Derek Coates

Last updated

Derek Coates
Date of birth (1972-02-18) 18 February 1972 (age 46)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Full back
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1998–99, 2003–05
2000–03		 Blackheath
Westcombe Park 		34
76		 429
840
Correct as of 30 April 2005

Derek Coates (born 1972) is an English rugby union player who played at Full back. [1] He is known for his spells with Blackheath and Westcombe Park, where thanks to his prowess with the boot he became one of the most prolific points scorers in National League 2 South history with over 1,000 points spread between the two clubs, and was also one of the most consistent scorers averaging 12 points a game. [2] Since he has retired from playing he has remained in the game as a coach.

Rugby union Team sport, code of rugby football

Rugby union, commonly known in most of the world simply as rugby, is a contact team sport which originated in England in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is between two teams of 15 players using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field with H-shaped goalposts at each end.

Blackheath Football Club is a rugby union club based in Well Hall, Eltham in south-east London.

National League 2 South is a level four league in the English rugby union system. It is one of two leagues at this level, with its counterpart, National League 2 North, covering the north of England. The format of the league was changed at the beginning of the 2009–10 season following reorganisation by the Rugby Football Union.

Contents

Career

Westcombe Park

In 2000 Derek moved across London from former club, Blackheath, to Westcombe Park in Orpington, then playing in National Division 3 South. While he had found opportunities limited at Blackheath, he became a first team fixture during his debut season at Goddington Dene, playing 22 games and scoring 222 points, as he helped Westcombe Park finish 7th, two places higher than his former club. The 2001–02 season was even more successful for Derek as he played every league game and scored 326 points, second in the division only to Penzance & Newlyn's Nat Saumi, helping Westcombe Park to a 4th-placed finish. He would also win silverware at the end of the year, as his side won the Kent Cup 41–21 against Thanet Wanderers, at the final held at Blackheath's Rectory Field. [3] The 2002–03 season would be Derek's last with Westcombe Park, as his side struggled in the league. Despite playing in a team that finished 1 point off the relegation spot, Derek continued to be prolific with 267 points (3rd overall in the division).

Cornish Pirates sports club

The Cornish Pirates are a professional rugby union team who play in the Championship, the second level of the English rugby union pyramid, and are the premier Cornish rugby club. Formerly known as Penzance & Newlyn RFU, the Cornish Pirates play and train at their home ground, the Mennaye Field in Penzance.

Nat Saumi, real name Nacenieli, is a retired Fijian rugby union player who is currently a coach. A versatile back, Nat could play at fly-half, centre or full back. Despite having offers to play Premiership rugby, Nat spent his career in England playing for south-west clubs, most notably with Penzance & Newlyn and Plymouth, whom he also coached. An outstanding points scorer both in terms of kicking and tries, Nat became one of the most prolific points scorers of all-time in National League 2 South with over 700 points, including a divisional record of 374 points in a season, achieved in 2001 while playing for Penzance-Newlyn. As well as playing club rugby, Nat has also represented Fiji Sevens, Barbarians and Cornwall with whom he won the Bill Beaumont Cup back in 1999.

Rectory Field is a sports ground in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home ground of rugby union team Blackheath F.C. between 1883 and 2016. The ground has hosted international rugby matches and at one time, along with the Richmond Athletic Ground, it was the unofficial home of the England national rugby union team before the development of Twickenham Stadium. The ground was also used for first-class and List A cricket by Kent County Cricket Club between 1887 and 1972.

Blackheath

After 3 years with Westcombe Park, Derek moved back to the Rectory Field to sign for Blackheath at the start of the 2003–04 season. This would prove to be the best season of his career as he helped Blackheath to win the National Division 3 South title (the first league title in the club's history), while at the same time scoring a personal best 368 points to finish as the division's top scorer. [4] [5] The 2004–05 season would see Blackheath survive in National Division Two but would be the last for Derek as he only managed a handful of games. Since retiring from playing, Derek has been involved in coaching, with spells in change of Blackheath Heathen's (Blackheath's second team) and more recently, Wavering Wanderers. [6] [7] [8]

Season-by-season playing stats

SeasonClub CompetitionAppearancesTriesDrop GoalsConversionsPenaltiesTotal Points
1998–99 Blackheath Allied Dunbar Premiership 2 4 0 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Westcombe Park National Division 3 South 22 1 2 33 46 222
2001–02 National Division 3 South 26 6 0 52 64 326
2002–03 National Division 3 South 26 7 0 41 50 267
Powergen Cup 2 1 0 4 4 25
2003–04 Blackheath National Division 3 South 25 2 0 62 78 368
Powergen Cup 2 0 0 3 8 30
2004–05 National Division 2 3 0 0 2 9 31

[9]

Honours and records

Blackheath

The 2003-04 National Division Three South was the fourth season of the fourth division (south) of the English domestic rugby union competition using the name National Division Three South. New teams to the division included Launceston who were relegated from the 2002–03 National Division Two while promoted clubs included Southend (champions) and Haywards Heath (playoffs) coming up from London Division 1 and Dings Crusaders as champions of South West Division 1. The league system was 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw with the league champions going straight up into National Division Two and the runners up playing a playoff against the runners up from National Division Three North for the final promotion place.

Westcombe Park

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "Derek Coates Player Details". Rugby Statbunker. 23 April 2016.
  2. ↑ "National Two South All time leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Super Combe are Kent champions!". Rugby Statbunker. 28 March 2002.
  4. ↑ "National League Three South 2003–04". 17 April 2004.
  5. 1 2 "National Three South 03/04 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 17 April 2004.
  6. ↑ "2009/10 Signings and Departures – all divisions". Rolling Maul. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
  7. ↑ "Double header this Saturday at Combe". Westcombe Park RFC. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "ABOUT THE WARRIORS". Weavering Warriors RFC. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  9. ↑ "Derek Coates Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. 30 April 2005.
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