Oviedo School of Mines R.F.C. Club History

Versión Española

Students Fellowship Club Main Page Photo Album How to get in touch with us? Best view with ©'97: Carlos Espina

During the Cartel des Minas celebrated in Oviedo in 1992, some students from the School took contact with rugby for their very first time, in a team that included some others that already played the sport for some time, in their clubs. Some of these lasts also began to practise rugby in the above mentioned competition, while others started playing in the Championship, then organised and now sadly extinguished, by the University of Oviedo Sports Service. The success achieved by the team that won that Cartel encouraged many of those students to practise our sport, on a regular basis. Studying at the School a big enough number of players at that time, in September 1992 a meeting took place among Carlos Baragaño, Luis Bustinduy, Carlos Espina, José Luis Menéndez and Justo Suárez, where it was decided to take the required steps to set up a new rugby club with all those players, who received the idea plenty of enthusiasm. Season 1992/93: The Start October 1992 saw the first training sessions of a squad where all but 3 people begun to play rugby from "scratch". The first game was played against Cowper R.C. The fourth place was achieved in the Regional League of Asturias. In April, and thanks to a link provided by Luis Bustinduy, the first friendly game against the Faculty of Geography and History from the Complutense University of Madrid, which later on will become the Guillermo Schulz Cup. At the end of the season the club provided the core of the team that reached the third position at Ales Cartel des Mines, after being beaten by Paris School of Mines (our opposition in the previous year final) in the semi-final, and defeated Madrid for the third place. Season 1993/94: The Consolidation At the end of September 1993, the only club players with more than 2 years of rugby, Justo Suárez and Carlos Espina, went to England to work with a research grant (beer science, basically). Luckily, the unforgettable Julio Ríos "Guindas" took over as club coach, completing the "rugby education" of the players that began to play the season before that. In the Regional League, the forth place was again achieved. As first ever rugby tour of the club, a trip to Madrid is made to face Geography and History at the end of March of 1994. A month later a new championship title is obtained at the XXI Cartel des Mines, organised by Madrid School of Mines. The first official picture of the club was taken that season. Season 1994/95: Getting the Top Although he moved back to his home soil in Argentina in April 1994, it can be said that the success achieved in the 1994/95 season was due to the tough work carried out by Julio Ríos the previous season. Those months were plenty of victories, but there are two important milestones to be highlighted: the championship title in the Regional League and, for the very first time, a second team being fielded during several week-ends, thanks mainly to the steady growing in the club number of players, since its foundation. Moreover, the third edition of the Guillermo Schulz Cup is played, getting the first ever victory, and the trophy whose yearly tenancy is fought for since then. At the Saint Etienne Cartel, the performance of two years ago is repeated, ending thirds after beating Madrid in a very close cards games. They even haven’t got a chance that way... Season 1995/96: The First Bad Year And logically, it is not possible to go upwards all the way without stopping. Key people left, or reduced their work for the club, like Amador Velasco and Alberto Cuesta, who moved to Camborne for a year or Justo Suárez and Carlos Espina for working reasons. Anyway, a lot of new guys joined the club, but the results were a good reflect of the overall lack of experience. In the Regional League the club ended sixth, the worst position ever. The only achievement of the year was to retain possession of the Guillermo Schulz Trophy, after our visit to Madrid.