rugby club magazine issue 46

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CONTENTS

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04

rUGByCLUB4 NorthamptoN SaiNtS

8 kEttEriNG

11 oLNEy

13 NEWCaStLE (StaFFS)

14 prUDhoE & StoCkSFiELD

17 CramLiNGtoN roCkEtS

20 FaLmoUth

21 iSLE oF WiGht

23 roSSENDaLE

24 FELiXStoWE

26 LLaNDaFF

28 york City kNiGhtS

30 rEEDS WayBriDGE

31 miDhUrSt

32 harroW

33 LoCk LaNE

34 St. BENEDiCtS

35 LoCh LomoND

36 CEFN CoED

37 CaithNESS

39 WELWyN

41 aLChEStEr

45 romSEy

46 BoDmiN

48 WarmiNStEr

49 EaSt hULL

51 LiNCoLN

54 StoW oN thE WoLD &

DiStriCt

56 SCarBoroUGh piratES

58 WoLvErhamptoN

60 WiSBECh

62 LyDNEy

64 ENFiELD iGNatiaNS

67 FaLkirk

70 LoWEStoFt & yarmoUth

73 SoUth LEiCEStEr

74 rothErham titaNS

75 riSCa

76 ShEppEy

77 LEiCEStEr tiGErS

81 SoUtham

82 WiNChEStEr

85 rEiGatE

89 CoNEy hiLL

91 kiNGSBriDGE

94 mELkSham

96 moSBoroUGh

98 SUDBUry

100 WELLS

102 Erith

104 WivELiSComBE

106 WaNStEaD

109 irviNE

110 StrEatham-CroyDoN

112 hartLEpooL

ISSUE 464

NorthamptoNSaiNtS

Northampton Saints have reached the pinnacle of the English game this year, winning both the Aviva Premiership and the Amin Challenge Cup. Speaking to Saints TV the club’s Director of Rugby, Jim Mallinder spoke of this extraordinary triumph.

NorthamptoN SaiNtS

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NorthamptoN SaiNtS

ISSUE 466

He said, “I think it will take the weekend to actually sink in but it’s been unbelievable. The parade through the town centre was a fitting end. I think it’s always been a case of having to deliver since we’ve been here. Everyone wants the club to succeed and the crowd are magnificent, brilliant rugby supporters. We’re absolutely delighted that we’ve managed to pick up two magnificent trophies for them.”

The Process

“I don’t think there’s been any one defining moment. There have been a lot of fantastic moments and also some downs as well to be honest. You can get too carried away with one offs, it’s all about getting your processes right.

You’re going to win and you’re going to lose some games but hopefully if you get things right you’re hopefully going to win more than you lose.”

One Club

“It’s vital that the whole club buys into what you want to achieve. We have had that over a number of years with everybody working so hard and finally got to where we have got to. We’ve got a really good strong squad here and our U18’s winning is a sign of the good players that we’ve got coming through. Whenever we’ve had players away on international duty others have come in and stepped up which has been key for us.”

The Staff

“I want to give a mention to our conditioning staff and the physios here because they’ve done a magnificent job as well as the coaches. To come back in these last 3 games where we’ve been behind has really shown our fitness which has been unbelievable. We’ve been going for that tryline into the very final minute.”

The Final

“We were excited ahead of the final, it’s a wonderful place to be, the expectation is massive, the pressure is massive because you know it comes down to 80 minutes. Its not really about what you’ve done in the week before,

www.rugbyclub.biz 7

it’s the result of all the hard work, all the lessons you’ve learned from previous games and finals and putting it all into 80 minutes.

During the game you want to go out there and do it. I’m glad I’m sat a few rows back because I would be terrible on the touchline! Its great to be involved; we can make a few suggestions and bring subs on who have had a really good impact all year but ultimately it comes down to the players to go out there and perform.”

Proud

“The club is close to us all. I live in Northampton; I don’t get away from it. I walk down to the paper shop and if we win I get a well done and if we don’t I get abused! It makes you

Proud sponsors of Kettering RFC

ISSUE 4612

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This will give the team a good platform upon which to build as they look ahead to the 2014/15 season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality signings they will be optimistic of claiming a higher league finish next time around.

A particular highlight of the team’s form was the attacking brand of rugby that the team managed to produce. This made sure that anyone attending matches, be it players or supporters, were able to enjoy the fixtures.

One of the stand-out features of the Newcastle set-up is the superb youth set-up and they have a number of sides running. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent and this is an area that they appear to have covered.

In order to help their youngsters to successfully make the transition into the senior game they also have additional teams running. This allows them to give players experience of adult rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action and can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through

injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is much to admire about the set-up that Newcastle has in place and this is thanks to the hard work that their Committee has put into making the club a success. Hopefully they will be able to continue to make progress for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

“I started playing because my brother played in a curtain-raiser for the 1985 Challenge Cup final for his school. He told me how amazing it was to play at Wembley so I went to my local club and began playing; it gave me an appetite to play – to play at Wembley was my goal."Keith Senior: Challenge Cup winner with Sheffield Eagles, 1998

Since 1895, thousands of memories have been made, stories told and written, games won and lost, hopes dashed and dreams come true.As the proud sponsor of the Tetley’s Challenge Cup, we want to help you ‘Pass It On’ and share in the sport’s rich heritage.

All you have to do is share your memorable Rugby League moments on Facebook or Twitter using #TetleysPassItOn for your chance to be

part of history and win VIP tickets to the Tetley’s Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium.Whether you were watching a big match, your local club or even on the pitch yourself, we want to hear your stories.

And that’s not all…

Embrace the magic of the Cup by mentioning your community club and they could be the proud recipients of one of six £1,000 grants.The first winner of our one-grand-grants was the Normanton Knights in Wakefield, who did a fantastic job of getting their entire club involved. Now they’ll all enjoy this victory when the money is invested back into the club and its facilities. They said:

“We’d like to thank all our players, coaches, members and supporters who helped us achieve the most mentions in March. A big thank you to Tetley’s for supporting community clubs.”

There have already been loads of great stories shared including this heart-warmer from Carl Thomas on Facebook:

“My most memorable visit to Headingley was in August 2003.Rhinos were playing their local rivals Bradford Bulls and the joint was packed! I took my wife and son and we had to get seats in the North Stand as my wife was eight months pregnant with our daughter.

After a fantastic win for the Rhinos, we stood up to leave via the West Stand, which was full of Bulls fans. My wife looked at me worried and asked if we could wait until they had all gone. I said: "This is rugby love! We'll be just fine!"

As we approached the West Stand a Bulls supporter spotted that my wife was heavily pregnant, touched her bump and ushered everyone in front to let her through. I have never seen anything like it; it was like the parting of the Red Sea! They all moved aside and let her through. Absolutely amazing.”

So, what are you waiting for?

Find out more and get involved at facebook.com/tetleyschallengecup or on Twitter @TetleysChalCup

ISSUE 4614

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*Ts&Cs apply. Full terms and conditions and more details available at www.facebook.com/TetleysChallengeCup or www.twitter.com/TetleysChalCup (Sites). 18+. UK only. Internet access & either Facebook or Twitter account required. To enter go online to one of the Sites and like/follow our page and tweet/post a comment (as appropriate) including “#TetleysPassItOn” between 22 Feb & 31 July 2014 (Initial Period) to be entered into a weekly prize draw for a chance to win 1 of 10 pairs of tickets to a Tetley’s Challenge Cup Rugby League match during 2014 season. Include your Pass It On story about your passion for rugby league (Story) in your tweet/comment before 31 July 2014 & the best Story each month between March & July 2014, as judged by an independent rugby player, coach or commentator, wins a pair of VIP tickets to the Tetley’s Challenge Cup Final on 23 August 2014. See Sites for details on judging criteria. Include the name of your RFL-affiliated Community club (Club), excluding teams competing in the Super League, Championship, Championship 1 and Clubs without an adult team in the 2014 season in your tweet/comment before 31 July 2014 for a chance for your Club to win £1,000. Entries received between 1 August 2014 & 31 July 2015 will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of VIP tickets to the Challenge Cup Final in August 2015. Subject to availability. Winners’ responsibility to be available on date of tickets. Restrictions apply, please see reverse of match day tickets. 1 entry per person per day per entry route. No purchase necessary.

26_TETLEYS_Passiton_A5_Leaflet_AW.pdf 1 26/03/2014 15:36

ISSUE 4616

prUDhoE & StoCkSFiELD

prUDhoE & StoCkSFiELDFirst established in 1982, Prudhoe and Stocksfield RUFC was initially known as Prudhoe Hospital RUFC before changing their name when they moved to their current home at the Stocksfield Sports Ground in Northumberland in approximately 1998.

They run a single side which competes in the Durham/Northumberland 2 League. They are led by President Paul Griffiths who is supported by Secretary Chris Russell and are looking to progress under their leadership.

The club has a history of which they have every right to be proud and have experienced a considerable amount of success in their history, including victories in the Northumberland Junior Shield on 3 occasions over a 5 year period. Their current group of players will be keen to add to these successes in the upcoming years.

The club is committed to providing anyone wishing to play for them with a warm welcome and extend this hospitality to people visiting the club. This helps to demonstrate their commitment to playing an important role in the local community and is to be admired.

It would be fair to say that the team did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have liked this time around as they managed to win just 1 of their 24 league matches. This left the team bottom of the league with just 6 points on the board.

Prudhoe and Stocksfield will be keen to improve on this record next season and will be keen to add a few quality players during the off-season to help them do this. If they can then they should be in with a good chance of an improved campaign.

There were positives to be taken from last season and a number of their squad are young and therefore still developing. They will have benefitted from a season of rugby and there should be an improvement in their game because of it.

The club looks for their older players to pass on their experience to their youngsters and this can only help them successfully transition into the senior game. This will be vital for the team as the best way for them to improve results will be to develop what they already have.

Although Prudhoe and Stocksfield did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have this time around this should not take away from the good work that they are doing. Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the future.

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CramLiNGtoN roCkEtSCramlington Rockets RLFC is a great example of the vital role a club can play in its local community. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club Chairman Jeff Ball to find out more about the good work that they have been doing lately.

Involvement He told us, “I first got involved 7 years ago when now first team coach Steve Beaty Jr invited me to come and help out on the back of running a social touch rugby team we both played for. When I turned up that first day, there was about 15 players on a dilapidated school field next to a lake that was popular with dog walkers, but as a group of people, the enthusiasm and ambition was evident from the off.”

The Club

“Fast forward to now and it is a world apart from where we were then. 15 players have become 150 and that field is now officially one of the best Sports Clubs in the

country. But what has not changed is that enthusiasm and ambition. We’re still striving to be somewhere for players to excel, to feel safe and have fun.

Respect, Commitment and Fun are the three pillars of all we do and there is a genuine ambition to be the best club in the North East. And that’s what has kept me here for so long. Despite not having grown up with rugby league, it’s the opportunity to be a part of something special that makes a positive difference to everyone involved.”

Volunteers

“Finding the time is the hardest side of things, as any volunteer will tell you. There’s always some project we’re working on that needs a dedicated chunk of time and effort. The one thing they never tell you about before you volunteer is the paperwork!

The most rewarding part of the job is the people. By far. Everyone’s time is becoming more and more precious in modern life so to have around 20 volunteers and 150 players who make that commitment every week says a lot about our members.

We’re blessed to have a large group of able and dedicated people who have bought into what we want to do. They’re optimistic while being realistic and honest with each other which means the good ideas are the ones that rise to the top when we’re planning projects. That means if I or someone else hasn’t got the time one week, there are enough people happy to step in and help.”

Atmosphere “The mood here is good! Really good, there’s a lot of momentum building on the pitch and off the pitch we seem to be adding new members every week. The facilities here are award winning and professionally run and that rubs off. Every year, we’ve grown and that growth seems to be accelerating. We keep hitting new highs and it is up to us to keep the momentum up.”

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Youth “The junior section is the absolute foundation of everything we do. From September we’re going to be coaching 3,000 children in the Cramlington area over the next two years, which is pretty much all of the eligible players in the area. We’ve also got a sixth form rugby academy being set up at the high school that will be run by Rockets coaches.

Our vision is to have kids playing rugby now at the age of 6, go into the academy at 16 and coming out the other side to go into our first team or on to professional honours. We want to make Cramlington a centre for rugby league and really imbed ourselves as a cornerstone of the community.”

Community “We always say we don’t play in Cramlington, we play for Cramlington. We’re massively proud to be here and we moved here in 2009 to meet the huge appetite for rugby league. Including the players’ families and friends, we have around 350 members who we regularly engage with and they are all equally important to us. We call it the Rockets Family and tell anyone new it is their club and it is up to them how good it can be. Northumberland too is such a proud region and it means a lot to us that we were the first ever rugby league team in the county.”

Challenges/Ambitions “Given the current rate we’re growing at, having space for everyone to train is a challenge! We’re definitely in a sweet spot at the moment but we’re not resting on our laurels. As with any sport, there’ll be ups and downs. But we are not results driven. Instead, we want to build the best environment we can in the belief that good results are the by-product of being as well prepared as we can be.

We want to be the best club in the North East, with the best facilities, double the numbers we have now with

players going on to play in the Super League or for England. Of course there is a big difference between saying that and making it happen but the desire is there and the foundation is becoming more solid every year. Every day we try and move forward and improve what we do. If we do that every day then I truly believe we will achieve our goals.”

CramLiNGtoN roCkEtS

FaLmoUth

20 ISSUE 46

They enjoyed a solid campaign last time a round as they managed to put together a record of having won 12, drawn 1 and lost 11 of their 24 matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 61 points on the board.

This should provide the team with a good platform upon which to build as they head into the off-season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be able to perform well again next year and may be able to mount a title challenge.

