Welcome Henry Walker

Ealing Trailfinders are proud to announce the arrival of Henry Walker in West London ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The hooker has represented his country at age grade level, playing for England U16s and U18s as well as earning his first cap for England U20s back in February 2017 against Italy.

He started his career at Old Silhillians RUFC at the age of six and captained his school during his time at Bromsgrove.

Walker, a graduate of the Gloucester Rugby Academy, went on to make 63 competitive appearances for the Cherry & Whites following his debut against Barbarians in 2015.

The hooker was also part of the squad that travelled to the 2018 World Rugby U20 Championship in France, where they finished runners-up, losing 25-33 to the hosts in the final.

Upon signing with Trailfinders, Henry Walker said: “I am incredibly excited to start this next chapter of my career at Trailfinders and am relishing this new challenge that awaits in London.

“Trailfinders’ recent successes speaks for itself and I think it is the perfect place to develop my game. I can’t wait to get started!”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “I’m looking forward to working with Henry.

“He’s impressed when he had his opportunities at Gloucester and I’m sure he will adapt to our style of play very well.”

Welcome Sami Mavinga

Ealing Trailfinders are thrilled to announce the signing of Sami Mavinga ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The loosehead prop joins Trailfinders following his spell at French Pro D2 side US Carcassone.

Mavinga brings a wealth of experience to the club having started his career at the Lyon OU academy at the age of 13.

He played with Lyon for several seasons and helped his side gain promotion to the Top 14 in 2016 and the following season, represented his club in the European Challenge Cup.

After gaining promotion and getting a taste for European rugby, Mavinga moved to England to play for Newcastle Falcons in 2017. He stayed on Tyneside for two seasons, before making a return to the Top 14, this time with Stade Francais.

Most recently, the Frenchman played for Perpignan before signing with US Carcassone.

On joining Trailfinders, Mavinga said: “I’m delighted to return to England and join with Ealing Trailfinders.

“I have loved my time being back home in France but I am really excited to join a club like Trailfinders. They have had a huge amount of success in recent years and I hope I can help this club to continue to excel.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “I am really looking forward to seeing what Sami brings to the team.

“He has experience of playing in both France and England an I am confident he will enable us grow this club in the right direction.”

The signing of Sami Mavinga follows on from scrum-half Lloyd Williams and prop Brad Thyer both joining from Cardiff Rugby.

 

Young Quartet join Cornish Pirates on loan

Ealing Trailfinders can confirm that players Lefty Zigiriadis, Harry Dugmore, Tom Georgiou and Epi Rokodrava will join Cornish Pirates on loan this season.

The young players are going on loan to our Championship rivals to compete for more game time which should aid their development.

Lefty joined the academy in 2020 and has flourished in West-London. He was awarded Player’s Player for the Men’s Academy this year and he made his first team debut in March in our win against Pirates.

Harry has just graduated from the academy after spending four years at Brunel and has been a key part of the team that made it to the BUCS playoff final and this year.

Tom has also just completed his studies after opening the last four years at Brunel. Although he’s been unfortunate with injuries over the last 12 months, he already has Championship experience, after playing for London Scottish during the 2021/22 season, including being awarded the Exiles’ Player of the Match against Doncaster Knights.

Epi came to the club earlier this season after the sad demise of Wasps. The winger, who is powerful despite his age, has represented England U18s and has been called up to England U20 training camps. He is known for his offloading game and played in both of our Ealing Trailfinders ‘A’ fixtures against Ulster ‘A’ at Christmas.

When speaking about the four players, Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “Lefty, Harry, Tom and Epi are all incredibly exciting rugby players who we’re pleased to have at the club.

“The opportunity to go down to Cornwall and challenge themselves in a new environment is a great opportunity for all four lads.

“With Paves, Gav and Louie, we know how strong the rugby programme is down there and I trust their opinion so I can’t wait to see the feedback we get and how our players get on.”

 

,

Welcome Rosie Inman

Trailfinders Women are pleased to announce the signing of Rosie Inman ahead of the club’s first season in the Allianz Premier 15s.

