SAMURAI were ranked one of the country’s top clubs after finishing runners-up in the British Judo Association’s league table.

Out of around 1,000 teams in the BJA plus affiliated bodies, the Kidderminster-based outfit finished in second place, edged out only by the long-established Pinewood Judo Club from Berkshire.

The table was produced from medals won at all the British National events.

Samurai took a total of seven gold medals, four silvers and four bronzes.

The golds were James Hemer and Darcie Hancocks at the British Junior National Championships, Paul Jones and Paul Spencer at the British Masters, Olivia Turner and Callum Fletcher at the British Special needs Championships and Nathan Gallacher at the British Volunteer Awards.

Silvers came from Hancocks and Leah Grosvenor at the British Kata Championships in two categories, each counting as one silver, Grosvenor was also second at the national juniors.

There was also a silver for Mark Flello in another all-Samurai final at the British Masters, where Paul Spencer edged him out.

The four bronzes came for Stuart Lane, Paul Clarke, James Walker and Trevor Connolly. Two more silvers at the British Junior Nationals, from Jack Walker and Sian Bobrowska, were not counted as they technically represent their original club, Worcester.

The Samurai would actually have finished top of the table had the medals from the British National Teams been included, where they had half of the Midlands girls team which took the gold, with Darcie Hancocks, Bryony Griffiths and Frankie Marston, plus Charis Hancocks winning silver with the women’s team and Gallacher winning bronze with the boys.

Bristol’s Bradley Stoke Judo Club came third. Head coach Andrew Haffner said: “The club’s move in 2012 to their new purpose-built premises at Gilt Edge Leisure Centre in Zortech Avenue had helped them move to a higher level.”