2007 – East Conference "Champions"
• 2008 – Midlands Premier – 4th
• 2009 – Southern Premier – 5th
• 2010 – East Conference – Runners up
• 2011 – East Conference – 1st – Lost in Playoff Semi-final
• 2012 – East Conference – 3rd – Lost in Playoff Semi-final
• 2013 – East Premier – 3rd – Lost in Playoff Semi-final
• 2014 - East Premier - 4th - Runners up
• 2015 - East Premier - 1st - "Champions"
• 2016 - East Premier - 1st - Runners up
• 2017 - East Premier - 3rd - Runners up
• 2018 - East Premier - 2nd - Runners up
• 2019 - Southern Conference - 4th - Lost in Playoff Semi-Final

Community work

In 2018 the Tigers set up the Bedfordshire Rugby League Foundation. The aim of the foundation is to tie all of the Tigers' community activity together. They have set up 3 other "Satellite Clubs", Ampthill Hornets, Dunstable Dragons and Luton Vipers with the aim of generating local junior activity and competition in the summer months. These clubs have U14 and U16 age ranges and provide the start of the player pathway to the Tigers senior squad.

Schools - The Tigers will launch school activity in 2018 by providing coaching and competition administration for local schools in the town and nearby areas.

Club officials

• 2004 – Andy Buckley (Chairman)
• 2005 – Andy Buckley (Chairman)
• 2006 – Phil Walker (Chairman) Andy Buckley (Secretary)
• 2007 – Phil Walker (Chairman) Andy Buckley (Secretary)
• 2008 – Phil Walker (Chairman) Rob Ashton and Andy Buckley (Secretary)
• 2009 – Phil Walker (Chairman) Rob Ashton and Andy Buckley (Secretary)
• 2010 – Graham Brown (Chairman and father of former Tigers player Jack Brown) Andy Buckley (Secretary)
• 2011 to present - Graham Brown

Mens coaches

• 2004 – Abe Kerr
• 2005 – Ian Flash Walker
• 2006 – Christopher Potts
• 2007 – Christopher Potts
• 2008 – Christopher Potts (Coach for first 3 games before resigning – Sam Richbell took over as coach for the remainder of the season)
• 2009 – Christopher Potts
• 2010 – Sam Richbell
• 2011 – Sam Richbell & Andy Champ
• 2012 – Rob Ashton
• 2015 - Rob Ashton & Richy Sinclair
• 2016 - Rob Ashton
• 2017 - Sam Richbell
• 2019 - Pat Wilson
• 2020 - Pat Wilson
• 2021 - Pat Wilson and Gaz Barron
• 2022 - Pat Wilson and Gaz Barron

Captains

Club captains (2004-2019)

• 2004 – N/A,
• 2005 – N/A,
• 2006 and 2007 – Sam Richbell,
• 2008 – Gary Flook,
• 2009 – N/A,
• 2010 – Rob Ashton,
• 2011 – Rob Ashton,
• 2012 - Rob Ashton,
• 2013 - Paul Ryder,
• 2014 - Sam Richbell,
• 2015 - Carl Siudak,
• 2016 - Lee Walker,
• 2017 - Paul Ryder,
• 2018 - Sean 'Treacle' Phimister,
• 2019 - Lee Walker
• 2020 - Sam Richbell
• 2021 - Sam Richbell
• 2022 - Matt Neild

Players who have captained the 1st team (2004-2019)

Abe Kerr (2004), Phil Walker (2004 & 2005), Ian Flash Walker (2006), Christopher Potts (2004–2008), Tony Pullen (2005), Dean Coleman (2005), Sam Richbell (2007–2009), Dave Rowling (2007), Jamie Goss (2008), Gary Flook (2009), Rob Ashton (2010–2012), Paul Ryder (2013), Sam Richbell (2014), Karl Siudak (2015), Lee Walker (2016), Paul Ryder (2017), Lee Walker (2018,19), Sam Richbell (2020/21), Matt Neild (2022)

Honours

• East RL Premier Champions - 2006, '07,'15,
• East RL Community Challenge Cup Winners - 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
• East RL 9s Winners - 2015, 2016,
• East Entry League Champions - 2013, 2016 (Development Team)
• East Merit League: 2012 Development Team (minor Premiers)
• RLC National Grand Finalists – 2007 (Widnes Saints crowned Champions in the National Grand Final)
• RLC South of England Champions – 2007 (After defeating the Plymouth Titans in the semi-final of the National Cup)
• RLC Eastern Division: Champions – 2007 (Back to Back Championships!)
• RLC Eastern Division: Champions – 2006
• Sport Bedford Awards (Bedford County Council): Team of the Year – 2006
• East RL Triple Crown Winners-2015