Falmouth is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however and they also have a number of youth sides up and running. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is vital for sides to be able to produce their own talent if they want to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate. Coaching staff overseeing their junior teams are confident that they have a number of players that are capable of going on to represent them at senior level.

In order to help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game, Falmouth also has a 2nd team in place. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Falmouth is a club that is clearly benefitting from the strong set-up that they have in place off the field and this is reflected in the positive results they have been gaining on it. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come.

Falmouth RFC play their home games at The Recreation Ground in Cornwall and their first team currently competes in the Tribute Cornwall/Devon League. They are led by the team of President Ivan Winn and Chairman Kim Conchie and are looking to progress under their guidance.

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iSLE oF WiGht

iSLE oF WiGht

Involvement He told us, “I have been involved with the club since I was about 14, firstly playing schoolboy rugby , then colts. I did attempt to play football for a period from about 18 to 22 but realised the error of my ways and returned to rugby.

First established in 1924, Isle of Wight RFC is going through an exciting period at the moment at their Wootton Recreational Ground. Chairman Nick Puckett took the time to tell us more.

Since then I have clocked up 20 odd years of first team appearances, which is probably somewhere around 500 first team games in all competitions. Isle of Wight RFC is the original club on the island and as such it is the home of rugby here. I couldn’t imagine being a member of any other club – we at IWRFC are a fun family oriented club who play a decent bit of rugby, where else could I find that mix over here?”

Atmosphere “The club is going through a period of immense change at the moment and that causes both expectation and anxiety. Off the field we have been fortunate in getting a few grants that are steadily turning our 1970’s facilities into a modern one. We have had a full floodlit pitch installed, and have the clubhouse social space due to be completely refurbished over the summer – thanks to Jay Bowers at RFU HQ with the lead up and legacy, fit for 15 awards.

We have also modernised our business so that we can be sustainable in the future – we have become a Limited Company and a CASC. All these things going on off the pitch and with the family friendly aspect to our club gives us expectation that we will attract and maintain players and improve on our league positions – that after all is our main aim.”

Youth “The set up with youth is a bit strange on the Island. No senior club has its own youth section. Instead there is a separate club, Vectis RFC, which looks after all the youth sides from Minis to Colts. They do a fantastic job of keeping youth players interested and playing but I think it shouldn’t be just sown to them.

I think the senior schools/academies and colleges here could raise the profile of Rugby more by playing


ISSUE 4622

iSLE oF WiGht

the game more. The RFU have appointed a Community Rugby Coach for the Island and he is also doing a fantastic job in getting into schools and promoting the game. To quote a song, ‘I believe that children are our future’…. Never a truer word spoken!”

Integration “Bringing young players through can be really difficult here because of the 4 senior sides and one youth set up. That, in combination with a large proportion of youths leaving the Island for University and never coming back. There is a real hiatus then in ages of rugby players between 17 and 22. It is the attraction of the 21–22 year olds that needs addressing here and we do that by playing Summer Touch, social events, getting into the community and having fun days at the club.

We are definitely a community club, we are however not just a town side, we are truly an Island Wide team as such we would encourage players from all over the Island to come and try out rugby here at the Isle of Wight RFC.”

Challenges/Ambitions “The biggest challenges for us are recruitment and retention. We are doing all we can to make our environment inviting and our business sustainable. And it is a business these days. Rugby clubs culture even at our level has changed. The biggest threat though to Isle of Wight Rugby and not just my club is the ability for teams to travel to visit us.

All too often games are cried off, many at the very last minute which means that players are let down, we waste food and lose bar takings. But mostly the impact is on the numbers of players wishing to train – if they don’t get a game at the weekend they go and find other things to do, this affects the quality of the teams but also the viability of the club.

Our ambitions are to get the clubhouse finished, start a ladies team, establish a 10’s tournament, get within the top 4 of our league, create closer links with schools/colleges, have 100 people in the bar when England lift the World Cup at Twickenham, and for people to enjoy playing Rugby.”

roSSENDaLE


They put together a solid campaign last time out as they finished with a record of having won 14 and lost 12 of their 26 matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 68 points on the board.

This should provide them with a good platform upon which to build as they head into the off-season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions then they’ll have a good chance of pushing higher up the league next time around.

A standout feature of the Rossendale set up is the superb youth section that they have in place.

This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate.

Coaching staff overseeing this part of the club are confident that they have a number of youngsters with the potential to go on and represent their first team.

In order to help them to make the transition into the senior game, Rossendale also have a number of additional senior sides.

This allows them to give players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action and can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first team to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

Rossendale RUFC plays their home games at the Rossendale Sports Club on Newchurch Road in Lancashire and they currently compete in the SSE National League 3 North. They are led by the team of President Francis Jelly and Chairman Nicholas Ingham and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

roSSENDaLE

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Rossendale is clearly a club that plays an important role in the local community, giving people of all ages and abilities a chance to play the game.

Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come.

ISSUE 4624

FELiXStoWE

Involvement

He said, “I’ve been a member of Felixstowe Rugby Club for over 20 years having joined as a teenager. Back then I was more interested in basketball but was approached in the street by our then colts coach who asked me if I’d give Rugby a try. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Felixstowe Rugby Club was and still is one of the friendliest and warmest clubs around.

What we lack in size we more than make up for in heart. I now run the minis and youth section of Felixstowe Rugby Club with the enormous help of other ex –players and parents and this has grown from a handful of players 3 years ago to well over 100 kids at 6 different age groups from U7’s right through to a Colts team.”

The Role

“Felixstowe is surrounded by water on 3 sides (the north sea and the rivers Orwell and Deben) and this makes our catchment area for new players really small compared to other clubs in Suffolk. Our nearest big town is Ipswich and they run two bigger rugby clubs that suck in players from outlying villages etc. Football is also the major sport in Felixstowe so a challenge is to try and get children to try Rugby. The most rewarding aspect is the growth of the minis and youth section of the club.”

Felixstowe RFC are looking to build success around a strong youth set up and are putting a large amount of effort into the development of young players. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club Representative Rob Brewster to find out more about their approach.

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Atmosphere

“The mood at the club is really good; the minis and youth section is growing every year and the foundations for the future of the club is coming together. The club recently received RFU accreditation and plans are underway for a new clubhouse, floodlights and more pitches at our ground at Coronation Park in Felixstowe. Next year’s Rugby World Cup in England is also a great opportunity to further promote Rugby in the town and we hope to attract a number of new players as a result.”

Youth

“Youth rugby is vital to us; our senior side has struggled in recent years so building a successful minis and youth section is vital for the future of the senior side. We should see the benefits of this in a couple of year’s time when our colts start to make the switch to senior rugby.

To help ensure young players make the step up we run a number of social and community events throughout the year to build camaraderie in the club and to raise the profile of rugby in the town. Youth players and senior players attend these events together. We also invite the older youths to senior training sessions and visa versa.”

Progression

“Our minis and youths have a good number of players showing great promise and Felixstowe regularly produces young players that go on to represent Suffolk and Eastern Counties. Our better senior players tend to fly the nest to join bigger clubs in Ipswich. Our hope is that in the near future we will retain these better players as their personal playing ambitions will be achieved by staying at their home club.”

Community

“We are definitely a community club; we play a very active role in the Felixstowe community. We regularly support the annual Felixstowe Charity Fun Run, The Carnival as well as going into local primary and secondary schools in the town to help with P.E. lessons and to raise the profile of rugby and to try and recruit new players at all age groups.”

Facilities

“Our current clubhouse is small and there is currently lots of work going on behind the scenes to redevelop it, as we will soon outgrow it. Our recent RFU accreditation and our positive discussions with the local council will go a long way to enable us to raise the funds required for a new clubhouse, floodlights and to develop the rugby ground as a whole. We are blessed with one of the best pitches in East Anglia so we now need the facilities to go with it.”

Challenges/Ambitions

“Our senior side needs to develop and we need more players. We came very close to calling off games last season because of player availability. We need to keep the senior side going in the next 2–3 years to allow the current youth and colts team to some through. The long term future looks bright but we all need to work hard to make the short term a success too. We also want to build a new clubhouse and to encourage more children choosing to play Rugby. Next year’s Rugby World Cup in England will be key to this.”


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ISSUE 4626

They enjoyed a steady campaign last season, managing to put together a record of having won 8, drawn 2 and lost 12 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid-table position within the league with 49 points on the board.

This should give the team a good platform to build upon as they look ahead to the 2014-15 season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players they should be in with a good chance of claiming a higher league finish, while adding one or two quality players could see them mount a push for promotion.

Llandaff is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however and they also have a number of youth sides up and running. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent particularly in the current economic climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their youngsters are able to develop over the coming years.

In order to help their young players to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby, Llandaff also have a number of additional teams in place. This allows them to give them experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an impor-tant step in the development process.

Another benefit of having extra teams is that it allows the first team to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is much to admire about the set-up that Llandaff RFC currently has in place. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

LLaNDaFFFirst established in 1876, Llandaff RFC plays their home games at Bishop’s Field and their first team currently competes in Division 4 South East of the SWALEC Leagues. They are led by Chairman Alan Thomas and are looking to progress under his guidance.

LLaNDaFF

David Phillips of Flocon recently spoke to Rugby Club Magazine.“We were looking for a different way to entertain our customers, who are based all over the UK and when we were approached by Llandaff RFC about being involved with the club we thought we would take them up on their offer. This has proved to be not only very successful but a very enjoyable experience and our customers always have a great time. As a company it is also very important for us to give something back to the local community and to support organisations who are involved in junirop and youth projects. The club do a lot of work in the development of their junior rugby and this is particularly pleasing to us. My own experience in coaching has always been in football not rugby but similar principals apply and I understand what a rewarding experience this can be for both parties. I wish all associated with the rugby club a successful future and would encourage Llandaff to continue what they are doing in strongly supporting youth rugby and i am sure those youngsters will grow up, and eventually take over the reins in a similar successful fashion.”

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent

ISSUE 4628 www.rugbyclub.biz 28

york City kNiGhtS

york City kNiGhtSThere is much to admire about the set up that York City Knights currently has in place and they clearly play a vital role in their local community. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the Club’s Community Development Manager Jack Stearman to find out more.

He told us, “I have been involved with the York City Knights since I was just 17 years old, when back in 2006 I signed for the reserve team, the first year the club ran such a development squad.

I am York born and bred and have always played Rugby League in the local community at local clubs York Acorn and then later at the New Earswick All Blacks, so when the opportunity arose to sign for my hometown club I obviously took it with open arms.

This led me into my role now. I volunteered at the club in the community development role while I was still at University, helping out Jason Ramshaw, Adam Prentis and Tom Harberecht complete coaching sessions, assemblies and holiday clubs alike and really gained a lot from that experience.

In 2010 I was taken on full time in the community development team, progressing not only off the pitch, but taking in playing duties too.

The fantastic thing about my role is that there are so many worthwhile aspects to it, and that every day is different. One day I will be going into schools, delivering tag rugby coaching sessions and the next delivering healthy lifestyle programmes.

I also have to form links with local partners and sponsors to help raise funds, and awareness of the York City Knights Foundation, which is the local charity associated with the York City Knights, which considers the interest of social welfare to improve the quality of life by providing and assisting in facilities for sport, physical activity and health and social inclusion. The invaluable work the York City Knights do in the local community has seen us form partnerships with the local amateur community clubs in the area, York Lokos,

New Earswick All Blacks, York Acorn and Heworth to develop young, talented rugby league players and help them to progress to first team players.

We give the amateur clubs in the city the chance to face the Knights with a ‘York Select’ side each pre-season, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for the young local players to face the city’s premier rugby league

www.rugbyclub.biz 29ISSUE 4629

side in a match. It also gives them that added incentive to impress the Knights coaches in attendance, as obviously it can help to catch their eye and potentially put them on the radar of the Knights in order to make the step up from amateur to professional or semi-professional in the months ahead.

Youth development is a huge part of the club, which has seen 11 players from the Under 20s squad represent the First Team throughout the last couple of seasons.

This stems from the Tag Rugby Programmes that we run in primary schools, helping children progress by pointing them in the direction of their local Rugby League clubs, to the York College Development Centre, to our Under 20s squad creating a clear pathway for players to reach their potential.

In fact this season, the average age of our starting 13 has generally been around the 21/22 years mark whilst at least 8/9 of those have come through the grassroots York rugby league system, showing how vital the club is to bringing to the fore the next generations of York based Rugby League superstars.

The general mood within the club at this moment in time is very positive. With us currently flying high in Championship 1 we are pushing towards promotion to the Championship and, with the league structures changing next year, giving us an opportunity to fulfill our ambition of being a premiere Super League team.

The team will be switching homes from Huntington Stadium, in September, to sharing with the Football Club at Bootham Crescent in order for a historic brand new shared Community Stadium to be built where our current home is currently situated.

The plans for this new stadium are huge and it will be a real hub within the community of York, bringing classrooms, learning centres, outdoor sports pitches and retail units, which will really aid the development of the York City Knights on and off the field. We will be able to operate from our home arena that the whole city can be proud of and hopefully continue to be a hugely sustainable (both socially and economically) brand for the foreseeable future.”

york City kNiGhtS


rEEDS WEyBriDGEBased on North Avenue in Surrey, Reeds Weybridge’s first team currently competes in the Surrey 4 League having first been established in 1931. They are led by the team of President Simon Wallis and Chairman Ed Peters and have made a considerable amount of progress under their leadership.

The club is situated in the picturesque Whiteley Village and is able to boast some of the best playing surfaces in the area.

They pride themselves on being a, “family-friendly rugby club, open to all with an enthusiasm for the game and the life-long friendships that are forged around a shared passion.” This helps to emphasise the club’s commitment to being an important part of the local community.

