Tag Archive for: Ealing Trailfinders

Seven tries for Trailfinders sets up Champ Rugby campaign with style

Early attacking phases from Trailfinders forced Bedford to penalise in their own 22. A line-out into the driving maul set up skipper Conor Oliver for his first points on debut. Dan Jones slotted the extras.

Physical carries from Ealing’s forwards set Tobi Wilson up for the second try in the opening ten minutes.

Montgomery skipped past Bedford defenders to dive under the posts for Ealing’s third try. Jones continued his successful conversion rate.

A break down the left wing set Bedford up for their first score by Oisin Heffernan.

Jordan Holgate held his line to score Ealing’s fourth try of the match after the ball was flung out to the right channel from a five metre line-out.

Skipper Oliver was shown a yellow card by the referee Luke Pearce for infringing in Bedford’s 22. But even with fourteen men, Trailfinders held strong.

Pearce awarded the hosts a penalty try just before half-time which sent Montgomery to the bin.

Trailfinders ran the ball up the field just before half-time with Bedford infringing. Jones slotted the penalty.

Half-time: Bedford 12-29 Ealing Trailfinders

Trailfinders started the second half with thirteen men but held strong as Oliver quickly returned to the field after serving his time in the sin bin.

Pearce showed a yellow card to Bedford’s James Fish after a slap down.

From the line-out, Wilson was on the overlap to get over the try line for his second score of the game. Jones slotted the conversion with ease.

Trailfinders found another score from Club Captain Angus Kernohan. Jones slotted a difficult conversion to extend Ealing’s lead.

With fifteen men back on the field, Trailfinders continued to play with quick ball.

Bedford kicked and chased down the right wing. Broken play enabled Bedford’s Rory Ward to score in the corner.

After back and forth passages of play between the two sides, Geordie Gwynn read the intercept in Trailfinders’ half and ran the ball up the pitch, leaving Bedford defenders in his wake. Rory Scannell slotted the conversion.

Bedford found a gap down the wing with five minutes to go. Dean Adamson scored in the left corner but the conversion was unsuccessful.

Full-time: Bedford 22-50 Ealing Trailfinders

Bedford Blues –

Tries: Oisin Heffernan 15, Rory Ward 61, Dean Adamson 78

Penalty try: 39

Ealing Trailfinders –

Tries: Conor Oliver 7, Tobi Wilson 10 45, Will Montgomery 11, Jordan Holgate 24, Angus Kernohan 50, Geordie Gwynn 73

Conversions: Dan Jones 8, 10, 12, 46, 51, Rory Scannell 74

Penalties: Dan Jones 40

Yellow cards: Conor Oliver 30, Will Montgomery 39

 

Ealing Trailfinders name their lineup to play Bedford in Round One of the Champ this Saturday.

Conor Oliver is set to captain the side at Goldington Road in his debut performance in the Champ.

Matt Cornish starts at hooker, with Lefty Zigiriadis and George Davis packing down either side of him.

Craig Hampson and Dan Jones line up alongside each other at scrum-half and fly-half respectively.

David Bridge moves into the second row alongside Sean Lonsdale, who both featured in last week’s pre-season fixture against Hartpury.

Tom Collins, Angus Kernohan and Tobi Wilson make up the back three.

After captaining Trailfinders to victory last week, Jordy Reid is on the bench in a 6-2 split. Also on the bench is Kyle Hatherell, Sam Edwards and Rory Scannell who are set to make their first competitive appearances for Trailfinders.

Kick-off is at 16:00 on Saturday 4 October at Goldington Road.

Watch live on Clubber TV.

Starting XV:

15. Tobi Wilson

14. Angus Kernohan

13. Geordie Gwynn

12. Jordan Holgate

11. Tom Collins

10. Dan Jones

9. Craig Hampson

1. Lefty Zigiriadis

2. Matt Cornish

3. George Davis

4. David Bridge

5. Sean Lonsdale

6. Rob Farrar

7. Conor Oliver (C)

8. Will Montgomery

Replacements:

16. Scott Buckley

17. Kyle Whyte

18. Adam Nicol

19. Danny Cutmore

20. Kyle Hatherell

21. Jordy Reid

22. Sam Edwards

23. Rory Scannell

Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club and sports healthcare product specialists, Physique Management, have agreed to renew their partnership for a 9th consecutive year.

It sees Physique continue as Official Physiotherapy Product Supplier and Tiger Tapes as Official Taping and Strapping supplier.

The partners will also have the opportunity to continue building on their catalogue of content that is designed to help educate and inform rugby clubs and physios of all levels.

 

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A post shared by Physique Management (@physiquemgmt)

Kevin Peters, Managing Director at Physique said:

“Ealing Trailfinders have been a great club to work with year-on-year so we’re thrilled that this relationship will be continuing.

