photo by Ian Lovell

When reading that a match is taking place between Edinburgh and Blackwood, one would immediately think that this is a total mismatch.

After all, it’s not often that you read about a team from Scotland’s capital city going up against representatives from a town in the Caerphilly County Borough which has a population of around 23,000.

However Edinburgh Eagles and Blackwood Bulldogs are the rugby league champions of Scotland and Wales respectively and the two meet this Sunday in the second round of rugby league’s oldest knockout tournament, the Carnegie Challenge Cup, with a possible tie against a professional side awaiting the winners.

In a match that extends the Wales v Scotland weekend to both codes of rugby, whatever the outcome, a piece of history will be made.

If Edinburgh Eagles win, then they will become Scotland’s first ever representatives in the Third Round of the Cup while Blackwood Bulldogs hope to become the first non-professional Welsh side in ten years, and the first from the Welsh Rugby League Conference, to reach this stage.

In 2000, Cardiff Cougars, an amalgamation between Cardiff Demons and UWIC university reached the third round and lost to Keighley Cougars. Since then, only Celtic Crusaders have represented Wales in Round Three onwards.

Bulldogs chairman Andrew Smith says that it’s been a hard slog to even get to Edinburgh but they are prepared for the challenge.

“When we first heard the draw, we were excited but then reality came in,” he said. “How were we going to afford to get up there? It would cost us over £2,000 all told!

“But we’ve had a few donations thanks to articles in the local papers, Wales Rugby League are also helping us out and we’ve applied to the RFL to up their donation due to the distance. We’re ready to go and we’re all looking forward to it.

“We’ve our strongest team out and they’re all available to travel as there’s no club rugby union games this weekend. We’re going up in two mini-buses early on Saturday morning, hopefully in time to watch the Six Nations game on TV, staying near to the Murrayfield ground and coming back on Sunday following the game. It’s a shame that we weren’t drawn at home really as it would have been a real Wales v Scotland weekend in the area, but we’re prepared to travel and we want to do Wales proud.”

Edinburgh’s chairman Ashley Carroll, who also stars for their side, is equally looking forward to the encounter.

"This is probably the biggest match in our history,” he said. “We got to the second round last year but having a home draw is a massive bonus. Hopefully we can get a decent crowd down to Meggetland, and if our preparation is good and we believe in our ability and talent then I think we can win."

The BBC have confirmed this game as their featured match which kicks off at 12.30pm at Boroughmuir RFC.

Crusaders enter the competition in round four which takes place on the weekend of 17/18 April while the final is at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 28 August.

article by Ian Golden
11 February 2010