1st XV News

Bedford Blues centre Mark Atkinson will be plying his trade in the Aviva Premiership next season after agreeing a deal to play for Gloucester.

Atkinson, 24, was one of the key signings for Bedford in 2012 and helped the Blues reach the Championship play-off final in his first season with the club and has remained an influential part of the squad this term.

Bedford were hard done by as London Welsh registered five tries to run out 29-11 winners in their Green King IPA Championship clash at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford on Sunday afternoon.

With only eight points in it late on, Bedford’s Tony Fenner looked to break clear for a certain try which might have changed the game, only for referee Darren Gamage to bring the Blues back for crossing.

The Exiles scored a penalty try and four further scores in total on the day, with Seb Jewell bagging a brace alongside tries from Tom May and Nick Scott, with Will Robinson converting two in windy conditions.

Having already captured Nick Fenton-Wells on a permanent deal, Bedford Blues have moved quickly to secure the services of one of the most exciting youngsters plying his trade in National League Two as well as re-signing three of the current squad.

Fullback and winger Jim Wigglesworth has joined Bedford Blues from near neighbours Cambridge where he has been a standout performer this season. The 20 year old England Counties star hails from Derbyshire and includes Hull and Nottingham as his former clubs as well as a summer season with Rugby League outfit Hull FC.

With the season tally standing at one win apiece, Sunday's Greene King IPA Championship clash between Bedford Blues and London Welsh looks set to be a corker as each team looks to finish the regular campaign in style.

While the Blues will not be competing for a top four place this time around the former Premiership side will be hoping to finsih as high as possible as they look for an immediate bounce back to the top table.

The sides met on the opening weekend for the inaugural 'Double-Header' at Allianz Park which resulted in the Exiles claiming a 23-14 victory in a game that saw a player from each side red carded.

Bedford battled hard at Vallis Way on Saturday afternoon as they claimed a 39-23 victory over Ealing Trailfinders. The Blues touched down five tries and to claim a bonus-point win and deny the Green & Whites anything out of the game in the process.

Frustrating is probably the best word to describe the 80 minutes of rugby and the result after Bedford Blues were defeated at home 18-33 by Plymouth Albion on Saturday afternoon.

Former Blue James Shanahan brought an organised and well drilled Albion side to Goldington Road and they did exactly what they needed to do to record an important win that moves them ten points clear of Bedford in the Championship table.

Bedford will be scratching their heads a little and wondering how this one got away from them particularly when they had a two man advantage in the second half, but in truth it was too many errors on the day.

Bedford Blues have started their recruitment process for the 2014/15 Greene King IPA Championship season by signing Nick Fenton-Wells from Saracens on a permanent basis.
 
After joining Saracens at the start of the 2012/13 Premiership campain, the 27 year old back row star moved to Goldington Road on loan after first team starts proved hard to come by. Sarries loss was Bedford's gain though as the former Stormer played a pivotal role in the Blues reaching last season's Championship play-off final.
 

The Former Players Association of Bedford Blues Rugby Club will be coming together before the game against Plymouth Albion on Saturday afternoon to remember two players who tragically lost their lives as a result of the Paris Air Disaster 40 years ago.
 
On 3rd March 1974, Brian Arthur – a prop who made 125 appearances between 1966 and 1972 - and Peter Green - a centre three-quarter who appeared 166 times in a Blues shirt between 1967 and 1974 - lost their lives when the Turkish Airlines DC10 on which they were passengers, crashed near Paris just minutes after take-off, killing all 346 people on board.

Bedford Blues and Ampthill Rugby Club teamed up at Goldington Road on Tuesday night for a joint forwards training session ahead of a busy weekend for both teams.

With the Blues hosting Plymouth Albion in the Greene King IPA Championship on Saturday afternoon and Ampthill making the journey to Bristol looking to maintain their promotion push as they face the always difficult Dings Crusaders, this was an excellent opportunity to get some 'live' contact training under the belts of each pack.

Dear Supporter,

Rugby World Cup, England 2015 tickets.

Bedford Blues are expecting to be allocated a total in excess of 500 tickets for the key matches at Rugby World Cup 2015.  Demand is anticipated to be very high and this represents the best opportunity for true rugby fans to purchase tickets for England & Knock Out stage matches.

To apply you must have purchased an Adult season ticket for 2014-15 season before 30th April 2014 and returned along with completed RWC 2015 ballot application.