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2023/24 – A Season in Statistics
Another Top Four finish in the 23/24 Championship table ensured it was an extremely positive campaign for Mike Rayer and his side as they again showcased more rugby for the ages and made it a thoroughly enjoyable spell watching the team.
There were memorable moments throughout, and not just in victory, with Louis Grimoldby’s late drop goal vs Doncaster still the talk of the town, averaging over 3,000 averaging home attendance at men’s matches, a record breaking Ladies Day and much more to name but a few.
As we prepare to bring the curtain down and start turning our attentions to next season already, read some of the Bedford statistics you may have missed during the campaign…
Club Statistics
Throughout the 2023/24 Championship campaign, a total of 25 competitive Bedford Blues matches were played. Mike Rayer’s side won on 15 occasions, while suffering 10 defeats. Highlights include multiple Derby Day victories, another away victory down at Pirates and a real solid campaign at Goldington Road, including scoring 50+ in successive home matches.
Across the campaign, Bedford Blues scored a grand total of 101 tries, third only to Ealing Trailfinders and Coventry. Included within that are 14 Try of the Week wins – more than all the other Championship teams combined and a record in second-tier history – as Blues again scored more tries for the ages when showcasing edge of your seat action.
A total of 43 players made one or more competitive appearance for Bedford Blues throughout their exploits, including just nine debutants as continuity reigned supreme. There were three former Junior Blues involved – all born in Bedfordshire as Jamie Elliott, Dean Adamson and Tom Litchfield all featured.
Displaying the free flowing, attacking hallmarks of a Rayer side again in 2022/23; Blues secured a try bonus point in 13 of 20 league fixtures, the fourth best in the division behind the top three and Bedfordshire neighbours, Ampthill.
Blues were one of the best travellers in the second-tier with six victories out of 10 on the road, only Cornish Pirates (8) had more.
In the early echelons of the campaign, Blues put a run together of five successive victories stretching from 28th October – 23rd December. Again, this was up there in terms of the league, with only Ealing and Coventry putting on better runs.
Most Appearances
A total of 18 players played 20 or more matches across the 2022/23 campaign. Three of them featured in every game; namely Joey Conway, Jamie Jack and Robin Williams.
25 – Joey Conway, Jamie Jack, Robin Williams; 24 – James Fish, Sean French, Luke Frost; 23 – Dean Adamson, Oisin Heffernan, Michael Le Bourgeois, Will Maisey; 22 – Louis Grimoldby, Cameron King, Bryan O’Connor, Matt Worley; 21 – Jac Arthur, Joe Howard; 20 – Alex Day, Alex Woolford
Most Minutes on the Field
A player could have played a maximum of 2,000 minutes in the 23/24 campaign with Dean Adamson ending as Blues’ ‘Ironman’ owing to playing the most minutes this season, unbelievably just one more than Sean French.
Dean Adamson – 1,783; Sean French – 1,782; Matt Worley – 1,640; Michael Le Bourgeois – 1,634; Luke Frost – 1,609; Will Maisey – 1,500
Tries
19 – Sean French; 15 – Dean Adamson; 8 – Joey Conway & Cameron King
Top Points Scorers
145 – Will Maisey tops the charts for Blues in 2023/24 and finished as fourth overall in the Championship’s leading marksmen category (league fixtures only).
98 – As well as an impressive haul of tries in his debut season, Sean French also chipped in with a crucial couple of kicks.
Notable Appearance Milestones
150 – Player Coach, Michael Le Bourgeois ended the campaign with 170 appearances having surpassed another big milestone for the club.
100 – A great moment as Jordan Onojaife became the latest member of our illustrious century club on the final day of the campaign; his final competitive match before retirement.
50 – The septet of Joey Conway, Jamie Elliott, Sean French, Luke Frost, Louis Grimoldby, James Lennon and Robin Williams all hit the first big appearance milestone this year.
Notable Try Milestones
Dean Adamson hit two big milestones in the 23/24 campaign – becoming the club’s second greatest try scorer when he dotted down against Nottingham. He also added his 100th Championship try in the Battle of Bedfordshire against Ampthill.