Representative Achievements

As of 02/11/2009

East Region Representatives

• 2005 – Christopher Potts, Tony Pullen and Shane Moulds
• 2006 – James Bull, Sam Richbell, Jamie Stead and Lee Clayton
• 2007 – Chris Aubury, Gary Flook (C), Dan Sharp, Simon Bevan, Matt Hughes and Stuart Riding
• 2008 – Chris Aubury and Rich Sinclair
• 2009 – N/A
• 2010 – N/A
• 2011 – Charlie Stafford, Sandro Parias, Craig Walker, Lee Walker, Rob Ashton, Scott Aspinall & Euan Irwin
• 2016-Carl Siudak, Sam Richbell, Jack Saunders, Ollie Fountain and Rob Ashton

South of England Representatives

• 2006 – Sam Richbell and Lee Clayton v London and South East and North of England (Origin match)
• 2007 – Gary Flook and Stuart Riding v North of England (Origin Match)
• 2007 – Chris Aubury v Royal Navy and RAF
• 2008 – Rich Sinclair and Chris Aubury

England Lionhearts 'A' Representatives

• 2007 – Gary Flook

England Lionhearts Representatives

• 2002 – Ritchie Bower, David Cox and Mark Whybrow (Whilst playing for Bedford Swifts Rugby League)
• 2006 – Sam Richbell (training squad)
• 2008 – Rich Sinclair (V Scotland and V Ireland)
• 2008 – Matt Hughes (V Ireland)
• 2011 – Scott Aspinall (v Ireland and v Wales)

Other

Other notable representative achievements from Tigers players in the past include –

• Jamie Goss and Lee Rossiter - Royal Navy, Combined Services, BARLA and GB Amateurs –
• Dean 'Digger' Coleman – Conference Dream Team selection in 2004
• Marrick Murphy – Ireland Wolfhounds v Australia and v USA (2 caps and 3 tries)
• Andy Wight – Scotland 9's team – London Nines 2006
• Stuart Riding and Richie Sinclair – London 9's rep team – London Nines 2006
• Simon Bevan – Wales 'A' representative 2003/2004
• Rob Ashton – GB Fire Service representative
• Toni Moliterno – Italian Exiles 2012
• Rob Ashton- Services to Rugby League (recognized by The RFL) 2017

Records

Club records 1st XIII

• Record Victory – 100 – 0 v Leicester Phoenix 2008
• Highest Score – 100 – 0, v Leicester Phoenix 2008
• Most tries in a game – 18 tries v Leicester Phoenix 2008

Individual records 1st XIII

As at season end 2014

• Tries in a Season – 18 – Sam Richbell, 2014, Ollie Fountain, 2015, Sean 'Treacle' Phimister, 2018
• Tries in a Career – 45 – Sam Richbell 2005 – Present
• Tries in a Match – 6 tries, Sam Richbell vs King's Lynn Black Knights (2015)
• Tries on debut – 4 tries to Zander Pedan v Leicester Phoenix 2008
• Youngest Try Scorer (1st Team) Bradley Hirons - 16 years 85 days vs SW London Chargers
• Goals in a Season – 70 – Rob Ashton, 2015.
• Goals in a Career – 215 – Rob Ashton, 2006 – 2013
• Goals in a Match – 14 – Chris Potts v Leicester Phoenix 2008
• Most Points in a Season – 164 – Rob Ashton, 2013
• Most Points in a Career – 534 – Rob Ashton, 2006 – Present
• Most Points in a Match – 30 – Rob Ashton v MK Wolves 2013 (2 tries, 11 goals)
• Most Appearances – 79 – Sam Richbell 2005 – Present

As of 2010 friendlies do not count towards statistics

Individuals records 2nd XIII / Development Side

• Tries in a Match – 6 – Robert Harris v St Albans Centurions 2nds, 2007
• Goals in a Match – 11 from 12 – Rob Ashton v St Albans Centurions 2nds, 2007
• Points in a Match – 24 – Robert Harris v St Albans Centurions 2nds, 2007 (6T)

Women's team

Between 2021 and 2023, Bedford Tigers fielded a women's team to play in the RFL Women's Super League South. ^[5] In 2024, following a restructuring of the league system, this became the Southern Women's Championship. ^[6]

Seasons

Season	League									Play-offs
	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos
2021	Super League South: Eastern Conference	4	0	0	4	74	190	0	3rd	Did not qualify
2022	Super League South	5	2	0	3	128	170	4	4th	Lost in Semi Final
2023	Super League South	5	2	0	3	152	132	4	4th	Lost in Semi Final

Source: ^[7]

References

1. The Home of the Bedford Tigers RLFC
2. "History". Bedfordrugby.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2005.
3. "RFL launches new southern amateur league". Love Rugby League. 17 December 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
4. "Bedford Tigers stepping out in style on Coral Challenge Cup bow". Rugby Football League. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
5. "Betfred Women's Super League South to break new ground in 2021". Rugby Football League. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
6. "New era for Tier Two of Women's Rugby League". Rugby Football League. 25 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
7. "Match Centre". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 28 August 2023.