Rosslyn Park 36 – 19 Blackheath
17/01/26
A rivalry stretching back to the 1800s once again delivered intensity, drama, and no shortage of physical edge as Rosslyn Park secured a 36–19 victory over Blackheath in West London. Although the final scoreline suggests comfort, the match remained fiercely contested for more than an hour, with both sides trading momentum in a gripping National League encounter.
Blackheath struck first after Park conceded a pair of early penalties, allowing the visitors to march deep into the 22. From a well drilled maul, Billy Harding powered over from five metres out just seven minutes in. Park absorbed the early pressure and responded superbly. Sustained phase play inside the Blackheath 22 created space, and a neat inside ball from Bill Johnston sent Tom Stanton under the posts to level the scores at 7–7 after 22 minutes.
Park’s defensive steel then came to the fore, with player of the match Charlie Piper producing several crunching tackles to halt Blackheath’s progress. Their resilience was rewarded shortly before the break when Cameron King hit a brilliant line and dived over in front of the cameras. Moments later, a needless Blackheath penalty allowed Johnston to slot three more points, giving Park a 17–7 lead at the interval.
The second half began with Park continuing to dominate up front. Relentless pressure from the forwards eventually saw captain Jack Digby crash over, with Johnston adding the extras to extend the advantage. Blackheath, however, refused to fade. Harding claimed his second try from another maul, though Morley’s conversion cruelly struck both upright and crossbar. Their resurgence continued on 55 minutes when Finn Osborne peeled off a scrum and forced his way over, narrowing the gap and setting up a tense final quarter.
Park were forced to withstand heavy pressure, but ultimately Blackheath’s late surge came too late. Piper capped his outstanding display with a try from a maul, before tempers flared and yellow cards were shown to Kyle McGhie and Jake Cleet. Park were briefly reduced to 13 when Ali Wade was binned for a deliberate knock on, yet the hosts finished strongly. In the final minute, Joe Luca Smith added another to his growing tally, sealing a commanding win.
Captain Jack Digby praised his side’s effort, saying, “We knew Blackheath had a good run of results recently, and we just wanted to come together as a group and work hard for each other. We couldn’t be happier with the result.”
A historic rivalry delivered once again, with Rosslyn Park completing the double over a determined Blackheath side.
Star man: Charlie Piper
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Sam Yates
Rosslyn Park
Tries: Stanton (22’) King (37’) Digby (43’) Piper (63’) Smith (79’)
Conversions: Johnston (23’, 38’, 44’, 80’)
Penalties: Johnston (40’)
Yellow Cards: Cleet (68’) Wade (75’)
Team: Cade, Piper, Kennison-cook, Cleet, Huis, Digby, Barrett, King, Mulchrone, Johnston, Marfo, Preen, Stanton, Walker, Smith
Replacements: Cameron, Wade, Gillanders, Fenley, Mehson
Blackheath
Tries: Harding (7’, 48’) Osborne (55’)
Conversions: Morley (8’, 56’)
Penalties: n/a
Yellow Cards: Mcghie (68’)
Team: Holland, Harding, Marsh, O’Sullivan, Scragg, Smeaton, Sloot, Osborne, Burns, Morley, Daniel, Hirsky J-Douglas, Pollock, Hennessey, Dunford
Replacements: Bourne, Cornish, Jameson, Mcghie, Dalrymple
Next Up: We head to Plymouth Albion, 3pm KO, 24th January 2026.