The '''Oxford Cavaliers''' rugby league team was one of the eight founder members of the [[Rugby League Conference]]. This league now has well over sixty teams across [[England]] and [[Wales]], and will include Scottish teams from 2007.
The team is noteworthy as a pioneer of [[rugby league]] in the south of England. The primary reason for the expansion of RL from its northern heartlands since 1995 is due to the change in status of the regulations on amateurism in [[rugby union]]. Since rugby union declared itself an open game in 1995 amateur rugby union players are now able to play in both forms of rugby, whereas this was previously prohibited. Indeed , Oxford Cavaliers are now hosted by a rugby union club, [http://www.oxfordharlequins.com Oxford Harlequins], with whom they enjoy good relations.
== History ==
The first team came together in 1995, under the Chairmanship of Lionel Hurst, for a fixture against a Bath rugby league team, and then the first competitive fixture was played in 1996 in the inaugural Summer Conference, the forerunner to the [[Rugby League Conference]] which started in 1997.
[[Image:Cavs_vs_Cov_1996_Reduced.JPG|right|thumb|275px|Cavaliers versus Coventry Bears. The first Oxford Cavaliers Rugby League Conference game in 1996.]]
In 1998, five Oxford Cavaliers players were called up for the Rugby League Conference squad. Skipper and scrum half Simon Hill, centre Paul Daly and forwards John Williams, Darrell Griffin and Graham Crane were named in a 22-man squad for the games against the North East League at Chester on Sunday, and against the Combined Services.
In 2000, Oxford's second player development rugby league camp was held by coaches from Super League outfit [[Halifax RLFC|Halifax]] rugby league club. Twenty nominated under 13 boys from Oxford undertook a three-day residential course at the Hill End campus to receive training in all the skills and were put through their paces by several qualified coaches. They also received expert advice on nutrition, fitness and sports psychology.
Also in 2000, Oxford Cavaliers [[Coach (sport)|coach]] Dave Doran was appointed head coach of the [[Rugby League Conference]] representative side. The Cavaliers themselves finished a credible tenth place in the RLC composite table of twenty four teams.
In their brief history Oxford Cavaliers have managed to supply players to professional clubs, such as Mike Castle and Corey Simms to the [[London Skolars]], [[Darrell Griffin]] to [[Wakefield Trinity Wildcats]], Barry Randall and Brad Smith to London Broncos via [[Rochdale Hornets]] as well as Steve Robinson to Henley Hawks rugby union club. They continue to be the only open rugby league club in the city, although there is also an [[Oxford University]] rugby league team.
== Honours 2006 ==
[[Image:Oxford_Cavs_Reduced.JPG|right|thumb|275px|The Oxford Cavaliers after the Advanced Garden Services Cup victory in 2006.]]
Advanced Garden Services Oxfordshire Cup
TotalRugbyLeague.com Conference unless stated
Sun 23rd 23 April Away v Haringey Hornets (Friendly) Lost 26-22
Sat 29th 29 April Away v [[Gosford All Blacks RFC]] (Winners: Advanced Garden Services Oxfordshire Cup) Won 64-14
Sat 6th 6 May Away v [[Coventry Bears]] Won 24-0
Sat 13th 13 May Home v [[Redditch Ravens]] Won 30-22
Sat 20th 20 May Away v [[Burntwood Barbarians]] Lost 48-16
Sat 27th 27 May Home v [[Plymouth R.L.F.C|Plymouth]] Lost 44-22
Sat 3rd 3 June Home v [[Somerset Vikings]] Lost 51-14
Sat 10th 10 June Home v [[Burntwood Barbarians]] Won 48-22
Sat 17th 17 June Away v [[Bristol Sonics]] Lost 48-24
Sat 24th 24 June Home v [[Gloucestershire Warriors]] 2 30pm
Sat 1st 1 July Home v [[Coventry Bears]] Lost 82-0 Fixture played against Coventry First, rather than A team
Sat 8th 8 July Away v [[Redditch Ravens]] Won 36-24
== TotalRL.com Rugby League Conference: South West and Midlands 2006==
*[http://www.rugbyleagueconference.co.uk/home/ Totalrl.com Rugby League Conference]
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! align="center" style="background:#ccccff" width="100%" |'''[[Rugby league]] in [[Britain]] and [[Ireland]]'''||