Bristol Sonics
Encyclopedia
Bristol Sonics are a rugby league
club based in Bristol
in the South West of England
.
The Sonics play in the Midlands Premier
division of the Rugby League Conference
. Bristol Sonics A play in the RLC West of England
.
supersonic passenger jet, which was built and tested close to the club's original ground of St Brendans Old Boys in Filton.
Bristol Sonics were granted membership of the Rugby League Conference in January 2003, taking their place in the South West Division alongside Gloucestershire Warriors
, Somerset Vikings
, Worcester Saints, Cardiff Demons
and Oxford Cavaliers
. Before training began in February 2003, the Sonics agreed to host a heat of London Broncos' (now Harlequins Rugby League 'Prop Idol' competition. One of the Bristol winners, Michael Lowis, was announced as one of the three finalists and went on to train with the Broncocs .
Bristol Sonics initially struggled to attract players. Just 14 players, a couple borrowed from other clubs, took to the field for the Sonics' first game, a friendly against Cardiff Demons on Sunday 27 April 2003. The inexperienced Sonics lost to their local rivals 8-74, with captain Ben Morris getting Bristol's first ever try - a moment captured by a photographer from the Bristol Evening Post
. This first Conference season proved tough for the Sonics, with an opening weekend win against Worcester Saints being followed by a series of heavy defeats, including one 8-100 loss to Cardiff - still the club's record defeat. At the end of the summer 2003 campaign, the Sonics finished bottom of the South West Division, having won just two of 10 matches.
For the 2004 Rugby League Conference season, national expansion and restructure found Bristol Sonics placed in the new Western division of the RLC. Cardiff Demons were replaced with Telford Raiders in an otherwise unchanged division. While the Sonics improved and won more matches - including their first ever away win, a 30-48 victory over Oxford Cavaliers - they still struggled on and off the pitch. Brief relief came in the form of a second successive trip to the York International 9s
in June, where the Sonics made the quarter-finals, securing a victory over French side Montpellier along the way. At the end of the season, St Brendans Old Boys RFC had sold their ground to developers. This meant the Sonics would have to find a new home base before the start of the 2005 campaign. In the end, with no other alternative, the Sonics found themselves a new home at Old Elizabethans RFC in Hallen.
For the 2006 summer season, Bristol moved grounds again, finding a home at Aretians RFC in Little Stoke, South Gloucestershire. Player recruitment had not gone well and suddenly the Sonics found themselves going backwards. In an expanded West Midlands & South West Division of 8 clubs, Bristol won only three games all season, and player disillusionment led to the forfeiting of a game against rivals Gloucestershire Warriors - the only time this has happened in the club's history. The one bright spot was the formation of the club's first junior side, the under-16 'Sonic Youth' team.
after going through the second half of the campaign unbeaten. That meant a home qualifying play-off against third-placed Coventry Bears
Academy. Bristol triumphed 70-8 to earn a Grand Final showdown with Burntwood on August 11, 2007. In a contest at Chase High School, Burntwood, Bristol triumphed 40-30 to become West Midlands Champions – the club's first significant silverware. The following week, Bristol travelled to RLC East Division winners Bedford Tigers
for an RLC regional quarter-final. Despite leading for much of the game, the Sonics were eventually beaten 22-18 to put an end to their hopes of further silverware.
Bristol Sonics carried their fine 2007 form into the 2008 season, remaining unbeaten in the West Midlands Regional Conference with 11 wins and a draw. Their remarkable run included a record 98-18 win over Redditch Ravens and a nailbiting 24-all draw with Coventry Bears 'A', as well as a dramatic, last-minute victory over long-time rivals Oxford Cavaliers on the final day of the league season. The Sonics were once again crowned West Midlands Champions.
As West Midlands Champions, the Sonics took part in the Rugby League Conference play-offs for the second year in a row. After receiving a bye in the quarter finals, Bristol faced East Division winners Hainault Bulldogs
in the semi-finals at Gloucestershire Warriors
' Chosen Hill Ground. After an even first half, the Sonics powered away from the Bulldogs in the second half to win 34-14 and book a place in their first Rugby League Conference Grand Final. That match was played at Derby City RLFC's Haslams ground, and saw Bristol take on Moorends Thorne Moor Marauders from Doncaster. The more experienced Marauders proved too much for the Sonics, who fell 18-0 behind after just 15 minutes. A spirited second-half fightback from Bristol saw them outscore their opponents, but it wasn't enough to pull off a famous upset. Marauders won 38-20.
