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Welsh amateur rugby league club, based in Pyle, Bridgend, Wales From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Blue Bulls (known as Bridgend Blue Bulls RLFC between 2003 and 2012) are a rugby league side based in Pyle, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference. They are the most successful amateur rugby league team in Wales, having won the Welsh Premier a record ten times in their two incarnations, as well as winning the Harry Jepson Trophy twice against teams from England, Wales and Scotland.
| |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Blue Bulls Rugby League Football Club |
| Colours | Blue |
| Founded | 2003 & Resurrected 2014 |
| Website | http://www.bluebulls.co.uk |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) | |
| Coach | Lee Harben-Jones |
| Captain | Nathan Hawkins |
| Competition | Rugby League Conference Welsh Premier |
The Blue Bulls were formed in 2003 and joined the newly formed Welsh Division of the Rugby League Conference. Since then, guided under head coaches Karl Hocking & Jon Purnell, they have won the league every year until 2008. In 2003 and 2004 they won all their games. In 2005 they lost just one, before drawing one game and losing one in the 2006 and 2007 seasons respectively.
In 2003 and 2005 the team also won the Harry Jepson Cup, competing with teams from England, Scotland and Wales. In 2003 they beat Cardiff Demons, Aberavon Fighting Irish, Ipswich Rhinos and winning the final against Carlisle Centurions by 33–26 at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington. In 2005, this time at the Brewery Field, they clinched the cup in a record-breaking 60–10 victory against Leeds Akkies. That match was seen by just over 1,150 people.
In 2007 they won the Welsh Grand Final at Brewery Field by beating the Newport Titans 24–18. The Blue Bulls were actually 6–0 down early on, but made an astonishing recovery to lead 24–6 at one point. They held their lead despite the Titans scoring two more tries.
The 2008 season saw Bridgend field a side that contained many new faces mainly youngsters that had not played league before. This led to more defeats than the club was used to and they eventually had to release their strangle hold on the Welsh title with it going to another team for the first time ever.
The 2009 season saw a marked improvement from the previous season, losing just one game during the regular season, they made it to the grand final against arch-rivals Blackwood Bulldogs at Virginia Park, Caerphilly, but fell at the last hurdle 38–22 in a bad-tempered encounter.
In the 2010 season, the Blue Bulls beat Cardiff Demons 28–56 to secure a home tie in the Welsh Premier Playoff Semi-Finals, after finishing second by points difference in the table, behind Valley Cougars, but went on to lose the final 46–44.
2011 saw the club crowned Welsh champions for the first time in 4 years after seeing off Valley Cougars in the final 48–24.
Despite a difficult start to the 2012 season which included heavy home defeats to Valley Cougars and Bonymaen Broncos, the Bulls surge in the second half of the season, a 22-all draw at Bonymaen (the only game that Bonymaen have ever failed to win) and win against the Cougars at Nelson RFC, saw the club reach their ninth final. The took on Bonymaen Broncos in the grand final, but were beaten 46–28.
The club didn't field a side in 2013 following the retirement of long serving team manager Simon Green. However the club was relaunched in 2014 at Pyle RFC as "Blue Bulls" and promptly won the Welsh Title in their first season back.
The club have played home games at a number of venues throughout the county, the original home for the first two years was at Coychurch Road, the former home of Bridgend Town F.C. They spent 2005 at the Brewery Field and were based at Porthcawl RFC between 2006 and 2012. In 2014 Pyle RFC was unveiled as their new home. They have also played home matches at Maesteg RFC and Llangeinor A.F.C. In 2020 the Bulls were due to start their campaign playing out of Kenfig Hill RFC but the season was put on hold for a short period and due to start later but subsequently cancelled due COVID-19. April 2021 is the expected start of the new season, however, this look unlikely do to the current pandemic.
| Welsh Conference Premier 2009 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
| 1 | Blackwood Bulldogs | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 328 | 90 | +238 | 16 | |
| 2 | Bridgend Blue Bulls | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 302 | 103 | +199 | 14 | |
| 3 | Valley Cougars | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 333 | 234 | 99 | 12 | |
| 4 | Cardiff Demons | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 220 | 167 | 53 | 10 | |
| 5 | Newport Titans | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 228 | 286 | −58 | 7 | |
| 6 | Neath Port Talbot Steelers | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 146 | 262 | −116 | 4 | |
| 7 | Torfaen Tigers | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 170 | 314 | −144 | 4 | |
| 8 | Dinefwr Sharks | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 213 | 320 | −107 | 3 | |
| 9 | St Clears Wild Boars | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 102 | 266 | −164 | 2 | |
| Blackwood Bulldogs | 48–34 | Bridgend Blue Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
August 1, 2009 |
Glan-Yr-Afon Park, Blackwood |
| Bridgend Blue Bulls | 48–28 | Valley Cougars |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
August 16, 2009 |
South Road Ground, Porthcawl |
| Blackwood Bulldogs | 38–22 | Bridgend Blue Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
August 16, 2009 |
Virginia Park, Caerphilly Referee: Martin Edwards |
| Welsh Conference Premier 2010 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
| 1 | Valley Cougars | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 556 | 256 | +300 | 18 | |
| 2 | Bridgend Blue Bulls | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 536 | 246 | +290 | 18 | |
| 3 | Cardiff Demons | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 296 | 320 | −24 | 12 | |
| 4 | CPC Bears | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 188 | 494 | −306 | 4 | |
| 5 | Newport Titans | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 258 | 433 | −175 | 4 | |
| 6 | Blackwood Bulldogs | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 267 | 352 | −85 | 4 | |
| Bridgend Blue Bulls | 56–4 | Cardiff Demons |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
August 18, 2010 |
South Road Ground, Porthcawl |
| Valley Cougars | 46–44 | Bridgend Blue Bulls |
|---|---|---|
| (Report) |
August 21, 2010 |
Virginia Park, Caerphilly Referee: Ian Curzon |
The club runs junior sides at under-13, under-15 and under-17 levels in the Welsh Conference Junior League.
Supporters of the club formed a tag rugby outfit named Bridgend Blue Heifers in 2008.
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