The fullback brings a plethora of top flight experience as she moves from Bristol Bears, a side who have made the league playoffs for the second season in a row.

Inman is a product of Biggleswade RFC. She first picked up a rugby ball aged seven and despite being the only girl in her team, laid the foundations for a fruitful career.

The versatile back, who has played both fullback and fly-half, combined her rugby with studies at the University of Bristol as part of her Masters in Biomedical Science.

Prior to this, Inman studied Biology at Durham University and got her first taste of Premier 15s whilst playing for DMP Sharks.

In her final year in the North East, the fullback helped Durham secure the BUCS National League title.

While Inman often lines up in the 15 jersey, she is certainly not out of place throughout the backs, having had  experience on the wing and at fly-half, as well as honing her skills as a goal kicker.

Over recent months, Inman has lifted silverware at Twickenham. She was on loan with Cheltenham Tigers which included their Championship Final triumph over Leicester Tigers.

Ahead of joining the club, Rosie Inman said: “I’m really looking forward to joining Trailfinders.

“It is an amazing opportunity that I am very grateful for. I’m excited to be involved with a team that is only going to grow and I can’t wait to get started!”

Women’s Director of Rugby Giselle Mather said: “I am really excited to begin working with Rosie. She is fully engaged in the opportunity and committed to working really hard to achieve success and I know she is going to make huge gains this season.”

Inman joins Canadian International Tyson Beukeboom and exciting centre/ wing Jess Cooksey in joining the club this week.

,

Welcome Tyson Beukeboom

Trailfinders Women are pleased to announce the signing of Canadian International Tyson Beukeboom ahead of our first season in the Premier 15s.

The second-row will bring a wealth of experience to the club, with over 50 caps for Canada and having been to three Rugby World Cups.

Tyson broke onto the scene in 2012 when she was named the Canadian Inter-university Sport Female Athlete on the Year. Within a year of winning this award, she had made her international debut, as she helped Canada win the 2013 Nations Cup, as they defeated England in the final.

In 2014, Tyson was included in the squad for the Rugby World in France, as Canada finished as runners-up. She was named on the bench for the final against England, as they ultimately lost 21-9.

Three years later she was included again for the 2017 World Cup in Ireland as Canada finished fifth. Last year she then attended her third World Cup, as they finished fourth in the tournament that was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tyson scored in their 19-26 semi-final defeat against England, as well as playing in the third place playoff.

Most recently, she started in Canada’s 66-7 win over South Africa in March as they comfortably dispatched the Springbok Women in their Pacific Four Series encounter.

When speaking about joining Trailfinders, Tyson said: “I am very proud to be able to call myself a Trailfinder.

“It’s very exciting to be joining a team who will also be making their debut in the Premier 15s, I can’t wait to hit the ground running and get to work. This being my first time overseas I couldn’t think of a better program to be apart of. Giselle (Mather) has built an amazing group that I can’t wait to meet and play with!

“Overall I’m just very very excited to get to England and see what we can do as a team.”

On the signing, Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather said: “For someone who has never played overseas before, we are thrilling that Tyson has chosen Trailfinders as the club where she wants to have her first opportunity of this.

“As a vastly experienced athlete with three World Cups under her belt and a wonderful, infectious energy, I know she will make a huge impact on the Premier 15s.

“We can’t wait for her to get started!”

 

,

Jess Cooksey becomes a Trailfinder

Trailfinders Women are thrilled to announce the signing of centre/ wing Jess Cooksey ahead of our first season in the Premier 15s.

Despite being only 22, Jess has vast rugby experience, having represented her country at age grade level, played for several Premier 15s sides and has also spent time playing the game in North America.

After breaking through at Gloucester-Hartpury while studying at Hartpury College, Jess was then called up to represent the England U18s side and Great Britain 7s. She then made the move up to Premier 15s rivals Darlington Mowden Park while studying at Durham University.

After two years with the Sharks, including playing for England U20s, she then joined Wasps in 2021, where she worked with Trailfinders Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather. After a year at the West-London side, she went travelling to Canada last year to experience rugby in a new country but is now excited to be returning to England.