The Sonics' success in winning the West Midlands Division and reaching the national Grand Final earned them a record number of nominations at the annual Rugby League Conference Awards. At the ceremony in November, Bristol were named Rugby League Conference Team Of The Year 2008. In December, the Sonics were invited by the Rugby Football League to enter the 2009 Challenge Cup
. On 18 October, Bristol Sonics were drawn at home in the preliminary round against British student champions Leeds Met Carnegie University.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club based in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in the South West of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Sonics play in the Midlands Premier
Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier
The Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands.It was first contested in 2006. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League....
division of the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
. Bristol Sonics A play in the RLC West of England
Rugby League Conference South West Division
The Rugby League Conference South West Division is a division in the Rugby League Conference, an amateur rugby league competition with sides from across Britain...
.
2002-2004: Early Days
Bristol Sonics were formed in the autumn of 2002 by a group of rugby league enthusiasts. The club colours of maroon and gold were chosen as a tribute to Bristol's original rugby league club, which ran from the early 1980s to the early 1990s before disbanding. The Sonics name comes from Bristol's links with the development of the ConcordeConcorde
Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner, a supersonic transport . It was a product of an Anglo-French government treaty, combining the manufacturing efforts of Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation...
supersonic passenger jet, which was built and tested close to the club's original ground of St Brendans Old Boys in Filton.
Bristol Sonics were granted membership of the Rugby League Conference in January 2003, taking their place in the South West Division alongside Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Gloucestershire in England. They play in the RLC West of England division of the Rugby League Conference and in 2006 made their debut in the Challenge Cup.-History:...
, Somerset Vikings
Somerset Vikings
Somerset Vikings RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Somerset in England. They play in the South West Division of the Rugby League Conference.The team play at North Petherton rugby club...
, Worcester Saints, Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of St. Albans RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
and Oxford Cavaliers
Oxford Cavaliers (Rugby)
The Oxford Cavaliers are a rugby league team based in Oxford. They play in the RLC West of England.In their brief history Oxford Cavaliers have managed to supply players to professional clubs, such as Mike Castle and Corey Simms to the London Skolars, Darrell Griffin to Wakefield Trinity Wildcats,...
. Before training began in February 2003, the Sonics agreed to host a heat of London Broncos' (now Harlequins Rugby League 'Prop Idol' competition. One of the Bristol winners, Michael Lowis, was announced as one of the three finalists and went on to train with the Broncocs .
Bristol Sonics initially struggled to attract players. Just 14 players, a couple borrowed from other clubs, took to the field for the Sonics' first game, a friendly against Cardiff Demons on Sunday 27 April 2003. The inexperienced Sonics lost to their local rivals 8-74, with captain Ben Morris getting Bristol's first ever try - a moment captured by a photographer from the Bristol Evening Post
Bristol Evening Post
The Bristol Evening Post is a newspaper covering news in the city of Bristol, including stories from the whole of Greater Bristol, Northern Somerset and South Gloucestershire....
. This first Conference season proved tough for the Sonics, with an opening weekend win against Worcester Saints being followed by a series of heavy defeats, including one 8-100 loss to Cardiff - still the club's record defeat. At the end of the summer 2003 campaign, the Sonics finished bottom of the South West Division, having won just two of 10 matches.
For the 2004 Rugby League Conference season, national expansion and restructure found Bristol Sonics placed in the new Western division of the RLC. Cardiff Demons were replaced with Telford Raiders in an otherwise unchanged division. While the Sonics improved and won more matches - including their first ever away win, a 30-48 victory over Oxford Cavaliers - they still struggled on and off the pitch. Brief relief came in the form of a second successive trip to the York International 9s
York International 9s
York International 9s is an international rugby league nines tournament taking place in York, England. It is held at Heworth ARLC's Elmpark Way ground on the north east side of the city. The 2007 tournament took place on Saturday 14 July....
in June, where the Sonics made the quarter-finals, securing a victory over French side Montpellier along the way. At the end of the season, St Brendans Old Boys RFC had sold their ground to developers. This meant the Sonics would have to find a new home base before the start of the 2005 campaign. In the end, with no other alternative, the Sonics found themselves a new home at Old Elizabethans RFC in Hallen.