One of the standout features of the club is the outstanding youth section that they have in place as they look to provide anyone wishing to play the game with a chance to do so. This part of the club has grown significantly in recent years and enjoys a strong reputation in the local area for being able to produce quality youngsters.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that Reeds Weybridge appears to have covered. Coaching staff involved with the youth section are confident that they have a number of players on their books with the potential to go on and play senior rugby for the club and it will certainly be exciting to see how they are able to develop in the coming years.

Their first team enjoyed a strong campaign this time around as they managed to put together a record of having won 9 and lost 7 of their 16 matches. This saw them finish near the top of the table with 50 points on the board.

This should provide them with a good platform upon which to build as they look ahead to the 2014-15 season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a great chance of securing promotion.

Reeds Weybridge have been playing some terrific rugby this year and with the outstanding youth set-up that they have in place should be able to continue entertaining their supporters for many years to come. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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miDhUrSt

There is much to admire about the fine work that has been done at Midhurst Rugby Club in recent times.Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the club’s Fixture Secretary Belinda Warken to find out more.

She told us, “Coming from the southern hemisphere where rugby flows through the blood it was a forgone conclusion that myself and my son Matthew would join and be involved in the local rugby club. This was back in 2003.

Standing on the side line every weekend during the rugby season supporting it only makes sense to join in and help the club.

Plus the company I work for, Midhurst Engineering, are and have been for several years sponsors of the 1st team kit, our director Mr Brian Morgan was one of the founding members of the rugby club in 1981, his sons Michael and Richard Morgan are still playing rugby for club.

Like many others at the club I have a few roles from cooking match food, collecting subs, senior membership, fund raising and of course my title job Fixture Secretary for the senior teams since 2011-2012 season.

I’m a great believer that sport is so important for the individual and society in general, especially a team sport like rugby. It enables you to meet new people, build friendships and brings the community together, that’s reward enough for me.

The mood at Midhurst Rugby Club is generally positive; we really have a great group of players and social members. I would say we definitely are a family orientated club; we welcome everyone and try to get involved in and assist the local community as much as we can.

The challenges for us to face as a club are to keep the positive vibe, ensure communication is not broken down between players of all age groups.

It’s also difficult maintaining a player base especially in the senior teams with players having their own work and family commitments, so definitely a challenge that is constantly worked on by our rugby director Andrew Down.

Another ongoing challenge is recruitment for all areas of the club from junior to senior players, coaches and volunteers.

Our ambitions include the refurbishment to the club house, from changing room upgrades to kitchen replacement and extending club room space, so a lot of fund raising and dedication from members will be required.

As a parent I find nothing better then being able to spend time with my son on a Saturday afternoon watching him play a game he enjoys, then having a laugh and pint in the club house afterwards with him and a great mixture of friends…..all is good in the world when rugby is played.”

miDhUrSt

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ISSUE 4632

harroW

harroWBased at Grove Field in Middlesex, Harrow RFC’s first team currently compete in the London 3 North West Division. They are led by the team of President John Church and Chairman Andrew Smart and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

They enjoyed a fantastic season last time around as they managed to put together a record of having won 19 and lost just one of their league matches. Unsurprisingly this saw them finish top of the table giving them a well-deserved title as they racked up 87 points in total.

Not a team to rest on their laurels however, Harrow’s attentions will have now turned towards the 2014-15 campaign and ensuring that they are successful once again. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be well positioned to challenge for further honours.

It is not just their senior section that is thriving however as they also have a superb youth section in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that Harrow appears to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their juniors are confident that they have a number of players on their books with the potential to have a successful career.

To help their young players to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby, Harrow also has a reserve team running. This allows them to give players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is clearly much to admire about the superb work that Harrow have been doing and this comes from a strong set-up off the field. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to congratulate them on a terrific season.

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www.rugbyclub.biz 33ISSUE 45

Their first team have been in good form so far in the league, managing to put together a record of having won 8 and lost just 4 of their first 12 matches. This sees them sitting near the top of the table with 16 points on the board.

This should provide the team with a perfect platform from which to go on and have a successful campaign. So long as they are able to keep up their current level of form they will find themselves right amongst the contenders come the end of the season.

One of the highlights of their good season so far has been the attacking brand of rugby that they have been producing. This is reflected by the fact that they are one of the top scorers in the league having racked up a total of 368 points at an average of more than 30 per match.

Playing with such style and pace certainly ensures that any supporters coming along to watch their matches are well entertained and should help to encourage more of the community to get behind the team. It will also help the players at the club to enjoy their rugby and produce their best.

As well as having a strong first team Lock Lane also put a considerable amount of effort into the development of young players. With this in mind they have a strong youth set-up which looks to provide youngsters from the local

Based at Lock Lane Sports Centre in West Yorkshire, Lock Lane RLFC currently competes in the Premier Division of the National Conference League. They are led by Chairman Michael Wildley who is supported by Secretary Dean Elliott and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

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area with an opportunity to enjoy the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will be exciting to see how their young players are able to develop over the coming years.

In order to help their juniors to successfully make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game Lock Lane also has an ‘A’ team in place. This allows them to give young players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action. Another benefit of having more than one team is that it

allows the first team to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Lock Lane’s start to the season gives them a great chance of putting together a campaign to remember. Hopefully they will be able to continue to play in the same way and if they do they may just manage to claim silverware in the near future.


St BENEDiCtS

A particular highlight of the team’s good play was the attacking brand of rugby that they managed to produce. This was reflected by the fact that they scored over 600 points at a rate of more than 20 per game.

This certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should help to encourage more of the local community to get behind them in the coming years. It also helps to ensure that their players enjoy representing the club and should help them to attract new players as they have a growing reputation in the game.

Their good performances this time around should provide them with a superb platform upon which to build as they look ahead to next season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of mounting a title challenge.

St Benedicts is a club that is committed to providing as many players as possible from their local area with an opportunity to play the game. This is reflected by the fact that they also have an additional senior side in place.

Having more than one team at senior level allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are

ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

St Benedicts is clearly a club that is heading in the right direction on the pitch and this is thanks to the hard work that their Committee have been putting in off it. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

St.BENEDiCtS

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St Benedicts RUFC is based on Newlands Avenue in Cumbria and their first team currently competes in the North Lancs and Cumbria League. They are led by Chairman Michael Morgan who is supported by Secretary Stephen House and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.Last season they put together a strong record in the league, finishing with a record of having won 19, drawn 1 and lost 6 of their 26 matches. This saw them finish near the top of the table with 81 points on the board.


LoCh LomoND

For further information on playing rugby with Loch Lomond please contact eitherJohn, Stephen or Iain or visit or Website www.pitchero.com/clubs/lochlomond

Mini, midi and Junior Rugby: John 07802 698 841

Senior Rugby: Stephen 07595 521 825

Club Enquiries: Iain 07738 379 344

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LoChLomoND

Based at Beechwood Pavilion in West Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond will be competing in Division 1 of the Scottish Hydro Electric West League. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with Club captain Iain Norrie.

Involvement

He told us, “I have now been involved with the club for over 10 years. I played rugby for Dumbarton Rugby Club mini and junior section which was one of the clubs that merged to form LLRFC. I stopped playing just before I left high school but was convinced to start playing again by my younger brother who was the first team captain at the time.”

The Role

“We have had a difficult year at the club with several committee members resigning and me taking on the role of Club Captain so one of the most challenging aspects is managing the differing views and opinions of how we take the club forward.

The most rewarding aspect is seeing how the dedication of a group of people is starting to pay off in our mini and midi section and that we are now starting to compete with bigger clubs in the West of Scotland week in week out.”

Community

“The mood in the club is really positive at the moment, we have engaged the SRU and West Dunbartonshire Council to grow the club and its playing base at all levels. I would consider us a community club and we have close links with a local archery club and the residents committee where we are based and both use our clubhouse and grounds. I would like to involve other clubs in our long term future that could help us achieve our dream of new first class facilities within the next 10 years.”

Youth

“Youth rugby is now at the forefront of what we are trying to do at the club and we are working with our partners to try and get rugby back on the curriculum in our 3 high schools. We have some difficulty helping young players transition into the senior game and have lost a lot of players that moved up into secondary school last year because they were attending a school outside our area which has rugby on their curriculum and links with one of our other local clubs. The result of this is that we are struggling to put out youth rugby teams regularly and this has had a knock on effect on the number of players moving up over the past few years.”

Progression

“We've had several players over the years that have played at a higher but these have all been whilst travelling, myself for example played first team for Melbourne Rugby Union in Australia who are the pinnacle club in Melbourne and Victorian club rugby.

To be honest we have often struggled to get our younger players noticed at district level ahead of the big Glasgow clubs regardless of talent but I hope this will change once we have teams regularly playing at all levels.”


“Other than keeping our clubhouse open and the club financially stable our biggest challenge is to get rugby on the curriculum in the 3 local high schools. Once this happens we should have a regular stream of young players coming to the club which will in turn increase our membership and hopefully the number of people that volunteer to help with the running of the club.

Our ambition is fairly simple in that we want to have teams playing regularly in leagues that are the right standard for a club of our size in all age groups. I think if we can achieve this and realise the huge potential for rugby in our area a lot of the small things will start to take care of themselves.”

ISSUE 4636

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CEFN CoEDCefn Coed is a club that plays a vital role in their local community, particularly in relation to the development of young players. They are based at Station Road in Merthyr Tydfil with their first team currently competing in League 5 South Central of the Swalec Leagues. They are led by the team of President Alan Bush and Chairman John Durbin and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

Their first team put together a steady campaign last time around which saw them finish in a safe mid-table position in the league.

Their attentions will now have turned towards preparing for the 2014-15 season and last year’s record should provide them with a good platform from which to build. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be able to push on up the table.

As mentioned, a real standout feature of the Cefn Coed set-up is the superb work that they do with youngsters in the area with a number of team’s in place. This part of the club looks to provide kids with an opportunity to develop their skills in a safe and enjoyable environment, helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent if they are to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate. Coaching staff over-seeing the youth section are confident that they have a number of players involved with the potential to go on and represent their 1st XV.

In order to help them to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby they also have a reserve side. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action and can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the 1st XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or

work commitments this gives them the option to call players up with a limited amount of disruption.

As long as Cefn Coed are able to keep up the good work that they have been doing developing young players they should be able to look forwards to a bright and successful future. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.


CaithNESS

CaithNESSCaithness RFC plays their home games at the Millbank Rugby Ground in Thurso and Wick and their first team competed in the Caledonia League Division 1 last season. They are a club that plays a vital role in their local community with a successful first team and a number of youth sides in place. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the club’s Chairman George Sinclair to find out more about the good work that they have been doing on and off the pitch.

He told us, “I first became involved as a regular spectator at games and in 2008 was asked to join committee. I was then made Vice Chairman in May 2009 before becoming Chairman last May(2013). I never played rugby, just a keen fan.

Being a livestock farmer and married with a four year old son one of the biggest challenges for me is finding time for the role. It is certainly very rewarding and sometimes demanding with so much happening at the club in the last 12 months.

The mood here is very positive with us gaining Coaching Scotland accreditation in April 2013.

Murrayfield put in new posts last summer and our secretary Shona Kirk won a competition to win the old international posts which were installed at Millbank the day before our first competitive game of the season in August. Shona has put in a huge amount of work to bring together the funding and clubhouse project.

Chris Paterson, Scotland’s most capped player was in attendance, also doing some new coaching sessions. The building of our new clubhouse began in August and was in use by the end of January. It was opened by SRU vice president Ian Rankin on the weekend 9/11 May.

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A separate shower enclosure may be out of your budget, but a shower need not be. You can purchase a bath/shower mixer for your bath that will fit into the existing brassware holes, and allow you to effectively combine your bath and shower. Make sure to install a protective screen or shower curtain in order to prevent splashing on the floor. You may also need to check that you have sufficient water pressure to ensure a satisfactory showering experience. Seek advice from your local plumber.

A range of innovative, superbly designed bathroom suites are available from William Wilson in Thurso.

Contact Stevie Bruce on 01847 891685 or [email protected] or visit Unit 8, Ormlie Industrial Estate, Thurso.

ISSUE 4638

Last season was successful with our first team winning the Regional Shield, beating Dunfermline 28-6 after extra time at Millbank on February 15. They then won a national semi-final beating Berwick 22-17 in front of a record crowd of approximately 700.

We took 300 supporters to Cumbernauld (550 mile round trip) for the National Shield Final but lost 27-6 to Preston Lodge.

We have a number of talented players here and Stevie Campbell our captain/openside flanker has just been voted Caledonia Div. 1 Player of the year.

Caitlin Harvey (17) has played for the Scotland under 20 girls team whilst Katie Mackay(U18) was picked out by national selectors as one to watch at a sevens tournament at Kinross last weekend. In the past Rowan Shepherd won 20 caps for Scotland between 1995-98 whilst Kris Hamilton had 5 caps for Scotland U20’s in 2010.

Lucy Millard also has 57 caps for Scotland womenYouth rugby is vital to the club. The nearest clubs are 100 miles away or across water (Orkney). All bar one of our first team squad are Caithness born, bred and coached and very few players move into the area. We have a full time development officer and modern apprentice to bring rugby to the community and to primary and secondary schools.

We are very much a community club, being well supported by fans and sponsored by local businesses.

Our clubhouse is being used for community events and activities e.g. boxercise and highland dancing. As well as this, girls’ rugby is growing quickly here. The Clubhouse is equipped with 4 changing rooms to be able to host girls’ rugby as well as boys.”

Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish the club all the best for the future.

CaithNESS


WELWyN

Welwyn RFC plays their home games on Hobbs Way in Welwyn Garden City and currently competes in the London 3 North West Division.They are led by the team of President Sean Williams and Chairman Mick Hills and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

The club is committed to being an important part of the local community and it is with this in mind that they look to provide anyone wishing to play the game with a warm welcome regardless of their ability.

