Rosslyn Park FC

PR

We have a great heritage here at Park which still gives us some great opportunities from in and around the game.

We have been very fortunate in recent years with Ad campaigns, newspaper coverage, magazine articles, TV footage. Please scroll down to see some of the club’s most recent coverage:

TEAM OF THE YEAR 2010 – INCLUDES 3 Park players.

Congratulations to Chris Ritchie, Ross Laidlaw and James Strong who have made this years National League 2 South dream Team as selected by the Rugby Paper. It is great to see our players recognised in this way, which cap’s what was a fantastic season for Rosslyn Park, and we wish the First XV all the best for the upcoming season in National League 1.

The article with the full National League 2 South Dream Team is here .

BARKING, Rosslyn Park and Ealing dominated the National Two South last season – and there’s no change in our dream team.

Champions Barking put their Christmas money problems behind them to claim the title and four of Alex Codling’s side have been included. Flankers James Ngan and James Kellard link-up again with livewire scrum-half Jack Gash and centre Harry Owens also impressing reporters across the division.

Rosslyn Park have three representatives while Ealing, including their try machine Phillip Chesters, Worthing, and Clifton have two each, with the latter proving investing in youth from clubs higher in the pyramid shouldn’t be overlooked.

On-loan Bristol youngster’s Mako Vunipola and Darren Barry both make it after impressing, while Southend’s Simon Hoult beat off stiff competition for the full-back jersey and Bridgwater No.8 Greg Charlton, who has already joined promoted Taunton, shone despite playing in the relegation doomed Albion side.

1. Mako Vunipola – Clifton - A powerful ball-carryier, the on-loan Bristol youngster had a fantastic time at Clifton. He has already been described as ‘something special’ by his coaches and tipped for future England success – he’s already an under-18 and under-20 international. Following Bristol’s failure to secure promotion, expect Paul Hull to let him off the leash next season.

2. Chris Ritchie – Rosslyn Park - Has announced his retirement for the fifth consecutive season but this time it might be for good with him turning 40 next year! His aggression and all action displays were the focal point of a front row that helped Rosslyn Park to a second-place finish, while his nine tries earned the players’ player of the season award.

3. Dinos Alexopoulos – Ealing - Southend’s James Armitage and Lydney’s Paul Price had glowing recommendations but Dinos gets the nod. Ever present in the Ealing pack this term, the former Wasps and London Irish youngster had a superb season getting through a ton of work in the loose and always solid at the set piece.

4. Joe Launchbury – Worthing - A big presence in an intimidating Worthing pack and a key figure in head coach Will Green’s much vaunted defence. Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Season, he has been a star player throughout the campaign and was influential in leading them to a top-half finish.

5. Darren Barry – Clifton - A close call but Barry took the position from tenacious Clifton team-mate Tim Collier and Lydney’s Paul Kelly. His athleticism and ball-winning ability marks him out a truly modern lock and will be pushing for first-team rugby at Bristol this campaign.

6. James Ngan – Barking Matt -Salter’s proven class from his Premiership days impressed at Clifton but Ngan was a key figure in Barking’s title charge. He weighed in with ten tries, was a constant threat to opposition defences and wasn’t afraid to muck in with the dirty work.

7. James Kellard – Barking -Probably more comfortable in the No.8 shirt but was a dynamic presence at openside and his link-up with Ngan in this team would work a treat. Another key member of the Barking pack who scored more tries than any other forward line in the division (57), Kellard contributed 24 tries of his own.

8. Greg Charlton – Bridgwater -A man mountain at 6ft 6ins he was the stand-out forward of the season given his young age. He has managed to impress in a side that was relegated and was a prominent figure in their two wins playing well beyond his years in a poor season and has been snapped-up by Taunton.

9. Jack Gash – Barking Clifton’s -Matt Britton and Ross Blake from Barnes deserve plaudits but Gash’s performances for the champions swung it for our reporters. His quick-thinking and marshalling of the scrum was impressive throughout and he laid the platform for their attacking prowess.

10. Ross Laidlaw – Rosslyn Park -It’s says something for the form of Laidlaw that he scored 318 points – 44 more than Barking’s league winning fly-half Craig Ratford. Laidlaw carried Park at times with fantastic kicking from hand and all-round game management won him selection as our ten. One to watch again next season.

11. James Strong– Rosslyn Park -Clifton’s Rob Viol had his suitors but Strong obtained the majority with his 24-try haul in a promotion winning season proving to be the difference. Strong’s try-scoring prowess this year owed much to his exceptional speed and eye for space. A real dangerman and Henley bore the brunt of that as he bagged four in an hour against the Hawks.

12. Harry Owens – Barking -Looks and plays like a young Stuart Abbott and runs lines that would be at home in any league in the country.The 21-year-old’s versatility is a valuable attribute enabling him to play at fly half if required. He was central to Barking’s title charge. His mobility and power helped Barking rack up the most amount of points in the league.

13. Greg Sullivan – Worthing -Tipped by a number of our correspondents after a super season for Worthing despite picking an injury-hit campaign. But when he was fit, he formed arguably the division’s most potent centre partnership alongside Joe Dunkley. His step and turn of pace helped him bag eight tries, and set-up plenty more, to help the Sussex side into sixth place.

14. Phillip Chesters – Ealing -Not a difficult decision – Chesters finished the season at the top of the try scoring charts and we simply couldn’t overlook him. With pace to burn, the Ealing flyer was deadly within sight of the try line and bagged 28 in just 25 starts.

15 Simon Hoult – Southend -Pushd hard by Worthing’s Matt McLean and Richmond talisman Matt Hart, Hoult was a big factor in Southend’s top-four finish, especially towards the end of the season. Rock solid at the back and very difficult to bring down, his dancing feet and vision singled him out as Southend’s key man behind the scrum, scoring 138 points including 12 tries.