By Elliott Josypenko
November 7 2005

Pertemps Bees director of rugby Phil Maynard has welcomed the home draw against Otley that his side have been given in the sixth round of the Powergen National Trophy on Saturday November 26. Pertemps Bees director of rugby Phil Maynard has welcomed the home draw against Otley that his side have been given in the sixth round of the Powergen National Trophy on Saturday November 26.
Pertemps Bees began their trophy campiagn with a comfortable 61-10 win at Cleckheaton last Saturday while Otley defeated London One side London Scottish 46-3 at the Richmond Athletoc Ground.
The two sides are due to meet in a National One game at Cross Green on November 19 which will now be a dress reherasal for the cup tie at Sharmans Cross Road.
"We're very pleased just to have a home draw," Maynard said. When we reached the semi-finals of the Powergen Cup two years ago we played all but one of our games away from home and we had three out of four away games in the cup last season.
"It will be nice just to be able to enjoy home comforts again and to generate some revenue for the club.
"When you look at the sides that are left in the Trophy, there were some possible nasty ties awaiting us. At least we are familiar with Otley and we will have a chance to size each other up in the league game the week before."

Pertemps Bees prop Matt Long is facing the prospect of a lengthy injury lay-off.
The England Counties international suffered a torn calf muscle in last Saturday's Powergen National Trophy win at Cleckheaton. If the initial pessimistic diagnosis proves accurate, Long could be sidelined for most of the season.
"We will have a better idea of how serious the injury is after Matt has seen a doctor on Monday," said Phil Maynard, Pertemps Bees director of rugby.
"But it doesn't look good. Matt has suffered a calf injury before and it could be that he will have to miss most of the rest of the season."
Andrew Le Chevalier, who missed the Cleckheaton game because of illness, is expected to be fit to take his place at loosehead for the National League One game against Rotherham Earth Titans at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday November 12 (12.30pm).
Flanker Will Matthews, who was a late withdrawal from the Trophy side, is also expected to have recovered from his back problem and he is likely to be named as a replacement.
Flanker Tu Tamarua is also due to return after a month out with a rib injury but he will undergo a precautionary fitness test in training this week.
But centre Simon Martin is still struggling to overcome the knee ligament injury that he sustained in the defeat at Exeter last month.

INJURIES
Name Ailment Return
Simon Martin Knee Ligament Next Match
Tom Beim Knee Ligament Training
Rob Hurrell Back & Leg Awaiting results
Matt Long Calf Next season
Ben Hughes Nose Two weeks
Mike Davies Back Assessment
Will Matthews Back Assessment
Adam Billig Hamstring Assessment
Tu Tamarua Rib Next Match

Pertemps Bees have joined forces with South Birmingham College to launch a new rugby academy designed to nurture some of the best rugby talent in the region.
The academy is due to start on September 1 next year with an initial intake of around 100 students. It will allow 16 to 18 year-old players to stay in further education while benefiting from top-class coaching with the National One club.
Students will combine studies at one of South Birmingham College's five campuses around the city with four-days-a-week rugby coaching at Pertemps Bees' training base at Portway.
"The aim of the Academy is to give young people a chance to learn a career at the college but also to get a start in rugby," said Phil Maynard, Pertemps Bees' director of rugby.
"We can offer them the coaching expertise to help them develop their rugby skills. South Birmingham College can provide the openings to develop a career through one of the many courses that they run at sites around the city.
"The College has fantastic facilities and has around 25,000 students on a range of academic and vocational courses. We are very excited about linking up with them in what believe is a unique academy structure and also in opening up a potential new market for spectators."
Ric Marconi, sports academy director of South Birmingham College, said: "Our elite rugby academy will give students the opportunity to play rugby with people who can give them training in all the skills, tactics of the game and fitness levels. The key thing from our point of view is that they will enjoy coming to the college and enjoy the courses they want to do."
Students on the advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence at the Academy will be able to incorporate further education qualifications such as HNCs or Btec Nationals based at the college, with dedicated rugby training. Players looking to make a career as a professional rugby player will be encouraged and students will hopefully progres to play for the Bees and beyond.
"We would love to see students from our Academy playing for their country and, with the level of enthusiasm we've enjoyed from Pertemps Bees, this could become a real possibility," Marconi said.
One of the ideas of the Academy is to offer players from all backgrounds the same opportunity to progress in rugby.
"People sometimes see rugby as a game that is only played at 'better' schools," Marconi said. "We want to encourage people from all over the city, especially inner-city Birmingham, to consider becoming part of the Academy and promote the game acrosss the whole area."
Pertemps Bees have already forged close links with South Birmingham College through flanker Tu Tamarua. The former Harlequins and Rotherham player is currently enrolled on a plumbing course at the college's purpose-built construction centre in Bordesley Green with the intention of learning a trade that will help him find work when his playing days are over.
The links will be strengthened with the formation of a South Birmingham College rugby team who will play their home matches at Portway, situated close to junction 3 of the M42 motorway.
South Birmingham College's name will also be displayed on Pertemps Bees' first team shirts as part of the partnership.
For further information about South Birmingham College's rugby academy, contact Ric Marconi on ricardo.marconi@sbc.ac.uk