There is much to admire about the set-up that they have in place off the field as well as they are in a strong position both administratively and financially. They have a first class clubhouse and a very able coaching team of Andy Riley and Jovan Masalunga whilst Peter Elliot does an excellent job of captaining the club.

Last season the team put together a steady campaign, putting together a record of having won 10 and lost 10 of their 20 matches.

This saw them finish in a safe mid-table position with 45 points on the board.

WELWyNThis should provide them with a good platform upon which to build during the summer months as they look ahead towards next season.

So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing on up the table next time around.

One of the standout features of the club is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered.

It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their youngsters are able to progress over the coming years.

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WELWyN

In order to help their young players to progress into the senior ranks they also have a number of additional sides up and running.

This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having so many sides is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.Welwyn is clearly a club that is doing a lot of things right both on and off the field and this should allow them to look forwards to a bright and successful future. Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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ICE ICT are proud to sponsor Welwyn RFC because some of the Directors and the Staff have been involved in the rugby club for almost 20 years as players or parents. We have found that Welwyn RFC offers the community all the benefits that Rugby as a sport can give such as competition, family involvement and access to an excellent social network. This is something that the ICE ICT culture aligns itself with. Conor Byrne, one of the co-owners has played, coached, parented and even sung on occasion over the years. When ICE ICT was established, it gave the company a chance to sponsor tours, shirts and most importantly the WiFi for the club. For many years our staff rugby careers have benefited from club sponsorship now we have the pleasure to be able to give back to help keep the club running for everyone’s benefit.The ICE ICT team philosophy very much adheres to how a rugby team operates. Every department has a particular role all striving to better themselves. But we can only succeed when we are playing from the same game plan. And most importantly we believe that our customers are an essential part of that team. At the heart of our success is the commitment to deliver the highest quality service and continually improving what we do. We work closely with our customers to identify their business goals, building solutions to meet these needs.Within the company we need leaders to pull everyone together reminding us all what we are trying to achieve and how each individual’s work is contributing to a common goal and sharing the success!We would like to take this opportunity to wish Welwyn all the best for the coming seasons and in reading if any companies out there do have the ability to sponsor local clubs a small effort makes a huge difference.


aLChEStEr

Alchester Rugby Club was formed in 2008 by a group of like-minded people who wanted to see rugby played for the same reason. This group included players, coaches and administrators alike and so from this initial idea came Alchester Rugby Club.

The main ethos of the club is to play rugby for the enjoyment of the game, to promote and develop young players in senior rugby, to re-introduce players who have not played since school and to introduce those who have never played before. With this core policy our squad has approximately 90% of players under 24.

Our coaches and administration team have many years’ experience of running rugby sides and can offer the development of players both on and off the pitch.

Many of the current players are holding committee positions within the club which will allow them to understand the workings of a club as a whole and to ensure that the club is run for the benefit of every single member. By showing young players how the club is run and applying our ethos to all aspects it will maintain our policy for future years.

Alchester have been very lucky to have gained several sponsors who have supported the club from the very beginning. The main sponsor is WILA who have been totally committed to supporting this young club both financially and morally. Mike and Claire are regularly seen on the touchline in all weathers following the exploits of the lads and have attended our end of season dinners to present the players with their awards.

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aLChEStEr

ISSUE 4642


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Without support like this a new club would struggle to get off the ground and by showing this community support to us it has encouraged Alchester to support local community charities with their fund raising as well.

Although early days in the history of Alchester Rugby Club the strong feeling of friendship within the club, the enjoyment of playing rugby within an open and friendly environment and the ethos of promoting young players makes the future look bright for Oxfordshire’s youngest club.

Through the re-arrangement of the league structure by the RFU in 2009 and due to the good results achieved in their first season of friendlies, Alchester were placed in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier League where they competed well and finished mid table in their first season which justified their inclusion at that level.

In the 2010/2011 season Alchester went on to win promotion as BBO Premier League Champions and went into Southern Counties North, where they have remained competitive for the last two seasons.

Alchester also achieved success in their first two competitive seasons by winning the Southern Counties Senior Vase, reached the quarter finals of the RFU Senior Vase and lifted the Oxfordshire Shield at Iffley Road.

Another great success has been the setting up of Alchester second team (Centurions). It is a strongly held belief within the club that a strong senior side cannot survive without a development team so to get this up and running so early in our existence is a major achievement for all involved both on and off the field.

The club has continued to develop and have now moved from Oxford to their own ground in Fritwell,

aLChEStEr

near Bicester under a long term lease agreement with the Village Playing Field Association. The playing facilities have been warmly received by visiting teams and officials and the pitch received praise from RFU Head Groundsman, Keith Kent, after his inspection. This will give Alchester the ability to build up support and a good community relationship with their local area. This is being built up by running social events for village groups and fundraising for local charities.

It was always going to be difficult to maintain the early success and last season was a difficult one as we were in the relegation zone up until Christmas but the continued hard work of new coach Garry Few and the commitment of the players saw us win five more games in the New Year which pushed us up to ninth in the league and maintain our level seven status.

The mood in the club for next season is one of belief that we can continue to build a strong community based club and with the recruitment of a few new players continue to play good competitive rugby at this level. Our second team will be maintained to offer players the option of playing social rugby as well as offering development to the first team.

We realise that to continue to develop we need a junior section and so this season saw us run our first summer camp for junior rugby players. This will be developed this year with the assistance of Oxfordshire

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aLChEStEr

Community Coach, Gary Morris, so that we can hold more rugby camps and then set up our own junior section in 2015.

The next year will be a busy one while we go into schools and build links with young players but the Alchester committee have never been afraid of getting things done since their original set up only six years ago.

Club Chairman, Chris Kimber, has always maintained that this is the players club and that the committee will only guide it to their wishes. With this ethos and the strength of belief of the main core of players then Alchester Rugby Club will only flourish.

Article provided by Club Secretary Keith Nash - Images courtesy of Fiona Liddell.


The team did produce some promising displays and if they can improve their consistency next year they should be able to climb the table. Adding one or two quality, experienced players would also help the team’s players to develop and give them a better chance of winning tight fixtures.

One of the standout features of the club set up is the strong work that they do in regards to devel-oping young players as they have a thriving mini sections. This section looks to provide young players with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent if they want to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their youngsters are able to develop over the coming years.

Romsey is a club that is committed to providing as many players from their local community as possible with an opportunity to play the game. This is reflected by the fact that they currently have a 2nd XV running, allowing them to give far more players a game every weekend.

A major benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the 1st XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Although Romsey did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have liked, this should not take away from the good work that they have been doing. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

romSEyFirst established in 1930, Romsey Rugby Club plays their home games at the Romsey Sports Centre on Lower Southampton Road in Hampshire and currently compete in the Hampshire 1 League. They are led by the team of Chairman Andy Hancock and President Eric Bailey and are looking to progress under their guid-ance. Their first team did not perhaps enjoy the season that they would have liked this time around, putting together a record of having won 6 and lost 16 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in the bottom half of the table with 34 points on the board.

romSEy

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ISSUE 4646


46 ISSUE 46

BoDmiN

Based at Clifden Park in Cornwall, Bodmin RFC is a great example of a well run, community establishment who are making progress both on and off the field of play.Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the club’s Chairman Dave Saunter to find out more about the good work that the club has been doing.

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BoDmiN

Given the progress that the club has been making they should be in with a great

chance of achieving their goals and it will be exciting to see how they get along.

Crown Carpets, who have been providing floorcover-ings to the South West for 40 years, and Managing Director Steve Blacklaw, former back row player with the club are pleased to support Bodmin RFC.

Our customers include the Eden Project, Cornwall Council, Devon and Cornwall Housing, Ocean Fish and Fowey Harbour Commissioners. On the commer-cial front we also install flooring to education, health-care, hospitality and catering establishments.

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Crown Carpets congratulate Bodmin RFC on their promotion to the Devon and Cornwall League and wish them all the best for the upcoming season.

www.rugbyclub.biz 47www.rugbyclub.biz 47

He said, “I have been at the club since 1983, when I moved to Bodmin from Launceston due to work. I have played at the club for 30 seasons and close to 1000 games.

I am now in my second year as chairman. We are a small club with 2 senior sides and this season will have a colts side and under 12s as well.The most challenging part of the role is getting people involved off the pitch.

We have a good number of players but lack the support of the town in moving the club forward. The mood at the club is great we were promoted in to the Devon/Cornwall league and are looking forward to playing at this level for the first time in our history.

Youth rugby is also very important to the club and we currently have 12 players in the first team squad who have come up through the ranks.

We try to get the colts training with seniors in the second part of their colts years and also play 2nd team matches when the colts do not have a game.

Andrew Coad is now on his way to Newport Gwent Dragons academy which is great news. Others have gone on to play at University, but Andrew is our first break through player.

We are definitely a community club; we have a woman’s running club based here and are happy to host any other sporting club if they wish to use our facilities.

Our hard working committee spent all last summer doing up our function room which is now rented out as a venue at least once a month which keeps us going.

The biggest challenge we face as a club is keeping players interested once they have finished colts, although this is a sport issue and does not only apply to us.

We would like to consolidate in D/C for a couple of seasons and then push for promotion to Western Counties.

Given the progress that the club has been making they should be in with a great chance of achieving their goals and it will be exciting to see how they get along.

Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

BoDmiN

ISSUE 4648

WarmiNStErWarminster RFC plays their home games on Folly Lane in Wilts and their first team currently competes in the Dorset & Wilts 1 South League. They are led by the team of Chairman Glenn Marden and President Chris Bell and are looking to progress under their guidance.

Their first team enjoyed a strong campaign last time around as they managed to put together a record of having won 13 and lost 9 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 59 points on the board.

This should provide them with a good platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards the 2014-15 season. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of mounting a title challenge. Warminster is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however as they also have a thriving youth set-up. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that Warminster appears to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their youngsters are able to develop over the coming years.

In order to help their younger players to successfully make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby they also have a reserve team in place. This allows them to give them experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having a second team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption. Warminster RFC is a great example of what can be achieved when a club is well run and their Committee deserve a tremendous amount of credit for this.Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

WarmiNStEr

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EaSt hULL

EaSt hULLEast Hull ARLFC plays their home games at the Rosmead Sports Centre in Hull and their first team competed in the National Conference Premier League in 2013.Their colours are blue and white for home games and red and white for their away fixtures.

They are club that stands out for doing some outstanding work in their local community, particularly with regards to helping young players to learn the game.

It was with this mind that Rugby Club Magazine spoke to their Chairman Les Shaw to find out more.He started by telling us a bit about his involvement with the club, saying, “It’s a 24/7 job but I love it because it’s giving something to the kids and that’s what it’s all about.

The original chairman has moved to being President now (Ray Butler) and he’s been here for about 20 years.

Without him we wouldn’t have a youth set up. He started the youth off and he’s done a fantastic job for the club so we were delighted when he agreed to stay on as President.”

Les went on to tell us about the club’s community approach.

“We’re an important part of the local community and we want to give these kids something that their parents can be proud of as doing this is something that I’m proud of. We never turn any kid away regardless of their background.

It’s a voluntary system and we’re there for the community. The local council has been fantastic backing these children as well; we had a problem with the lights being vandalised but the council helped us put them right and they’ve been brilliant since then – touch wood!”The club’s record of working with young players is reflected by the large number of cups

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they have won at this level.

They have also achieved a considerable amount of success at senior level. Some of their most notable triumphs in recent times include winning the Yorkshire Cup in 2002/03 and the National Cup in 2007/08. Their current group of players will be keen to add to the team’s history over the coming years.

Last season it would be fair to say that their first team did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked as they finished with a record of having won 9, drawn 1 and lost 16 of their 26 matches. This saw them finish

in the bottom half of the table.There were some positives to be taken however and with the superb youth section that they have in place they should still be able to look forwards to a bright and successful future.

There is much to admire about the good work that East Hull have been doing in recent times and this is thanks to all of the hard work that their Committee has been putting into the club.

Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

The club’s record of work-ing with young players is re-flected by the large number

of cups they have won at this level.

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LiNCoLN

LiNCoLNLincoln RFC plays their home games at Longdales Park in Lincolnshire and their first team currently competes in the Midlands 3 East Division. They are led by the team of Chairman Pete Small and President Bill Green and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

The first team put together a superb season last time around, finishing with a record of having won 18, drawn 1 and lost just 3 of their 22 league matches.

This saw them finish near the top of the table with 88 points on the board.

The team played some fantastic rugby over the course of the campaign and this was reflected by the fact that they racked up 725 points.

This certainly ensured that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of their community to get behind them in the future.

Their free flowing game was not produced at the cost of their defensive work either as they were one of the tightest team’s in the league.

This has seen them develop a growing reputation for being a tenacious, tough tackling side that are not easy to play against.

Their attentions will now have turned towards the 2014/15 campaign and they have every reason to be optimistic.

So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing for the title.

Lincoln is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however and they also have a number of youth sides in place.

These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

ISSUE 4652

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that Lincoln appears to have covered.

Coaching staff overseeing their juniors are confident that there are a number of players involved with the potential to go on and play of the first team.

In order to help these players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a number of additional sides.

This allows them to provide youngsters with a clear pathway to follow, giving them an opportunity to experience adult level rugby even if

LiNCoLN

they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having so many teams is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Lincoln is a club which appears to have everything in place to enable them to look forwards to a bright and successful future. It will certainly be exciting to see how they are able to progress over the coming years and Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.


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StoW oN thE WoLD & DiStriCtStow on the Wold and District RFC is a great example of a well-run, community club. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Chairman David Oughton to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing.

Involvement

He told us, “I have been at the club since 1980 and played 20 seasons in the 1st team, 5 as captain. It is my local club and at the heart of the community.

I took an age group from U6’s to U18’s as coach after I stopped playing and am now in my second year as Chairman having been on the committee for 30 years.

