Jersey RFC win Regional Two South Central title after 54-7 Newbury win
- Published
Jersey have lost just one game in the last two seasons as they march up the divisions
Jersey RFC have won the Regional Two South Central with three games to spare after a 54-7 victory over Newbury Blues at St Peter.
It is a second successive title for the island's amateur side which has become Jersey's top rugby team after the demise of Championship champions Jersey Reds last September.
The islanders have won 18 of their 19 games this season.
They will play in fifth tier Regional One South Central next season.
Former Jersey Reds hooker Jack MacFarlane crossed for an early close-range try for the islanders before he went over from a maul after 24 minutes to double the lead and take his tally to a league-leading 25 tries for the season.
Winger Nathan Rogers' try in the left corner made it 19-0 after half an hour before Oli Rhoads pulled a try back for the Blues to make it 19-7 at the break.
Jersey got their bonus point try after an hour when Max Harrington went in under the posts after a quickly-taken penalty while Tom Bulfin got a fifth soon after following great work by Scott van Breda and Aaron Penberthy.
Sam Harvey's try made it 40-7 with 10 minutes left as he finished a fine flowing move, Macfarlane went over for his hat-trick moments later and Charlie Hubert completed the rout with a try in the final minute.
"The boys have put in a tremendous amount of hard work in throughout the season," Jersey head coach Myles Landick told BBC Radio Jersey.
"Everyone's just bought into a collective effort from the coaches, players, the medical staff, everyone's really pulled together in what has been a difficult time for rugby on the island.
"We know we needed rugby to continue on the island and everyone pulled together to make it happen.
"We want to inspire young people on the island to get involved and start playing rugby and the more we can get down here and playing rugby the better and I think momentum will continue to build going into next season."