Exeter Centurions are a

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

team based in

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

. They play in the South West Rugby League.

History

''Exeter Centurions'' were formed by Basingstoke Beasts founder Joe Catcheside. They joined the newly formed South West Division of the

Rugby League Conference The Rugby League Conference, also known as the Co-operative Rugby League Conference as a result of sponsorship from The Co-operative Group), was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Sco ...

in 2007. In their first two seasons, Exeter only won one match.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8185901.stm Exeter co-hosted the 2009 South West Nines competition and reached the final before losing to Exeter University at Duckes Meadow. In the regular season, the club's performance improved significantly, finishing in third in the league and reaching the SW Cup Final, which they lost against East Devon Eagles at Plymouth Albion's Brickfields ground. The club continued to improve in 2010, opening with a record 5 game winning sequence before falling to a last gasp defeat in the cup quarter- final against Devon Sharks in Torquay. The club lost only two league fixtures, but again missed out on the Grand Final after a narrow defeat to the Eagles. Centurions went on to represent the South West Conference in the National competition, losing a close game against Neath Port Talbot Steelers. Once again, Centurions lost the South West Nines final to the Exeter University team. 2011 proved a disappointing season, after the loss of influential players Brent Ryan and Alex Stevens. The club suffered several narrow defeats, including an extra-time loss in the cup semi-final against Plymouth Titans, and finished only sixth in the league, is worst performance for three years. In 2012, the club is underwent a relaunch. It secured the rights to wear the city crest of

on its shirts, and branding itself 'The Pride of the City'. Despite a rather erratic league record, the club enjoyed its greatest triumph to date in the South West Cup. After an unexpected victory in the semi-final against 2011 League Champions, Somerset Vikings, the club went on to win the South West Rugby League Cup Final, beating North Devon Raiders 34-14 at Launceston, on 22 July 2012. Dave Bargent scored three tries, with Alex Stevens, returning with dispensation from his professional contract at Featherstone Rovers. adding two, and taking the Man of the Match Award. Influential stand-off Alex Ford scored the other try, with Adam Willows kicking five goals. Captain Matt Coldrey - with Stevens, and Nathan Clark (formerly Nathan Hardy), were winners who debuted for the club in their first run-out, at the 2007 South West Nines five years earlier. Also in that original team was Cup Final Referee, Chris Symons.

References

External links

Official site

Exeter Centurions on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exeter Centurions Rugby League Conference teams Sport in Exeter Rugby clubs established in 2007 2007 establishments in England Rugby league teams in Devon Rugby league teams in England