We’re always looking for ways to add value back to sporting communities and one of the ways we do this is by creating content that will benefit them. The content we have produced with Ealing Trailfinders in particular has been well received by both our audiences, so we can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next.”

Alex Holland, Head of Medical Services, Ealing Trailfinders said:

“We’re so pleased to be continuing our relationship with Physique as their support has been invaluable to keeping our players fit, and helping us look after their wellbeing.

They’re one of our partners who may be behind the scenes in what they do for us, but are integral to keeping the players healthy and ready to play nonetheless. We’re looking forward to working with them again this season.”

For over 25 years, Physique has been supplying sports healthcare products to medical professionals, consumers and elite sports teams. Their product lines cover everything from taping and strapping, sports first aid, hot and cold therapy, rehabilitation & exercise and more.

View the full range of sports healthcare products offered by Physique here: www.physique.co.uk

Ealing Trailfinders name their lineup to play Edinburgh on Friday.

Trailfinders Rugby Academy graduate Josh Taylor is set to captain the side at Hive Stadium. Will Montgomery and new signing Conor Oliver complete the back row.

Geordie Gwynn is the only person to retain his place in the starting XV after last week’s victory over Chinnor. He is partnered by Jordan Holgate in the centres.

Matt Cornish starts at hooker, with Lefty Zigiriadis and George Davis packing down either side of him.

Craig Hampson and Rory Scannell line up alongside each other at scrum-half and fly-half respectively.

After signing from Bristol Bears in the summer, Josh Caulfield starts alongside Sean Lonsdale in the engine room.

Tom Collins, Angus Kernohan and Tobi Wilson make up the back three.

There are 14 players on the replacements list, including Mike Willemse, David Bridge, Will Parry and Dan Jones.

Kick-off is at 20:00 on Friday 19th September at Hive Stadium.

Starting XV:

15. Tobi Wilson

14. Angus Kernohan

13. Geordie Gwynn

12. Jordan Holgate

11. Tom Collins

10. Rory Scannell

9. Craig Hampson

1. Lefty Zigiriadis

2. Matt Cornish

3. George Davis

4. Josh Caulfield

5. Sean Lonsdale

6. Josh Taylor (c)

7. Conor Oliver

8. Will Montgomery

Replacements:

Mike Willemse

James Kenny

Kyle Whyte

David Bridge

George Shaw

Rob Farrar

Kyle Hatherell

Sam Edwards

George Worboys

Michael Dykes

Deago Bailey

Will Parry

Patrick Campbell

This season, our home match posters will celebrate the iconic Ealing Studios, paying homage to some of the legendary films that have shaped generations of cinema, created right here in Ealing.

From the elegance of the 1940s to the spectacle of modern blockbusters, each design will echo a chapter in the remarkable history of the longest continuously running film studio in the world.

Weaving the artistry of film into the passion of rugby, we’ll showcase our fixtures in a way that reflects the pride we have in the cultural heritage of our community.

Jack Cairns, Head of Marketing at Ealing Trailfinders said:

“It’s a celebration of two great institutions at the heart of the Ealing community; one that tell stories on the silver screen, and another that plays them out on the pitch – each demanding drama, spectacle, and touch of timeless style. We’re proud to bring them together in a way that honours what makes this place feel special.”

Our teams’ first home games each receive the cinematic treatment initially, with our men’s Champ Rugby opener against Chinnor inspired by The Darkest Hour (2017) and Trailfinders Women’s PWR Round 1 Clash against Exeter Chiefs reminiscent of Ealing Studios’ classic, Passport to Pimlico (1949).

Be sure to follow on our socials and look out for the special matchday posters throughout the season.

To learn more about the incredible history of Ealing Studios, visit their website here.

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce the signing of centre Rory Scannell. 

Scannell will bring a wealth of experience to Trailfinders. He joins from Munster having spent a decade with the Irish outfit, and he has three international caps for Ireland.

He played a key role as an experienced centre when Munster won the 2023 URC title, featuring 13 times throughout their league campaign.

Whilst Scannell primarily plays inside centre, he can move fluidly between fly-half and outside-centre, providing a range of options in the midfield.

On signing for the Club, Scannell said: 

“I’m excited about joining Ealing Trailfinders. There’s a great squad here with a mix of youth and experience.

“I’m hoping to add my own experience to the team and give our supporters plenty to cheer about for the season ahead.”

Ben Ward, Director of Rugby, said:

“Rory will bring a huge amount of experience to our squad this season. He’s a powerful ball carrier with good distribution and will give us options at fly-half and centre.