The Role

“The most challenging aspects are maintaining the playing strength by recruiting and keeping the juniors playing as seniors. Being a country club a lot of the young lads go off to college or work elsewhere. That having been said, over 50% of the current first team have come through the mini and youth system.”

Atmosphere

“The mood at the club is great at the moment with the 1st XV in mid table after being promoted last year and the 2 XV doing well with a pool of about 30 players. The minis and juniors are doing well in the county cup competitions and the refurbished club [complete with biomass heating] has a real buzz about it.”

Youth

“The youth section of the club is very strong and being a rural club is a good way of recruiting the future seniors. We currently have Elliot Stooke now finishing his first season at Gloucester. Having won the World Cup with England U20’s last summer he has been capped twice by the Saxons this season.

Will Goodrich Clarke has just got a three year contract with Gloucester academy having been capped at U16 level and Ollie Thorley played

at U17’s for England and is now in the England U18 squad having played for Gloucester 1st CXV against Northampton this season.

This autumn when Gloucester Academy U18’s played Gloucester County U18’s Stow had 4 players in one side and 2 in the other!”

Community

“We have been around since 1879 so that must say something for us! We are very much a community club although we are situated out of town. We host the local football club for training, hold charity rugby matches, do park and ride for town functions and let out our facilities for private and public functions.”

Facilities

“Our facilities are very good with 3 level pitches, 5 changing rooms [one big enough for 2 teams], gym, physio room and obviously the clubhouse.

Most teams seem very impressed and the referees say the facilities are better than some 2 or 3 leagues above. Having just added the extra changing rooms and showers we won’t be expanding again for a while. We have a debt to pay off!

Over the last 2 years we have installed solar pv panels on the roof of the clubhouse and biomass boilers to do all the heating and hot water for the club. This has been an expensive project but the returns and payback are very good as well from making us very environmentally friendly.

We hope that having such good facilities will aid with our recruitment as well as help generate income from letting out the clubroom and bar.”

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StoW oN thE WoLD & DiStriCt

StoW oN thE WoLD & DiStriCt

Challenges

“As with all clubs our biggest challenge is to keep players involved in the game and tempt more volunteers to help in the running of the club. There is always more to do than there are people to do it. I would like to think that we will soon be running a 3rd XV again.”

Ambitions

“Our ambition is to gain promotion and then consolidate in the league above. We are a true amateur club and anything above that may well be a step too far.

Some assistance on the coaching side is definitely a priority and to maintain the link between youth and senior rugby so that the hard work of the mini and youth sections is not lost to the club.

We definitely would like to be running 3 senior sides to give us the strength in depth to maintain the standards needed to stay up once we are promoted.” PROUD SPONSORS OF

STOW-ON-THE-WOLD RFC


ISSUE 4656

SCarBoroUGh piratES

SCarBoroUGh piratESScarborough Pirates ARLFC is based at the Eastway Sports and Social Club in North Yorkshire and they currently compete in the Yorkshire Rugby League Division 1.The club was first established in 2000 following a game at the Challenge Cup Final at Murrayfield in which several boys played for an amalgamated schools side led by Nigel Mainprize.The standard was extremely high and parents Sean Millward and Andy Payne decided to establish two age group teams as the Pirates.

They started out playing in the Yorkshire League before adding another team the following year and moving to the Yorkshire Junior League.

The team experienced one of their most successful years in 2012 when their first team won the Yorkshire Premier East League and their 2nd team were runners up in the Yorkshire Merit League.

The first team then went on to win the Yorkshire League 1 in 2013.They appear to be well set-up for another successful campaign this time around as they have been in blistering form.

The team has won all 9 of their league matches to date which has enabled them to open up a gap at the top of the table.

This will provide them with a superb platform upon which to build on for the rest of their campaign.

So long as they are able to keep up their current level of performance it is difficult to see any of the other teams being able to prevent them from claiming the title.The club was initially founded as a junior set-up and they still have a team running at U16s level.

This side looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any side to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate.

Coaching staff involved with the U16’s are confident that they have a number of players on their books with the potential to go on and represent their first team.

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In order to help their young players to successfully make the transition into senior level rugby they also have a 2nd team in place.

This allows them to provide people with experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the firsts to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Scarborough Pirates have come a long way in their relatively short history and look well positioned to claim more glory this time around.

Everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck for the rest of the season although it seems unlikely that they will need it.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows

the firsts to ben-efit from far greater strength in depth.

ISSUE 4658

WoLvErhamptoN

WoLvErhamptoNWolverhampton RFC is a club that put a lot of effort into the development of young players and look to have a bright future ahead of them thanks to this. Rugby Club Magazine spoke to the Club’s Chairman Ian Kendrick to find out more about the good work that they’ve been doing.

Involvement

He said, “I first started rugby for Wolverhampton as an U14 in 1980 so next season will be my 35th season with the club. What attracted me to the club was the enjoyment I got from playing a sport I was good at and I found a completely new group of friends from other schools which I would not otherwise have had.”

Rewards

“Let’s start with the positive. The most rewarding aspects of the role is giving back the time and commitment to the club to ensure it develops and has a future for the younger generation coming through as someone did for me.

The most challenging aspect is maintaining a base of volunteers and players to keep the club vibrant. I don’t think there is the commitment to play each weekend from some people like we used to have as there are many distractions from other activities.”

Atmosphere

“The mood at the club is quite good at the moment. We have recently achieved the best competition result for any of Wolverhampton’s teams in its 139 year history when the U17’s went to the A J Bell stadium in Sale and beat Sevenoaks for the National Cup. The first time we have ever got through to a national competition.

We took over 300 supporters to the ground for the day, which was a great show of strength for a club of our size. The senior sides have had a frustrating year with losing quite a few games by narrow margins but the first two sides are fairly youthful.”

Youth

“We pride ourselves on being one of the best mini/junior sections in the local area.

Wolverhampton was one of the pioneer clubs with mini rugby back in 1972 and we have age groups right through from U7 to Colts. Many age groups have good squads in terms of numbers and we do produce many players who go onto higher levels of the game. So I consider youth rugby to be the heartbeat of every club as it tops up the player pool each year.”

Community

“I would consider our club to be very important to the community. It creates a focal point for the schools in Wolverhampton to play floodlit rugby and we also have a thriving Former Players Association which has members in their 80’s.

We work hard to make teams feel welcome and that has been commented on favourably.

We have planning permission to extend the club house but the funding is proving challenging. We also have a ladies team which is growing its numbers. They are looking to play full contact matches next season.”

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Challenges

“I think the biggest challenge for us is player retention as the schools are not playing rugby anymore. This stops people getting the real “bug” for rugby and the love of the game is not as strong.

Also the idea that most people have to have a degree and go to university generally means that people leave home at a time when they would normally develop their friendships and loyalty to a club after finishing junior rugby.

Our ambition over the next five years would be to become the most admired club within Staffordshire, rebuild our clubhouse and make sure we could sustain a place in Midlands 1.”

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WiSBECh

Wisbech RUFC was formed in 1947. The Club moved to its present town centre location in the 1960s when land and a building belonging to the National Trust Peckover House estate became available. The clubhouse was a converted stable and pitches were used by a riding club in the summer.

Dedicated club members created a club room with a bar, kitchen and open fire. Two changing rooms shared the traditional communal bath. After long negotiations with the National Trust permission was gained to carry out a demolish and rebuild of the Clubhouse.

Careful management of the Club over many years meant that a substantial 6 figure sum was available for the project.

The completed project which was supported by Sports England provided 4 changing rooms with their own shower rooms, a refs’ room, a kitchen and larger club room. The Clubhouse was opened by Mike Teague, Gloucester, England & British Lions in April 1998.

Mini rugby started in 1978 with over 100 youngsters, a handful of balls and several enthusiastic coaches. There has been continuity of provision for mini and youth rugby since that time. Age group teams have won Cambridgeshire RFU and Eastern Counties RU competitions regularly during this time. Mini and youth teams have toured in Norfolk, Donegal, Windsor and the East Midlands. Our mini rugby teams successfully enter festivals across the region. The 2014-15 season will see Wisbech run teams involving nearly 150 youngsters from U7-U13. The U14 age-group will continue to work in collaboration with Spalding RFC as the Fenland Barbarians playing in the Notts, Lincs and Derby League.

We are developing strong links with local schools through the All Schools Project and have actively engaged with the migrant community in the town. Wisbech contains some of the most economically and socially deprived wards in the UK and Wisbech RUFC prides itself in offering sport to all regardless of social, economic or ethnic background. In September 2012 Wisbech RUFC became an RFU Accredited Club.

Youth rugby is the future of the Club and offers the local community a structured and safe sporting environment. Wisbech RUFC is able to promote rugby union within the local community by providing quality coaching, regular fixtures and social experiences to young people from the age of 7. Our current 1st and 2nd XV contain many players who have been part of our youth structure.

Wisbech RUFC joined the national league competitions in the mid 1980s playing in the Eastern Counties leagues. In 1997-98, 1998-99 and 2004-05 Wisbech RUFC won their respective leagues within the Eastern Counties league structure.

The 2004-05 season was notable for winning 18 out of 18 league matches. Two further promotions were earned through play offs in 2003-04 and 2008-09. This last promotion earned Wisbech a place in the SSE London Division leagues. Unfortunately, Wisbech will return to Greene King IPA Eastern Counties League 1 after being demoted at the end of 2013-14 season.

ISSUE 4660

WiSBECh

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wiSbECh

Wisbech RUFC has always enjoyed its participation in the national knock out competitions in their different guises: Tetley’s Vase, Powergen Vase, EDF Vase, and RFU Vase. In 1996-97 and 2007-08 we reached the quarterfinals losing to Tredworth RFC and Castleford RFC. The competition run of 1996-97 saw the Club earn notoriety in the national press as the ‘Thirst XV’ following a home win against Stowmarket RFC.

In November 2011 plans were drawn up a clubhouse extension which was opened in September 2013. This extension provides additional social space and is available for hire. Thus far parties, Christenings, wakes, a craft group, a fitness group and a local band needed a rehearsal space have used this valuable facility.

The Club has a programme of pre-match lunches and sponsors’ events that see as many as 100 people entertained in the extension. The extension was funded solely by the Club and its very active VP’s Association. The driving force behind the project was Peter Turner, the Club President.

Wisbech RUFC prides itself in providing a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere for visiting teams, referees and families. Wisbech RUFC has been a regular winner of the Whistler’s Trophy awarded by Cambridge University Rugby Referees Society.

Despite the setback of relegation Wisbech RUFC looks forward to the new season.

Coaches and captains are planning for a season that will see Wisbech renew rugby contacts with clubs we have not played for a number of seasons. Wisbech RUFC will field 2 senior XVs.

The 2nd XV will play in the newly restructured Eastern Counties Leagues after competing for many seasons in the Norfolk League system. The Club is acquiring a new pitch on National Trust land adjacent to our present pitches.

As with all rugby clubs the main challenges are recruitment and retention of players and finances. Wisbech RUFC is increasingly unique in that it is a town centre club and is the only rugby within a 12 mile radius of the town of Wisbech. We opted to stay in the town centre when the club was redeveloped in the late 1990s. This gives us an opportunity to promote rugby union and the Club to the local community.

Our main sponsor is Elgood’s Brewery who produce their beer 5 minutes’ walk from our Clubhouse.

The next few years provide Wisbech RUFC with an opportunity to grow and progress in all aspects of rugby union. We are planning for community involvement in RWC 2015, particularly with primary schools. We hope to regroup and strengthen our playing squad to return to the London Divisional Leagues and field a 3rd XV. Wisbech RUFC aims to develop as a valuable and vibrant element of the town of Wisbech.


ISSUE 4662

LyDNEy

Brookend, Woolaston, Near Lydney, Gloucestershire GL15 6PJ. Telephone: 01594-529222. E-mail: [email protected]

www.woolastoninn.com

LyDNEyHaving been taken to Lydney RFC, some 40 years ago, by my Father, it is probably accurate to say that the club has remained in my blood ever since.Little did I realise at that time that I would go on to play over 490 games for the first XV and also to captain them for eight seasons.

As a player, coach, referee and now administrator, the intervening years have seen much change, particularly the last 25 or so years, where we have seen the advent of League rugby and the seismic shift when professionalism was introduced.

Having suffered relegation from the National Leagues for the first time in 2012/13, the 1st XV bounced back with a bang this past season, suffering only one defeat all year. The 2nd XV similarly having gained promotion, with the result that, on the playing side at least, the club is on a high. Duncan Bell formerly of Bath and England

will oversee the rugby side for the third season, he has been an asset and his experience has helped the younger players.

Like all rugby clubs however, Lydney is not immune from the two pronged challenge of financial pressure and player recruitment and retention.

The need to constantly maintain the club, ground and facilities pose a huge challenge on a limited budget and much of the work, inevitably, is carried out by volunteers.

The boiler in the changing rooms, which was in situ when I was first taken to the club, is in urgent need of an upgrade and funds must be sought to complete this, vital as it is to the adult, Junior and Mini teams who rely on the facility.

The club has over 200 Mini and Junior members, with ages ranging from Under 6 to Under 18. The Under 11’s were recently crowned Gloucestershire County Champions and will appear in the LandRover Cup at Twickenham following an unbeaten season.

The club was also granted RFU accreditation status in March, a culmination of a lot of effort by the members. Whilst Mini and Junior rugby is important, the adult sides, particularly the 1st Team are the barometer of the clubs success.

Facilitating the transition from Junior rugby is often the most difficult aspect of retaining players, the 2nd team managed this very well last term, but in many ways Under 18 rugby can be a block rather than an aid to development and it can be difficult to obtain fixtures at this level.Some 17 year olds are comfortable playing adult rugby, others need more nurturing, the challenge is always providing the environment, but hoping

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that they don’t leave the game at 18, often having been playing since the age of 6!