2005-2006
After the steady improvements of 2004, 2005 was another hit-and-miss year for the Sonics on the pitch. Things started badly when the RFL announced on the eve of the season that one of the South West Division's new clubs, Thames Valley Cougars, would not be entering the league. This withdrawal caused all sorts of problems for the remaining five South West clubs, with the number of gap weekends being the biggest. On top of this, Oxford Cavaliers and new club Plymouth Titans both had trouble fulfilling fixtures. Both scratched games in Bristol early in the season. For the second year running the Sonics won more games than they lost, eventually finishing third. The undoubted highlight of a troublesome year was a memorable 30-all draw with Somerset, watched by a reporter from BBC Radio Bristol.For the 2006 summer season, Bristol moved grounds again, finding a home at Aretians RFC in Little Stoke, South Gloucestershire. Player recruitment had not gone well and suddenly the Sonics found themselves going backwards. In an expanded West Midlands & South West Division of 8 clubs, Bristol won only three games all season, and player disillusionment led to the forfeiting of a game against rivals Gloucestershire Warriors - the only time this has happened in the club's history. The one bright spot was the formation of the club's first junior side, the under-16 'Sonic Youth' team.
2007 - 2011
The 2007 season saw Bristol Sonics celebrate their fifth anniversary by becoming the winners of the new-look RLC West Midlands Division. After a slow start to the campaign, the new-look Sonics began to gel as a side. After the regular league stage of the season, the Sonics finished second to Burntwood BarbariansBurntwood Barbarians
Burntwood Barbarians are a rugby league club founded in 2006, as part of the Burntwood Rugby Club Sports Association. Having played in the Rugby League Conference, West Midlands division for two seasons, the club currently play in the Midlands Rugby League....
after going through the second half of the campaign unbeaten. That meant a home qualifying play-off against third-placed Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears are a rugby league club, formed in 1998. They have a proud history pioneering rugby league in the Midlands, their major honours include winning the National League 3 title in 2004 and the Rugby League Conference in 2002...
Academy. Bristol triumphed 70-8 to earn a Grand Final showdown with Burntwood on August 11, 2007. In a contest at Chase High School, Burntwood, Bristol triumphed 40-30 to become West Midlands Champions – the club's first significant silverware. The following week, Bristol travelled to RLC East Division winners Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers RLFC is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Rugby League Conference, with a second team in the London League.- History :...
for an RLC regional quarter-final. Despite leading for much of the game, the Sonics were eventually beaten 22-18 to put an end to their hopes of further silverware.
Bristol Sonics carried their fine 2007 form into the 2008 season, remaining unbeaten in the West Midlands Regional Conference with 11 wins and a draw. Their remarkable run included a record 98-18 win over Redditch Ravens and a nailbiting 24-all draw with Coventry Bears 'A', as well as a dramatic, last-minute victory over long-time rivals Oxford Cavaliers on the final day of the league season. The Sonics were once again crowned West Midlands Champions.
As West Midlands Champions, the Sonics took part in the Rugby League Conference play-offs for the second year in a row. After receiving a bye in the quarter finals, Bristol faced East Division winners Hainault Bulldogs
Hainault Bulldogs
Hainault Bulldogs are a rugby league team based in Dagenham, Essex. They play in the South Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
in the semi-finals at Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors
Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC are a rugby league team from the county of Gloucestershire in England. They play in the RLC West of England division of the Rugby League Conference and in 2006 made their debut in the Challenge Cup.-History:...
' Chosen Hill Ground. After an even first half, the Sonics powered away from the Bulldogs in the second half to win 34-14 and book a place in their first Rugby League Conference Grand Final. That match was played at Derby City RLFC's Haslams ground, and saw Bristol take on Moorends Thorne Moor Marauders from Doncaster. The more experienced Marauders proved too much for the Sonics, who fell 18-0 behind after just 15 minutes. A spirited second-half fightback from Bristol saw them outscore their opponents, but it wasn't enough to pull off a famous upset. Marauders won 38-20.
The Sonics' success in winning the West Midlands Division and reaching the national Grand Final earned them a record number of nominations at the annual Rugby League Conference Awards. At the ceremony in November, Bristol were named Rugby League Conference Team Of The Year 2008. In December, the Sonics were invited by the Rugby Football League to enter the 2009 Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
. On 18 October, Bristol Sonics were drawn at home in the preliminary round against British student champions Leeds Met Carnegie University.