On her signing for the club, Jess said: “I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to be involved with Trailfinders this season.

“After several years of studying alongside playing, I’m excited to finally get the chance to shift my focus solely onto rugby.

“With the promising and dynamic set up at the club, I’m looking forward to what the next season brings.”

When talking about Jess, Giselle said: “Jess is a very talented and extremely hard working person.

“I am hugely excited to see what she will achieve when she is able to commit her time to exploring her full potential as an athlete and a rugby player.

“There are very exciting times ahead for her! Watch this space!”

Welcome Lloyd Williams

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce the signing of Lloyd Williams ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The scrum-half will depart Cardiff Rugby after 13 years of service for the region, making 260 appearances, which is a new record in the professional era for the side.

He made his debut for Cardiff back in 2010 against Leinster and has been a mainstay in the team ever since. He is known for his pace around the ruck and quality kicking game and has scored 42 tries for the region.

His fine form for Cardiff hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he has amassed 32 caps for Wales, with his debut coming in 2011 against Argentina. He has been to two World Cups, New Zealand in 2011 and England in 2015, and has also represented the Welsh 7s side and Wales U20 at the 2009 Junior World Cup.

As well as playing at World Cups, Lloyd also has a strong record in the Six Nations, having won the Championship on three occasions. He was part of the team that won the Grand Slam in 2012 and then retained the title a year later in 2013. After nearly four years away from the national side, he was recalled to the Wales setup in 2020, playing in the Autumn Nations Championship before winning the Six Nations again in 2021.

After a superb final season at Cardiff, Lloyd was named the Peter Thomas Player of the Season this year, being selected personally by Thomas during the final days before his passing.

On joining the club, Lloyd Williams said: “I’m really excited to be making the move over to Ealing Trailfinders.

“After such a long time at one club, when the opportunity arose to test myself in a different league and a new environment, it was one I was keen to take.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “The signing of Lloyd hugely exciting for all of us at the club.

“I’ve admired him and his style of play for some time, and I’m confident he should slot in well with how we want to play.”

The signing of Lloyd comes after yesterday’s announcement that prop Brad Thyer will also be joining the club.

Welcome Brad Thyer

Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce the signing of prop Brad Thyer from Cardiff Rugby ahead of the 2023/24 season.

The loosehead moves to West-London after spending the last eight years in the Welsh capital, where he racked up almost 100 appearances for the United Rugby Championship side.

After representing Wales at U20s level, he made his debut for Cardiff in 2014 against the Scarlets in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

His breakthrough season came three years later, as he made 22 appearances for the region during the 2017/18 season and was part of the team that came back from 6-20 down at half-time to win the European Challenge Cup 31-30 against Gloucester.

As well as playing in Cardiff, he also went on loan to Glasgow Warriors at the start of the 2021/22 campaign, before then returning to the region.

On his move to W13, Brad said: “Joining Ealing Trailfinders poses a really exciting new challenge for me at this stage of my rugby career.

“From speaking to people here, I’m really attracted to the vision of the club and the aspirations of the side to keep developing and to be competing at the highest level.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “We’re really pleased to be able to bring a player of Brad’s ability to the club.

“When he visited us, I really enjoyed meeting him and chatting about his game. He brings all the fundamentals that you need from a prop at the set piece, but also has the mobility around the park to really flourish in this environment.”

Brad is our third men’s signing announcement ahead of the 2023/24 season, as he joins centre Billy Twelvetrees, while back-row Jordy Reid returns to the club.

,

The Young Talent coming through Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders are thrilled to announce the exciting young players in our academy and those who will be stepping up to the first team.

After an impressive three years at the Trailfinders Rugby Academy at Brunel University, prop Lefty Zigiriadis has graduated and steps up to become part of the first team. The loosehead has flourished in the environment at Brunel and was a key part of the team that made it to the BUCS playoff and this year was awarded Player’s Player for the Men’s Academy. In March, he made his first team debut, coming off the bench in our 50-12 Championship victory over Cornish Pirates, and has became the most recent player to have come through the Trailfinders Rugby Academy to represent the first team.