Lydney RFC is rightly proud of its heritage and has, over the years, produced many players who have gone on to represent Gloucestershire and England, among them the late Gordon Sargent (who also served as Team manager for many years), Peter Kingston, Chris Williams and Bev Dovey to name a few.

The club also considers itself to be at the heart of its small town community and, as well as rugby, it hosts weekly Bingo evenings and is a venue for skittles, darts and cards teams.

On the field, having just attained promotion, the clubs ambition must be to continue at the National League level, offering both home grown talent and those looking to progress their career, an avenue to higher achievement, perhaps even to join the professional ranks, as we have done in the past.

Article provided by Club Representative Nick Nelmes.


lydNEy


ISSUE 4664

ENFiELD iGNatiaNS

They were first established in 1949 with the aim of providing former pupils of St. Ignatius College with a team to go into.

They have been going well since the turn of the millennium, improving their facilities without any support from external sources.

On the pitch, the team put together a steady campaign last time around, finishing with a record of having won 10 and lost 12 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid-table position with 58 points on the board.

ENFiELD iGNatiaNSEnfield Ignatians RFC plays their home games on Donkey Lane in Middlesex and their first team currently competes in the London 2 North-East Division. They are led by the team of President Martin Baker and Chairman Dave French and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

There were a number of positives to be taken from the season and one of these was the attacking brand of rugby that they managed to produce.

This was evidenced by the fact that they were one of the top scorers in the league, racking up an impressive 670 points.Playing with such style has meant that the team now enjoys a growing reputation in their local area and this should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team. Any supporters attending their matches can be sure that they are going to receive a warm welcome and an enjoyable fixture.

On the pitch, the team put together a steady campaign last time around, finishing with a record of having won 10 and lost 12 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid-table

position with 58 points on the board.

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ISSUE 4666

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Their performances should provide them with a solid platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards the 2014/15 season. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing on up the league.

The club does not focus solely upon their senior section however and this is evidenced by the superb youth set-up that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area they appear to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their youth sides are confident they have a number of players involved with the potential to go on and represent their first team.

The club certainly has a history of producing quality players from their youth ranks. This is backed up by the fact that 6 of their first team captains over the last 20 years have come from their Colts’ and over 70% of their senior sides came through the junior section.

In order to help their youngsters to successfully make the transition into senior level rugby, they also have a number of additional sides. This allows them to give players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having a number of sides is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Enfield Ignatians RFC is a club that has been doing a lot of good work recently and this is thanks to the endeavour of their Committee. Hopefully they will be able to continue the good work that they have been doing for many years to come.

FALKIRKFalkirk RFC plays their home games at Sunnyside in Stirlingshire and they currently compete in the RBS Championship Division A. They are led by Presi-dent Matt Dodd who is supported by Secretary Shane Fullerton and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

ISSUE 4668

FaLkirk

They have enjoyed a considerable amount of progress in recent times and one of the key reasons for this was the appointment of former Scotland Prop John Manson as Club Coach. His work laid the foundations for the success the team has achieved.

These triumphs include winning the Scottish Shield in 2006/07, as well as five consecutive league championships between 2004 and 2008. This was a superb achievement and was duly recognised as such when they were given the SRU Club of the Year 2007/08. The current group of players will be keen to add to their illustrious history over the coming years.

They put together a strong campaign last time around finishing with a league record of having won 13 and lost 5 of their 18 matches. This saw them finish in the top half of the table with 65 points on the board.

The basis for their strong league form was undoubtedly their impressive home form as they managed to win all 8 of their matches. This will have ensured that any of their supporters coming along to watch their matches will certainly have been well entertained and should encourage more of their community to get behind the team.

Although their away record was not bad they will be looking to improve on it in order to enable them to continue to progress. If they are able to do this then they should be in with a good chance of pushing on to mount a title challenge next time around.

The team’s performances from 2013/14 should provide them with a solid base upon which to build as they look to progress over the off-season. They’ll be determined to retain their current group of players and perhaps add one or two quality additions as well. Falkirk is not a club that focuses solely upon their senior section however and they also have a number of youth teams in place. These sides look to provide young players form their local

area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential. It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors are able to develop over the coming years.

In order to help their young players to successfully make the transition into senior level rugby Falkirk also have additional sides running. This allows them to give their youngsters experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Falkirk is a club with a proud history and they appear to be well positioned to achieve more success in the coming years. This is thanks to the superb work that their Committee have been doing and hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come.

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ISSUE 4670

LoWEStoFt & yarmoUth

LoWEStoFt & yarmoUthLowestoft and Yarmouth Rugby Club is a great example of how a club can play a vital role in their local community. Their PR and Communications Manager Sam Jermy took the time to tell us more about the club.

He said, “I have been involved with Lowestoft & Yarmouth for 8 years now, first playing in the U16’s. I went off to University, came back and I have been playing for both the 1st and Development XV’s this most recent season.”

Atmosphere

“Obviously the lads are disappointed with being relegated, but the spirit has been remarkably good considering the tough season and there’s such an inclusive atmosphere right now. The coach (Phil Sharpe) has been hamstrung with a lack of numbers and continued unavailability’s this campaign so Phil and the club have been working extra hard on bringing in reinforcements. We’ve been told to expect an entire South African front row and there might be some Latvians coming again this year.”

Youth

“We have full age groups from minis to under 16’s, and this is something we have always placed emphasis on throughout my time at the club - to sustain a healthy youth section and subsequently reap the benefits when these players develop and are then old enough to move into the senior ranks.”

Community

“We are always looking for local people and companies to come enjoy their hometown club- whether that is in a playing role, as a supporter or maybe vice president or sponsor. We have been offering rugby to the local community since the 1800’s and we hope to be here for many years to come.”

Facilities

Something we are very lucky to have is the vast playing surfaces within our own ground, not a patch of council grass. Our dedicated groundsman and barman Colin plays a bit part in making the playing surface top notch and he quenches the player’s thirsts too! We have three pitches and a cricket green in the middle. Many away sides have commented about the great hosts we are when they come to visit us.”

Challenges

“When we were in London 2 with a very experienced squad of players, we were perhaps eyeing up the upper echelons of this pyramid and thinking in 5yrs we may even be able to break into National League 3 if we continued developing.

A couple of these players are still on our books but a lot have been offered lucrative contracts in the Oil & Gas industry this past year; that is one of the downsides to our coastal location. The forming of a new, younger nucleus of players and the setback of relegation has perhaps knocked a bit of realism into our longer term goals.”

Ambitions

“But we continue to be ambitious and are a progressive club. The youth and minis have enjoyed great success, there are plans to develop a ladies team and just every facet of the club we are working to build up to be as

Pictures by Stuart Young of Holt RFC.

ISSUE 4672

and players coming in and leaving is going to throw the team out, as it will not be a constant team but that’s what we’ll be aiming for.”

Phil Sharpe, Head Coach at Lowestoft & Yarmouth RUFC told us of some of the work they do in the community and what he hopes to achieve with the team in the coming years.

“We have developed an Academy to provide a clearly defined pathway for the players from U15 and up. The senior coaches and players work closely with the Academy players to encourage confidence and a knowledge of senior playing strategies. This approach also allows for the youth to be familiar with the senior players. We cater for all ages and abilities and are keen to be part of the local and wider community.

This sport like so many others needs financial help. The biggest challenge will be to secure continued funding and sponsorship from external parties. We want to climb the league structure, to develop core skills of the youth players and be seen as a community focused, player centred club with highly qualified and driven coaches and committee throughout.”


professional as possible. We have the best possible coach and fitness advice available at this level and first and foremost we want to focus on gaining promoted back to London 2.”

1st XV Scrum half Jed Tearle won last season’s Player of the Year Award and gave us an insight into the playing aspect of the club.

“I think the whole team has grown throughout the season, and especially my own playing style in my first season at 9. I started off playing as a winger, picking and going and rarely passing, but I feel that as I progressed so has my game, using the link of forwards and backs, and my own initiative and vision to confuse opponents. The coach is grand, having helped me through my position change; he is also a great team coach and makes us work for what we want, instead of just saying ‘ah well’.

I believe the mood at the club is high at the moment as we are starting to gel together and train as a unit. Gaining promotion is going to be a tough one, as we have to fight to get it,


SoUth LEiCEStEr

SoUth LEiCEStErSouth Leicester RFC plays their home games at the Welfare Road Ground in Wigston Magna and their first team currently competes in the National League 3 Midlands Division. They are led by the team of Chairman Wayne Marsden and President Brian Kirkpatrick and are looking to progress under their guidance.

Their first team put together a steady campaign last time around, finishing with a record of having won 13 and lost 13 of their 26 matches. This saw them finish the season in a mid-table position with 68 points on the board.

This should provide them with a good platform to build upon as they look ahead towards 2014/15. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of going on to mount a challenge next time around.

As well as having a strong senior set-up, South Leicester also puts a considerable amount of effort into the development of young players. It is with this in mind that they have a number of junior sides which look to provide youngsters with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an

area that South Leicester appears to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their juniors are able to develop over the coming years.In order to help their youth to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one senior side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is much to admire about the set-up that South Leicester has in place and they are clearly heading in the right direction. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come. Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

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ISSUE 4674

rothErham titaNS

Rotherham Titans enjoyed a strong campaign last time around and are keen to build over the summer to ensure that they are able to continue to progress. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Media Manager Tony Jenkinson to find out more.

He started by telling us about the positive atmosphere at the club, saying, “The mood is good, we wanted to retain our squad and recruit early to allow our management team time to breath and recuperate instead of having the hustle and bustle of agents calls and last minute planning so that after the play offs we could fine tune and rest up. We believe we have put together a good squad for the coming season so we feel happy and prepared. We now have to get the boys ready to deliver. We have made some very good additions to our squad and with a little restructuring to our coaching team I think we can build on last year.”

Youth

“Youth is key to us here and Titans have had a knack over the years of finding talent and the biggest contribution comes from Martin Jenkinson who has always worked hard to find the jewels. His experience and drive are a big part of the previous year’s development. We focus on tomorrow and budget for the future so we have a programme of developing players for the following seasons. This will be the foundation for our club for many years to come. Giving youngsters the opportunity to live the dream is a great and when you see them succeeding and enjoying themselves then what better way to enjoy your Saturday.”

Ambition

“Our aim is for success on and off the field whilst remaining financially sustainable. We will build on our strategic relationships at many levels and If we can send more players to the Premiership, develop EQP players improve our package for our sponsors and

supporters then we will be on the right track. Can we go to the premiership? Well who knows but we cannot not support our management team if they give us the opportunity.”

Enjoyment

“Our management team, led by Lee have expectations and we will drive them and create an environment that they can develop and thrive in without stress. If they can enjoy their roles, develop and succeed in what they do then we will have all succeeded. If we can enjoy each other’s company have a laugh and a beer then watch our great game then it will be good. I am sure we will compete this coming season and we will only improve. The next five years will be exciting for all and we will improve and make new friends, have a beer with old friends and look back and think we got it right.”

rothErham titaNS

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riSCa

riSCaBased at the Stores Field on Tredegar Terrace in Caerphilly, Risca RFC competed in the Swalec WRU League Division 3 East last season. They are led by President Phil Harvey who is supported by Secretary Colin Wilks and the club has made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

Indeed, their first team has just enjoyed a fantastic season as they managed to put together a record of having won 19 and lost just 3 of their league matches. This saw them claim the title by a single point which was a superb achievement for the team.

As an ambitious club they will not want to rest on their laurels however and will now turn their attentions towards their next campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in for another successful season.

A particular highlight of the Risca set-up is the superb youth section that they have in place with a number of teams running. This part of the club looks to provide players with a safe and enjoyable environment in which to play the game whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate

and Risca appears to have this area covered. This should allow them to continue to build on the success that they have had this year.

In order to help their players to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby they also have a 2nd team. This allows them to give people experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Risca’s superb campaign is a just reward for all of the hard work that has been put into the club over recent years. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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ShEppEy

ShEppEySheppey RFC play their home games at the Stupple Field on Lower Road in Kent and their first team currently competes in the London 3 South East Division. They are led by President Gerry Lawson who is supported by Treasurer Adrian Barham and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

Last time out it would be fair to say that the team did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked as they put together a record of having won 4 and lost 18 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 21 points on the board.

There were some positives to be taken however and they will now be keen to build on these as they look ahead towards the 2014-15 season. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of some improved results.

One major reason for them to be optimistic for the future is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. Coaching staff overseeing their junior teams are confident that they have a number of players involved with the potential to go on and represent their first team.

In order to help their youngster to successfully make the transition into senior level rugby they also have a development squad. This allows them to give players a clear pathway into the adult game.

Another benefit of having a development side up and running is that it allows their

1sts to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Sheppey’s disappointing season should not take away from the good work that they have been doing in recent times. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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LEiCEStEr tiGErS

LEiCEStErtiGErSLeicester Tigers are known as one of the most successful clubs in England having first been established in 1880. They play their home games at Welfare Road which is due to be expanded to hold 30,000 supporters. They are led by Chairman Peter Tom whilst Richard Cockerill coaches their first team.

They have an illustrious history and were particularly successful in the 90’s, being crowned champions in 1995 and winning the Pilkington Cup in 1997. They also made it to the final of the Heineken Cup, becom-ing the first English team to do so. The club continued their success into the new Millennium when, under the captaincy of Martin Johnson and management of Dean Richards, they won 4 consecutive Premiership titles. In addition to this they claimed the Heineken Cup in back to back seasons defeating Stade Français and Munster in the finals.

In the 2013/14 campaign Leicester put together a strong campaign, finishing with a record of having won 15, drawn 2 and lost 5 of their 22 league matches. This saw them claim 3rd place in the table with 74 points but they were unable to win the knock out stage of the competition. The team will now be focused upon preparing for next season and will be keen to get back amongst the trophies. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of winning back the league title.

