| Rugby union in the Bailiwick of Guernsey | |
|---|---|
 Map of the Bailiwick of Guernsey | |
| Country | Guernsey |
| Governing body | Rugby Football Union |
| National team(s) | Guernsey |
| First played | late 19th century |
| Clubs | Guernsey RFC St Jacques RFC |
Rugby union in the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a popular sport. Outside the island of Guernsey itself, it is occasionally played in Alderney and Sark. Sark has its own rugby team, although it regularly has to pick up "guest" players to make up its numbers. [1]
Rugby is played in Guernsey under the auspices of the (English) Rugby Football Union.
Due to its proximity to the major rugby nations England and France, Guernsey rugby is among the oldest in the world, dating back to the mid 19th century. A number of schools play the sport, especially the private ones, such as Elizabeth College. [2]
Guernsey RFC was founded in 1928 [3] and competes in the English leagues. There is only one other club in Guernsey, St Jacques RFC, which was founded in 1978. From the 2014/15 season St Jacques compete in the Hampshire Rugby Football Union (Hants) Solent Merit league. [4] St Jacques home ground is the King George V (KGV) playing fields. The current coaches are Jon Bell, Rob Box and Peter Mcmachon, the current captain is Brett McFarlane. St Jacques have a squad of around 40 players, with many being recent graduates of the Guernsey Rugby Academy.
The Siam Cup is an annual Rugby Union competition held between Jersey Reds and Guernsey RFC. It was first contested in 1920. [5] The trophy awarded its winner is the second oldest rugby honour contested after the Calcutta Cup. [6]
Development of the sport is limited due to the practicalities of small islands; Guernsey's national population is under 80,000.
Guernsey has no television of its own (the ITV variant Channel Television sometimes includes rugby news) but does have its own radio stations. British and French television can both be received in the islands, and often include extensive rugby coverage - such as the Rugby World Cup and Six Nations Championship.
The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. Historically, they are the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy. Although they are not part of the United Kingdom, the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands as it is for the other Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man, and the British Overseas Territories. The Crown Dependencies are neither members of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor part of the European Union. They have a total population of about 171,916, and the bailiwicks' capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 18,207 respectively.
Sark is an island, part of the Channel Islands in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France. It is a royal fief, which forms part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population of about 500. Sark has an area of 2.10 square miles (5.44 km2). Little Sark is a peninsula joined by a natural but high and very narrow isthmus to the rest of Sark Island.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a self-governing British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France, comprising several of the Channel Islands. It has a total land area of 78 square kilometres (30 sq mi) and an estimated total population of 67,334.
St. Peter Port is a town and one of the ten parishes on the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2019 was 18,958.
The culture of Guernsey in the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a culture which has been shaped by its indigenous Norman language and traditions as well as French and British cultural influences. Cultural trends from immigrant communities such as the Portuguese have also been added.
Les Quennevais R.F.C. was a rugby union club based in Jersey in the Channel Islands.
Hampshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the county of Hampshire, England. It represent clubs sides not just from Hampshire but also from the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, who take part in many of the competitions organized by the Hampshire RFU.
Guernsey participates in its own right in the Commonwealth Games.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Guernsey:
Rugby union in the Isle of Man is a popular sport. It has no national competitive side of its own, and is not affiliated to the IRB in its own right. For this reason, it has no IRB ranking.
Rugby union is a popular sport in Jersey.
Jersey Reds was a rugby union club based in Jersey, Channel Islands. On 28th September 2023, the club ceased trading and shortly thereafter went into liquidation following the withdrawal of financial support from a key investor.
Footes Lane is a multi-use sports stadium in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey and is the main sports venue on the island. It has a capacity of 5,000 with 720 seated. The stadium is the national stadium of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The Siam Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the Channel Islands clubs of Jersey Reds and Guernsey. It was first contested in 1920. The trophy is the second oldest rugby trophy in the world to be contested after the Calcutta Cup.
St. Peter is a Rugby ground in Saint Peter, Jersey and is home to Jersey Reds, who have played in the RFU Championship, the second level of the Rugby Football Union's league pyramid, since 2012–13. The ground is located within walking distance of Jersey Airport. The ground also hosts Jersey's Siam Cup games against Guernsey every 2 years.
Michael Le Bourgeois is a Jerseyman professional rugby union player who plays for Championship side, Bedford Blues as a centre and can also play as a fullback or as a fly-half.
Guernsey Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby union team who play at Footes Lane in St Peter Port on the Channel Island of Guernsey. The club was formed in 1928. The club runs two senior teams, a veterans side and a colts side.
Patrick Ross Broadfoot is an English rugby union player from Lewisham, London, England who currently plays for National League 2 South side Old Elthamians as a Fly-half. He has experience in English rugby union from the fourth tier right up to the Premiership.
Myles Landick is a rugby union player from Jersey. He plays as a prop for RFU Championship team, Jersey, and is also employed as the groundsman of St. Peter, the ground on which Jersey plays.
The Sark Shags represent Sark in rugby union. They compete annually in the Two Nations Championship against Guernsey.
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