Lock Matt Cannon and scrum-half Dan Hiscocks have both been promoted to our senior academy, alongside back-row Josh Taylor and back Isaac Shaw.

England U18s Hooker Loïc Keasey joins Ealing Trailfinders this year after coming through the Worcester Warriors (now Midlands West) Academy team, he will combine his rugby with studying at Brunel University.

Following on from long term contracts that they previously signed with the club, Harry Dugmore and Tom Georgiou have both finished their studies at Brunel and will continue to train with the first team.

When discussing the academy graduates, Director of Rugby Ben Ward: “Our Trailfinders Rugby Academy at Brunel University is something that we’re all immensely proud of.

“We view it as a unique set-up for rugby in this country, by linking our academy with a university, and so it’s now great to see more players coming through our system.

“We’ve always had good integration, with the boys at Brunel getting opportunities to be involved with us here, and hopefully there will be many more players, who come through our academy in years to come.”

If you are interested in finding more about our Trailfinders Rugby Academy at Brunel University, click here.

,

Shya Pinnock becomes a Trailfinder

Trailfinders Women are thrilled to announce the signing of second-row/ back-row Shya Pinnock.

Shya moves to Trailfinders Sports Club with bags of Premier 15s experience, having previously been at Gloucester-Hartpury and then Wasps last season.

Despite now plying her trade in rugby, it took her a while to find the sport. Initially she was a sprinter, achieving an U13 South-West record for the 100m and 200m before then taking up Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)

After enjoying MMA, and the passion and aggression that comes with it, she was then encouraged by friends at school to try rugby and she instantly fell in love with the game! As she turned 18, she started playing at Old Richians in Gloucester, before she was then put in touch with the then Gloucester-Hartpury coach Susie Appleby (now at Exeter Chiefs) about training at the ALPAS Arena.

After initially impressing Appleby, Shya went on to play for Gloucester-Hartpury for four seasons, both for the Premier 15s side and the ‘A’ team, alongside representing the University of Gloucestershire. Last year she made the move over to Wasps, and now is making the short trip to W13.

Away from the game, Shya works for an environment charity that offers free advice and measures to help people be more energy efficient in their homes.

On her move to Trailfinders, Shya said: “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to be joining Trailfinders next year and to be playing under Giselle.

“The chance to be involved in a totally new side is quite rare in elite sport and so I can’t wait to start building something exciting with my new teammates and staff.”

When discussing Shya’s move to the club, Women’s Director of Rugby Giselle Mather said: “Shya is a really powerful and exciting athlete who is going to make a huge contribution to our pack.

“She has a lot of Premier 15s experience and brings a fantastic energy in competition which I know will inspire her team mates and our supporters in equal measure. I am very excited to be working with her.”

This announcement comes after the news earlier in the week that Trailfinders Women have also signed prop Andrea Stock and flanker Fiona Cooper.

 

Our Sponsors

Mizuno Logo
Lords Building Merchants Logo
David Lloyd Health Club Logo
Brunel University Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0019_Arnold Hill Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0011_Healthshare Logo
Grilleville
The Turmeric Co Logo
Ikon-Dental-Logo-Player-Sponsors
Sponsor Logos - _0006_Physique Logo
Windosr Hill Logo
Sponsor-Logos-Novotel
Perfect-Crystal-Windows-Sponsor-logo
Acai-Berry-Sponsor-logo
O4Life logo
Sinton Andrews
Contested
Become a partner About our partners Contact Us How to Find Us

TRAILFINDERS – THE TRAVEL EXPERTS

Trailfinders Travel Logo

For Conferences, Corporate Days, Weddings and Parties

© 2024 EALING RUGBY CLUB IS A TRADING NAME OF THE EALING FOOTBALL CLUB (RUGBY UNION) LIMITED WHICH IS INCORPORATED WITH LIMITED LIABILITY UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES ACT 1965 UNDER NO. 30274R.

PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS