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Denbigh success ‘years in the making’

Denbigh success ‘years in the making’

After years of hard work Denbigh will play Division One rugby next season thanks to their Division Two North title triumph.

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They won 18 of their 20 fixtures, losing both of their clashes with COBRA who came down from One North last summer.

And head coach Russ Rowlands believes the title win was years in the making. “It was superb, the culmination of four years’ hard work from the players,” he said.

“Really proud of them all. We were really fortunate we had Tom Seddon re-join us from RGC; he was a big contributor to the coaching sessions as well and to the general play.

“It hasn’t come as a great surprise that we managed to win the league but the way we won it was a surprise.
“The way everything just seemed to click for us in attack with the talented backs and ball-playing forwards that we have got.”

Shotton Steel were Denbigh’s main challengers and a tight 20-13 victory over them in mid-April meant they needed just a point against Llanidloes to seal the title. 

But they turned on the style to claim a stunning 101-7 victory at home.

“That was the game that decided the title,” added Rowlands. “We managed to win a very, very physical competitive game in Shotton the week before, which put us within a point [of the title] so the celebrations were held back.

“And then we were fortunate to beat Llanidloes, although they were struggling. They came with a bare 15 so they were struggling.

“It was great to win, not so much in that fashion, we’d rather it have been a really competitive game but fair play to Llanidloes for coming up.”

The season was made even better as Denbigh beat Shotton 36-19 to retain the North Wales Intermediate Cup.

“The lads stuck to the game plan throughout the season and it paid dividends for us with a league and cup double.”

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