“Having been at Munster for the last decade, we’re looking forward to him bringing his knowledge and what he’s learnt from that environment to ours.”

For the journey, on the trail. Introducing our 2025/26 away kit.

Our striking yellow and black away strip takes centre stage this season with a bold design that captures our team’s energy.

Celebrating our legacy as a London club, both kits this season detail iconic London landmarks at the bottom of the shirts amidst a vibrant yellow.

Fresh for the 2025/26 season, the men’s and women’s teams will wear the same away kit for the first time in the club’s history, with the kit also replicating the home kit by having our players’ names and numbers on the back of the shirts.

Trailfinders Women will debut the new away kit this Sunday in their Round 2 PWR Cup match against Harlequins at Horsham RFC.

 

For the first time in our history, both our men’s and women’s teams will take the field this season with names and squad numbers on their shirts.

It’s a simple change, but a special one that gives our players their own identity on the pitch, and brings consistency across the club, as well as making it easier for fans to follow their favourites.

Fans can also now mirror the matchday look, with the option to add names and numbers to replica shirts for just £10 when purchasing online or in the club shop.

This landmark change will be seen in action for the very first time this Sunday, when Trailfinders Women debut the new home kit in the PWR Cup clash against Gloucester-Hartpury at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Revolution Refined, our new home kit.

This season’s design delivers a subtle refresh that unites our men’s and women’s squads, with each now showing the crest as the only distinction between the two. Emblazoned with the unmistakable London skyline, the shirt proudly represents both our club and our city.

Our home shirt is now available in all sizes, with prices cut from last year. Children shirts are just £35 (over a third off), whilst adult shirts are available at £55 – making it more affordable than even to wear the green.

Shirts are available online now on the club’s online shop, and will be available from the club shop on matchdays.

For the first time, fans can personalise their shirt with names and numbers, matching the new look that both our men’s and women’s sides will wear this season. Printing is available at checkout online and in store for just £10.

The new home shirt will make it’s debut this Sunday when Trailfinders Women run out in the PWR Cup clash against Gloucester-Hartpury at Trailfinders Sports Club.

The warrior second rower Bobby de Wee has been putting in the hours along with the wider Trailfinders squad ahead of the 2025/26 season. 

The revised Champ Rugby format for the upcoming season means that there will be more league games and more battles for the title.

“We had a nice little off-season. All the boys were raring to get back in,” de Wee said. 

Pre-season 2025/26

“We’ve been back now for the last four weeks and I think that the boys have worked incredibly hard. 

“The first week of pre-season is obviously quite daunting with the various testing and the broncos that we have to do. The boys got straight into their conditioning and getting their bodies battle-proof for the long season that lies ahead. 

“The boys are pitching up everyday and they’re definitely working hard.

“I had an ongoing issue with my wrist last year that required surgery. It unfortunately ended my season a little bit earlier than I was hoping for but I’m in the latter stages of my rehabilitation now. 

“I’m working hard to get my body ready to join the boys back on the pitch ahead of this season. I want to make sure I’m doing all the work I can on the pitch and in the gym to make sure that my body is good to go.” 

The revised league that will consist of 14 teams rather than 12 will provide more playing opportunities for the wider squad. 

“Personally, I’m very excited for the new Champ Rugby format. I think it’s brilliant and exactly what the league needed. It’s a breath of fresh air, if you want to call it that,” de Wee commented. 

“As a club, we want more high-pressure games and to put ourselves into those sorts of situations.”

Joining Champ Rugby is newly promoted London side Richmond and West Midlands club Worcester Warriors after coming under new ownership. 

“With Worcester Warriors joining the Champ, it adds another element to the league,” de Wee said.  

“As a club, Worcester have recruited quite well over the summer. They will definitely be a fixture that we’ll have our eyes on. 

“With the new league and format, I think this season will go down to the wire. A win or a loss in the final week of the season could potentially change who’s in those top spots. We will want to secure a home semi-final and to make sure that we are in that home semi-final play-off spot come the end of the season.” 

Ealing Trailfinders have been back-to-back Championship winners in the last two years. Whilst the goal will be to secure the triple, de Wee knows the challenge that faces the players. But he knows that the entire club will put all their efforts into positioning themselves to secure the trophy for a third year running. 

“I think ultimately having won the Championship for the last two years you have a bit of a target on your back. That’s unfortunately the pressure you have as a champion.” 

“We can only control what we can control: turning up everyday, putting in the hard work throughout the season. 

“We’ll work towards securing a home semi-final spot and then it’s knock-out rugby and anything can happen.

“We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing and put our best foot forward.” 

The pre-season fixtures kick-off with Chinnor (A) on 12th September at 19:30.

Click here to see the 2025/26 fixtures. 

 

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