Jersey RFC return to the national leagues this weekend, a decade and a half after the club’s two-year spell at levels three and four.
Excitement levels have been rising on the Island across the summer, especially when the fixture list threw up the chance to revive a recent rivalry in the league opener.
London Welsh, one of the capital’s most storied clubs with roots back to 1885, will be the visitors to CoinShares Park for a game that will kick off at 1pm to assist with travel logistics. The game comes after the two clubs enjoyed a fine tussle in Regional 1 South Central two seasons ago.
It was the Exiles who came out on top in 2024/25, with 21 wins from their 22 league games including a 36-28 win in Jersey, although not before the 100% record was dented by the Island side as Huw Owen’s last-gasp try clinched a 28-24 win at Old Deer Park.
Now the clubs are paired together again to rekindle a rivalry that began in the RFU Championship during professional era (see below).
While Jersey emulated the previous champions in winning 21 games to clinch promotion from Regional 1, the Exiles made a good fist of their return to National 2, eventually finishing ninth having won 10 of their 26 league games.
This season the Exiles have a stated intention to climb the table into – at least – the top six, with a (mostly) new coaching team in place and an estimated 16 new signings among the playing squad.
As with JRFC, pre-season brought one Welsh and one English opponent for the Exiles. A squad of 35 lost 50-19 on their travels to Aberavon before the “1st XV” won 40-30 at Clifton, one of the teams relegated from Nat 1 last season.
The home side will revert to the majority of the squad who lost narrowly (19-12) to Pontypridd in mid-August, although there will be a debutant in the back row: Kade Bird, who has arrived in Jersey after previously playing with London Scottish and Esher, as well as in Australia and South Africa.
After missing the August schedule, Aaron Penberthy is back in the number 10 shirt, while Dan Barnes will captain the side from midfield.
Penberthy and Barnes are among a clutch of former professionals in the Jersey line-up, including the front row trio of Owen, Jack Macfarlane and Jack Higgins, while Director of Rugby Myles Landick is also proud to have eight “native” Islanders in his squad, showing the strength of the club’s mini and junior section.
The season is definitely starting with a bang at CoinShares Park – next Saturday will see Channel Island rivals Guernsey the visitors as the neighbouring clubs are paired in the same league for the first time in more than three decades. Game two will also see an early kick-off – 1.30pm for the game on Saturday September 12th.
Admission to home games is free for non-members; for non-members tickets cost £8 in advance via https://race-nation.co.uk/register/jersey-rugby-football-club or can be obtained on the gate for the same price (card payments only).
Jersey RFC squad v London Welsh (H) – National League Two East 2026/27 game 1, CoinShares Park, Saturday September 5th, k-o 1pm
Starting backs (15-9)
Mark Boarer, Bevan Biggs, Dylan Stocks, Dan Barnes (capt), Rhys Thomas; Aaron Penberthy, Harry Cochrane.
Starting forwards (1-8)
Huw Owen (capt), Jack Macfarlane, Jack Higgins, Euan Spencer, Cam Keys, Tom Tilstone, Luke Bowles, Kade Bird.
Replacements (16-20)
Jake Bates, Tom Wilson, Toby Osbourne, Freddie Earnshaw, Lance Armstrong.
The two clubs’ respective journeys in recent seasons have been remarkably similar.
Professional rugby came to a shuddering halt for the Welsh Exiles in January 2017, with the club’s professional operation liquidated and withdrawing from the RFU Championship midway through the season. Six-and-a-half years later, it was the Jersey Reds pro outfit that ceased trading and fell out of the rugby structure on the eve of the 2023/24 campaign. Both sides had lifted the Championship title before being unable to sustain their professional operations.
The two clubs regrouped and kept the rugby flame alight through their separate amateur arms, with considerable success. There were no fewer than four promotions for London Welsh to reach level 5 by summer 2022; meanwhile JRFC spent their first season in the league pyramid winning their debut season at level 7, and then went on to claim the Regional 2 SC title in 2024 and join London Welsh in R1SC.
Looking back through the records, Jersey and the Exiles met five times in the RFU Championship from 2014-16, with five Welsh victories and the Reds having to be content with losing bonus points from four of the five outings, including the 23-18 outcome of the last game between the sides in October 2016 at Old Deer Park. London Welsh won the Championship in 2012 and 2014, but were twice relegated from the Premiership at the first time of asking.
