The Rise & Rise of Sedgley Park
(In 24 seasons of league rugby, Sedgley Park have gained 6 promotions)
1987 At long last, English rugby is organised nationally into a single league structure. Only eleven teams per league, each playing 10 matches, at this stage.
1987/88 Sedgley win NW2 under Ronnie Hall’s captaincy. Promoted.
1988 to 95 Seven seasons at level 7, North West 1. Leagues expanded to
13 teams in 1992.
1994/95 Paul Egan is captain as Sedgley win all 12 league matches.
1995/96 One season only in North 2, level 6. Bob Kimmins is captain as Sedgley come 2nd and are promoted alongside champions New Brighton.
1996/97 World-wide end of amateur regulations, and league games are now played on home & away basis for the first time. Kimmins leads Sedgley to the North 1 title, level 5.
1997 – 2001 Four seasons at level 4.
2000/01 Cristian Raducanu is captain and Tim Fourie coach as Sedgley finish second in National Three (North), behind Stourbridge, and are promoted after winning play-off game 40-23 against Launceston.
2001 to 2004 Three seasons in National Two, level 3.
2003/04 Under Carlos Hassan’s captaincy, Sedgley win National Two and are promoted, with Nottingham, to National One, level 2.
2004/09 Five great seasons at level two saw Park rubbing shoulders with likes of Harlequins, Northampton Saints, Bristol, Leeds, London Welsh and other great clubs of the game. It was difficult at times to compete with Sedge on the reverse of some heavy defeats but there were some truly marvelous performances too and it took the re-organisation of the league structure to put to an end of our stay at level two.
2009/11 We begin our second season at National One, level 3, under the captaincy of Chris Wilkinson. The first season at this level saw real competitive rugby returning to Park Lane. In this first season the Tigers had as many ups as downs with the real high of being the only team beating Esher that season as they returned to the Championship as runaway leaders. The down was the North east trip to Tynedale where Sedge were thumped 49-0 ouch!!! At the end of Season 2012/13 after losing all the coaching staff early on in the season Sedge succumb to the inevitable and face relegation to National League Two North, level 4. It what has been a rebuilding phase of the club both on and off the field Sedge have managed under the captaincy of Juan Crous on the field to get fourth position in the first season back (2013/14) Third the next season and in May 2016 under the New Head coach, former England International Dean Schofield, Sedge after an fantastic season and well deserved runner up position to Champions Macclesfield traveled down to meet Old Albanians in the National Two North South playoff game, with the winner going back to National One. Sadly it wasn't to be being beaten 24-0 in a very tough and tight encounter. However it was once again progress. Will it one step one closer in 2016/17? We shall will have to wait and see. Whatever the results the journey has been marvelous and it’s not over yet.