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A particular highlight of the team’s play was the attacking brand of rugby that they have managed to produce. In their league fixtures alone they managed to rack up 542 points which certainly meant that their supporters were well entertained.

With a stadium expansion planned it will be vital for supporters to enjoy their match day experience if they are to regularly sell out their venue. If they continue to play the way they did this year then they should have no trouble at all in this regard.

At the end of the campaign the club held their presentation awards where Fijian wing Vereniki Goneva was named Play-ers’ Player of the Year. He told the club’s official website, “To be honest, I don’t know what to say. I am really happy and I thank the team for the award tonight.”

Fly-half Owen Williams, in his first season at the club, was named as their Play-ers’ Young Player of the Year. He told the club’s website, “I’m proud and honoured the boys have voted for me. I’m really

grateful. When I signed I didn’t think the season would go as well as it has for me.”

As one of the biggest club’s in the coun-try the Tigers are also well aware of their role in the community and one example of the good work that they do is the Rugby Camps that they offer which provide kids with a safe and active way to enjoy their holidays.

They run over 50 camps every season covering a number of different ages. Peo-ple participating in the courses receive the best in rugby coaching, a Tigers rugby ball and drinks bottle, free membership to the Junior Tigers Club, a free junior ticket to an allocated home game and a hot lunch and drinks for full-day camp participants.

Leicester Tigers is a terrific club which has achieved a tremendous amount of success in their history. They will be determined to reclaim the Aviva premiership title next season and it would be foolish to count them out based on what they have man-aged to achieve in the past.


SoUtham

Southam RFC plays their home games on Kineton Road in Warks and their first team currently competes in the Midlands 3 West Division. They are led by the team of President Andy Mitchell and Chairman Gary Smith and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

They have achieved tremendous longevity, having last season celebrated their 50th anniversary. They were first founded in 1963 following an advert placed by Bill Hughes in the Leamington Courier. Their first match was played against Coventry Sphinx 3rds and they won in style by 17 points to 3.

They have done a tremendous amount of good work during their history, particularly in their local community where they have been able to help charities such as Myton Hospice, Galanos House and the Air Ambulance. They have also recently formed strong links with Southam College.

Their first team put together a steady campaign last time around as they finished with a record of having won 9 and lost 13 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid-table position in the league with 18 points on the board.

This should provide the club with a solid platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards their 2014-15 campaign. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality signings they will have a good chance of continuing to develop and claim a higher league finish.

Southam have also started to place more emphasis on the

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development of young players in their local area and it is with this in mind that they have set up a Colts team. This side looks to provide people with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and having a colts team should help Southam in this regard. It will

certainly be exciting to watch to see how their young players are able to develop over the coming years.

There is much to admire about the Southam set-up and their Committee have clearly done a good job in running the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come and everyone at Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

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The team plays in black and amber which was decided upon because they were the only shirts the local store had in stock at the time.

One of the club’s most successful periods in their history came in the 1970’s when they managed to win the Hampshire Shield against Jersey in 1975.

During this period they were able to grow their membership and set up some extra sides.In the mid 90’s it was decided by members at the club that they had the potential to achieve a lot and so with the financial support of local entrepreneur Ashley Levett they began to make significant strides forward.

The first team gained success going from the Hampshire One League to London Division One in 4 years.

They were also successful in cup competitions as they won the Hampshire Cup twice in 1998 and 1999.This was part of a double in 1999. The current group of players will be keen to add to this illustrious history over the coming years.

Having won promotion in 2012-13 their last campaign has been a season of consolidation in their new league for Winchester. They put together a solid record, having

Winchester RFC plays their home games at the North Walls Park in Hampshire and their first team currently competes in the London 2 South-West Division. They are led by the team of Chairman Mark Castle and President Rolf Stratford and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.The club was first established in 1929 when a meeting at the Cart and Horses in Kings Worthy led to games being played against local rivals.

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WiNChEStEr

won 9, drawn 1 and lost 12 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish in a safe mid-table position with 47 points on the board.

This should provide them with a good platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards next season. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of pushing on further up the table.

As well as an extremely successful senior set-up, Winchester also has a thriving youth section.

This area of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have

covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their juniors are able to progress over the coming years.

To help their youngsters to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have a number of additional sides running. This allows them to give players experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having so many teams is that it allows their first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is much to admire about the set-up that Winchester has in place and this is thanks to the hard work that has been put into the club. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come.

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Proud to sponsor Winchester RFC


rEiGatE

An opportunity to stand in for a first team second row player presented itself and that ended my lonely days on the wing and there followed 25 years playing for the firsts, primarily as a number 4 or 5 but with occasional forays as an 8. During these years I served long terms on the committee running social and membership activities.

Having left the area I still maintained contacts at the club through a very active “oldies” community and 3 years ago was invited to election as club President.

In the years since my previous involvement with the club there had been a massive change in the structure of the game and this was common to most junior clubs. Most notably mini rugby had arrived and taken on an

incredibly important role within the life of the club, but sadly at the senior level playing numbers had fallen dramatically and Reigate were often challenged to put out 2 teams on a Saturday.

What had not changed was the on-going challenge to make ends meet, to balance the books and to fund necessary improvements to the club house and facilities.

Reigate was fortunate to have a very active and hard working committee making my role as President much easier than anticipated. Sadly however 3 years ago our beloved Chairman John Seymour died but was replaced by our current Chairman Dave Manning who has led from the front, galvanising the committee and players alike.

A friend introduced me to Reigate Rugby Club and I was immediately drawn to the friendly, camaraderie of the club. At that time Reigate was putting out 4 regular senior teams plus a vets team and I enjoyed a first season in the 4th’s playing on the wing, rarely touching the ball and considering a loss by less than 50 points to be a success!

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rEigaTE

Much has been achieved over the past 3 years, committee members have taken on very specific roles and reporting responsibilities enabling the team to better understand our challenges and plan for the future.

A wide range of sponsorships were secured from annual agreements with pubs and local builders to a 3 year commitment from Just Retirement.

The latter deal permitted us to kit out our minis and senior teams and to enable us to re-structure our arrangements with the brewery (a cross many clubs have to bear) and to make much needed improvements to the club house and playing facilities.

The minis, under the keen eyed management of Tom Beresford, have gone from strength to strength and continue to bring a real sense of vitality to the club through the players and their very active parents.

Currently across U5 to U12 age groups the club has 145 active members and 3 years ago became officially affiliated with The Quins, attending regular coaching clinics and most recently taking 140 kids and parents to The Stoop on match day.

In keeping faith with Reigate’s philosophy to ensure rugby is not just played but enjoyed fun events are held through the season and as a grand finale to the recent season took 145 kids and adults to The Isle of Wight Festival.

Financially the minis have been the key to the financial stability of the club both through membership fees and their considerable contribution to social activities such as our recent End of Season Ball.

We actively position The Club as a friendly community club uniquely positioned between the much larger Old Reigations and Dorking clubs and whilst we strive for excellence on the playing field we understand the need to deliver a friendly and not too demanding atmosphere where enjoying the game of rugby is the priority.

As an example of this “cultural” philosophy we have maintained our touring tradition taking over 30 players in recent years to locations including Spain, Scotland, Wales and most recently Croatia.

Bridging the gap between mini and senior rugby has and will always be a major challenge to clubs with so many players being lured away from the game by alternative social demands.


rEigaTE

We have solved this problem by combining our resources with those of The Old Reigatians to create a highly successful Youth team with players free at a later date to choose final club loyalty.

Moving forward we are keen to further develop our facilities and whilst researching funding opportunities have been confronting the very long standing challenge we have faced from local neighbours to planning applications.

As Club President I took on the role of building bridges and soon realised that we had failed in our attempts at communications.

In response over the past 2 years we have involved our neighbours in all our plans, holding regular meetings at the club and as a result have recently had their full approval to a whole range of applications we are soon to submit.

Our new club coach George Daniels is doing a great job with the senior players and we have just concluded a very solid season.

As always we are looking for new members and will soon be commencing our recruitment drive for the 2014/15 season.We actively support ladies and girls rugby but as with many clubs lack the numbers to support a regular team and short term may look to partnering other clubs in the same way we have operated the Youth team.

As a committee we feel very positive about our future, there is a real buzz at The Club that resonates both on and off the pitch and players and supporters alike feel that we have an identity that is unique to the area.

With the forthcoming World Cup in 2015 we are anticipating a real uplift in interest in rugby and feel we are in a strong position to provide first class facilities and opportunities for existing and new players of all ages.

Article provided by Mike Jarvis, Club PresidentTwitter: @ReigateRFCwebsite: www.reigaterugby.co.uk

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CoNEy hiLL

Coney Hill RFC is based at Metz Way in Gloucestershire and their first team currently compete in the South West 1 Division.They are led by the team of President Eddie Rooney and Chairman Simon Harrison and have made a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

The club was first established in 1947 by old soldiers coming back to Coney Hill from Dunkirk.

They have come a long way since their humble beginnings when they played their home games on a local farmer known as ‘Stinger’ Longs land.

He had this nickname as he threw anyone pinching his apples into stinging nettles!They used an old chapel in Arreton Avenue which is now known as Birch Avenue for their changing facility. They used a tin bath for players to get washed in which didn’t perhaps do the best of jobs by the time it had been used by thirty men.

CoNEy hiLLIt would be fair to say that their first team did not perhaps enjoy the start to the season that they would have liked this time around as they finished with a record of having won 3, drew 1 and lost 22 of their 26 matches.

This left them near the bottom of the league with 17 points on the board.

The team is now working hard in order to ensure that they do better next time around. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps freshen things up with a few new signings they should be rewarded with some better performances.

One reason for Coney Hill to be optimistic about the future is the superb youth section that they have in place.

This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

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It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent particularly in the current financial climate.

Coaching staff overseeing Coney Hill’s juniors are confident they have a number of players involved with the potential to go on and represent the club’s 1st team.

In order to help their players to make the sometimes difficult transition into the senior game they also have additional sides running.

This allows them to give them experience of adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one team is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Although Coney Hill did not enjoy the season they would have liked this should not take away from the good work that is going on at the club.

If they continue in the same manner they are sure to experience some better results on the pitch in the coming years.

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Kingsbridge Rugby Football Club – 125 years and still going strong.

The 2014/15 season marks Kingsbridge Rugby Football Club’s 125 year anniversary.

Founded in 1889, KRFC or the Blue and Whites, moved to their current home at High House in 1926, overlooking the South Devon town of Kingsbridge and players now benefit from the use of three floodlit pitches.

During this time, and particularly in the last 10 years, KRFC has grown exponentially, developing thriving mini and junior sections with over 300 players across ten teams from U7 to U16, as well as a strong Colts squad and first and second team senior squads.

The Club’s First XV plays in the Western Counties (West) league, finishing their 2013/14 season in third place and narrowly missing out on promotion.

“Over the years, KRFC has gone from strength to strength and is now a major focal point for the local community and beyond,” says current Chairman, Ian Brooking.“We’re a wholly amateur club, which we’re passionate about, and we’ve always placed great importance on rugby’s core values all the way through the Club.

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The emphasis is on inclusiveness and enjoyment. We’re focussed on ensuring all our players get the most out of the game and the Club at every level – so they stay with us and go on to play for our Colts and senior teams.

Player retention is key and we’re proud that over 80% of our current first team squad have risen through the junior ranks.”

These values are also central to KRFC’s continued success and its future ambitions. In addition to the outstanding performance of the First XV this season, every year the Club’s trophy cabinet is full of silverware brought home by almost every age group from their respective Devon finals.

The Honours Board reflects a long list of players who have gone on to play representative rugby for their county, their country and today’s Premiership clubs.

Success on the field and in the development of each and every player is backed by a programme of continual investment in playing facilities, coaching standards and the Club’s social environment.

Kingsbridge was one of the first clubs in Devon to be awarded the RFU’s Whole Club Seal of Approval and is recognised as a SportsMark club by Sport England.

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kiNGSBriDGE

“In the last three years, we’ve invested over £200,000 in improving our facilities,” says Brooking. “Over the next few years we plan to spend a further £500,000 developing the social space in the clubhouse, building new changing rooms, creating a new car park and replacing floodlighting.

This will require major fundraising but it’s essential for the future of the Club that our players and members have access to the best possible facilities. KRFC is much more than a rugby club – it’s a big family – and we want to ensure that everyone who’s involved with that family values the experience.”

Like any amateur organisation, KRFC depends on the hard work and financial support of all its volunteers and sponsors to sustain the Club and move it forwards.

There is, however, one person who stands out for their unerring dedication to this South Devon club, having given 25 years of service as Secretary. Martin Newman was honoured at this year’s Annual Dinner with a much-deserved award for all his efforts and commitment to the Club – a fitting tribute from a very grateful club.

“We’re proud to be 125 this year,” continues Brooking. “We’ve achieved a lot on the way but we’ve got great plans for the years ahead.

Thanks to all the players and the countless people who work behind the scenes to make this Club special, we can celebrate our past and look forward to an even brighter future.”

ISSUE 4694

mELkSham

5 Magister Road, Bowerhill,Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 6SD.

01225 700952 / 07760 296977

[email protected]

The Club has to date developed on a site in the centre of Melksham alongside Melksham House, on land owned by Cooper Avon Tyres which has now been sold to the local council and we are to be relocated to a brand new facility on the other side of town (2015/2016 season).

The Rugby Senior section has 3 regular teams. The 1st XV play in Dorset & Wilts Division One North, the 2nd XV play in D&W 2 North and the 3rds in D&W 3 North with an occasional Vets XV as well.

The Rugby Junior section runs all age levels from age group U7’s to a Colts XV at U18’s. The Colts XV plays in the Dorset & Wilts U18 league. There are also 2 girl’s teams playing at U15 & U18 level.

The Club is built around the community, which means that we involve/include players of all abilities (ie) no elite squads. Through this approach, we seek to ensure that each player reaches his or her full potential.

We have had some success in balancing these aims by encouraging involvement in County Squads which has led to Regional and National selection. For example, this season we have five players playing regularly for Bristol and Bath Academy teams (2008/9 season).

We focus on developing players’ self-confidence, team spirit, strength and stamina and by the nature of the game we also develop discipline and respect for authority.

We work with all local primary and secondary schools. This includes supporting staff with team training and running inter school competitions.

Club Representative Mark Simmons took the time to tell us more, saying, “I have been involved with the since 1980 and have served as a player/captain and as coach.

Melksham Rugby Club is affiliated to the RFU and was formed in 1978 and celebrated its 25th year in 2003. The Junior section was formed in 1993. The Club now has more than 300 + regular players comprising of 80+ in the Senior section and 220 + in the Junior section.

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The mood here is good at the moment; we have a great set of youngsters coming through our mini and juniors setup, a dedicated set of volunteers. Youth rugby is extremely important as this promotes the community and helps to grow the club.

To help them progress to the senior set up the colts are encouraged to play and train with seniors when of age and senior players help with colts training.

We currently have 6 boys representing the county in our junior section. Mike Brown Harlequins & England, Chris Brooker ex Bath and Harlequins currently Worcester and Danny Wells of Henley Hawks have all played rugby in our junior section.

The biggest challenge for us is moving to a new facility and becoming self-sufficient. We want to produce a team that can get promotion to southern countries level rugby and sustain it with high quality coaching and a stream of good youngsters feeding through from the juniors.”

ISSUE 4696

moSBoroUGh

Atmosphere

He said, “The general mood in the Club is always good. Despite any setbacks we seem to encourage members who generally have a positive outlook and influence.

Season 2013/14 has been a very frustrating one for the senior sides but even though, for a small period of time heads were down, the last few games of the season brought about that position otherwise we could have been relegated with 2 games to play.

An indicator of our Clubs resilience is that even during these tough times the first and second XV’s combined to get through to the Final of The South Yorkshire Bowl, a midweek tournament played at the end of each season. Despite losing the lads put up a great performance.”

Youth

“Within the junior section the mood is fantastic. The section is ever expanding both in numbers and age groups, with our U12 team recently winning the Annual Bakewell Tournament without conceding a single try, our U16 getting to the final of the Yorkshire Shield (again), and our U10 side going the full season unbeaten.

The simple answer is that youth rugby is massive for us. Having been at the Club for 29 of its 30 years I know the Club is now centred around ‘home grown’ talent.After a merger some 8 years ago with a local Rugby League Club, and subsequently converting the lads to Rugby Union, the feed of players has been great, so much so that approximately 70-75% of our current First XV have come through our Junior system. We are fully aware that we don’t have the ‘name’ to attract many gifted players so we have to do what we do best, we produce them ….”

Community

“We consider ourselves the sporting heart of our community. The Club started as old boys from the local Westfield Comprehensive School (our Club motto, Res Non Verba meaning Deeds Not Words, is the old school motto) and the vast majority of our senior players are from within 3-4 miles of the Clubhouse.

Mosborough RUFC saved themselves from relegation on the last day of the season and is centred around the production of home grown talent. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with their Club Captain and Head Coach Mick Addey to find out more about their approach.

moSBoroUGh

In the past we have run the village bonfires, and gala days, recently having raised over £7500 for Sheffield Weston Park Cancer Hospital.

At present, Mosborough RUFC are highly involved in taking on a lease for the old Westfield School site from Sheffield City Council in order to get funding to maintain the area as sports pitches for the Local Community users, (2 rugby pitches, 7 football pitches and an archery area).”

Facilities

“In general our home venue does get good reports with regards facilities, bar area, food and being made to feel welcome, (something that we at Mosborough RUFC instil in all our members, ‘make people feel welcome – not uncomfortable’).

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We are always looking to improve facilities as best we can but with the land and buildings being owned by a Miners Welfare we are very limited, however, we have a great relationship with the Miners Welfare and we have been resident here for around 20 years.”

Ambitions

“From the senior perspective I would say our main ambition is promotion of the first XV to Yorkshire 3.

From the junior perspective, first and foremost, we want to continue putting the kids at the forefront of what we do.

Sunday mornings are not for the coaches and parents, it is for the kids, this is something our junior section does very well and long may it continue. It would be great if, in five years time, we had a full house of age groups running from U5–U17 … that would make me smile.

Off the pitch we hope to succeed in gaining the land lease previously mentioned as that would help us move forward to develop a new junior pitch and fully floodlit training area – a project

which we are being supported in by the RFU (Alex Bowden) and Sheffield City Council.

But most of all – we must continue to be an honest, welcoming, caring Club that, despite all its restrictions, behave fairly and professionally – putting the players and members first above all else. Anyone can join the Mosborough RUFC ‘Family’ … all you have to do is knock on the door and ask.”

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ISSUE 4698

SUDBUry

Their first team put together a promising campaign last time out as they finished with a record of having won 14 and lost 8 of their 22 matches. This saw them finish near the top of the table with a total of 67 points on the board.

A particular highlight of the team’s play throughout the season was their commitment to playing an attacking brand of rugby.

They finished amongst the top scorers in the league having racked up an impressive 593 points.

This certainly meant that any supporters attending their matches were well entertained and should encourage more of the local community to get behind the team in the coming years.

They now enjoy a growing reputation for playing the game the right way and this will help them to attract quality players to the club.

Their good performances will give them a superb platform upon which to build as they look ahead towards next season.

Sudbury RUFC plays their home games at Whittome Field in Suffolk and their first team currently competes in the London 3 North East Division. They are led by the team of President Richard Pearce and Chairman Bob Waller and the club is making a considerable amount of progress under their guidance.

SUDBUry

As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they will have a good chance of mounting a title challenge.Sudbury is not a club to focus solely upon their senior section however and they also have a fantastic youth set-up in place.

This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to watch to see how their youth are able to progress over the coming years.

In order to help their youngsters to successfully make the transition into the senior game they also have a 2nd team running.

This allows juniors looking to make the break through with an opportunity to play adult level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Sudbury is clearly a well run, ably administered establishment that plays a vital role in their local community. Hopefully they will be able to keep up the good work that they have been doing for many years to come and Rugby Club Magazine wishes them the best of luck.

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ISSUE 46100

WELLS

Involvement

“I moved to the area due to my wife (former England Women’s wing Pip Atkinson) deciding to take up a job as Director of Sport and at the same time allow us to look after her Mother.

I had coached at Bedford, Exeter, Worcester and Bristol, before short stints more locally at Bournemouth and North Dorset, when Wells approached me.

In the three seasons since then, Wells have achieved great things and hopefully someone with my experience has helped a mainly young squad achieve 2 promotions and the Nat Senior Vase victory at Twickenham in that time.”

The Role

“The key challenge is actually keeping the players motivated! They are a challenging lot and yet I had the feeling when I first joined that most were happy with playing local Somerset Rugby – indeed, the club had never played anywhere else!

Achieving r/up spot in Western Cos (N) was far higher than many expected and although we lost the P/Off to Bideford, we made no mistake this season, winning Southern Cos (S) with three matches to spare.

That league had 4 competitive teams in it and we fell off our normal high standards towards the end, when others had more to play for. We will need to get back to high levels pretty quick now we are in SW1.”

Wells RFC is based at Charter Way in Somerset and is set to compete in the Tribute South West 1 Division. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the club’s Director of Rugby Peter Kennedy to find out how they are getting along.

WELLS

Atmosphere

“On and off the field the mood is good and I would say excited! We have a ground move hopefully being approved – could take another couple of years to start building.

The Colts are now very much a part of the senior set up, with last year’s Colts skipper now the 2nd XV V/Capt – Will Greenman.

The 2s will be skippered by Tom White who will certainly lead by example, being a member of the 1st XV Squad.

Jake Knight takes up the 1st XV Captaincy having won both the Player and Player’s Player of the Year Awards and made his County Championship debut for Somerset in May and will be supported by Alex Payne who had an outstanding season and won Supporters Player of the Year.”

Integration

“As I mentioned, we have changed the emphasis on rugby in the club for 16yr olds and above. They do a pretty tough pre-season and the first 8 to 10 weeks of the season in age groups and then we look to move those who are eligible and capable upwards. The vast majority of the current 1st XV came up through the Junior ranks, so the model was there, but will hopefully only get better in the future.”

Community

“We are a community club in every sense of the word – Minis to Juniors to Colts to Seniors plus our growing Girls set up – all excellent stuff.


wEllS

We also have links with schools such as Wells Blue, Wells Cathedral, King’s Bruton and Downside but geographically speaking it is difficult for us.”

Commercial

“We have an outstanding group of people who are volunteers actively looking at raising sponsorship.

This has generated literally tens of thousands of pounds in the last 3 years and continues to amaze me. Being successful on the field often leads to crowds of around 3-400 turning up!”


“SW1 is a massive step up for us. We acknowledge we will be playing against clubs who have Premiership Academy players dual registered, Overseas Players and Coaches and budgets far greater than ours.

But we have pride in the club badge and ethos and if we front up as we did in Western Counties against the likes of Hornets (Weston super Mare) we will give a number a fright.

We want to achieve stability in SW1 and who knows we may even win the Somerset Senior Cup sometime soon – if it is still played!”

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ISSUE 46102

Erith

Involvement

He started by telling us about his involvement with the club, saying, “I’ve been Chairman at the club for just under 12 months. I felt that it just needed pushing in the right direction and we’ve had more ups than downs so far.

The club needed to be run in a professional manner and I think that we’re getting there now which should help us to reach our full potential.

The biggest challenge so far has been generating funding to make the club a more viable proposition for people to use. The doors for funding are firmly shut until you demonstrate to the RFU and the governing

Erith Rugby Club are a team that have a made a tremendous amount of progress recently, putting into place a terrific set-up off the field. Rugby Club Magazine caught up with the club’s Chairman Eric Shuttleworth to find out more about the terrific work that they have been doing.

Erith

bodies that you are prepared to back your club as a whole.”

Progress

“The last few months have been great. We’ve got a lot of people within the club who have some great ideas because everyone’s pulled together and the funding is starting to come into the club.

That’s not just my doing, that’s thanks to everyone coming forwards with ideas and we’ve got a fantastic team behind the scenes now. Everybody’s come to the fore and helped the club to move forwards.”


EriTh

Youth

“I took the decision to fund a coach going into schools out of my own pocket and through that the RFU have backed us.

We put a coach into the local school in Novem-ber/December time ourselves and because of that the RFU funded a day at the club for people from the school to come along and see what we do at the club and how we operate.

For me that was the start of what’s happening now. We’ve earned funding from the RFU to go into 3 schools in our area and with that we’ve seen an increase in the numbers in our juniors and minis.

Bringing through young players is very impor-tant to us.

We’ve only got one senior team in place but with the enthusiasm that everyone is showing we’re starting to attract new players.”

Facilities

“We don’t stand still. I am happy with what we have now but we want to improve when we can. There are plans to change the configuration of

the club to enable us to rent out the facilities to open up an additional source of revenue. You’ve got to speculate to accumulate.”

Ambitions

“Over the next 5 years I would like to see the junior section thriving. Hopefully the players will come through the ranks to represent the senior team to push the club forwards.

Financially I want the club to be buoyant and not have to worry about whether we can afford what we want to be put in place.

We’ve pushed the club forwards over the last year and are looking good with sponsorship details in place for the new season.

In 5 years’ time hopefully this will be a thriving club which attracts players without having to go out and hunt for them.

So long as everyone is enjoying their rugby we know we’ll be doing something right.”

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ISSUE 46104

WivELiSComBE

It would be fair to say that they did not perhaps enjoy the campaign that they would have liked last time around.

Their league form was disappointing and they ended up finishing twelfth in the table which would have been lower than they would have hoped.

The team will now be looking towards next season and will be keen to put in some better performances.

As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should have a good chance of claiming a higher league finish.

Wiveliscombe Rugby Club plays their home games on West Road in Somerset and they currently compete in the Somerset Premier League. They are led by Chairman Peter Rawson who is supported by Secretary Arthur Moore and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

WivELiSComBE

One of the standout features of the Wiveliscombe set-up is the superb youth section that they have in place.

This part of the club looks to provide young players with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment whilst helping them to reach their full potential.

It is important for any club to be able to produce their own talent, particularly in the current financial climate and this is an area that they appear to have covered.

With the first team not performing as hoped, bringing through some youngsters may prove to be the perfect way to reinvigorate the side.

In order to help these players to make the sometimes difficult transition into senior level rugby they also have a reserve team running.

This allows them to give young players experience of the adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action which can be an important step in the development process.

Although Wiveliscombe did not enjoy the season that they would have liked this time around this should not take away from the

good work that they have been doing in recent times, particularly in relation to the

development of young players.


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Another benefit of having an extra side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth.

If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or suspension then they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Although Wiveliscombe did not enjoy the season that they would have liked this time around this should not take away from the good work that they have been doing in recent times, particularly in relation to the development of young players.

Hopefully they will be able to continue in the same manner for many years to come.

ISSUE 46106

WaNStEaD

Involvement

“I moved to the Wanstead area five years ago and just turned up to training not long after I moved in. From that day forward I was made to feel incredibly welcome. We are very much “one club” from top to bottom, minis to the first team and the management.

By that I mean there are no cliques within the club and no barriers to progression within the club.

Since I joined I’ve played for all three senior sides (as well as a cameo for the vets!) and in that time I’ve been 3rd team captain, fixtures secretary and now club secretary as I start my sixth year as a club member. My experience is proof of the club ethos.

Atmosphere

“It is really buzzing here. We’ve just had two very successful tours, the seniors to Benidorm and the juniors to the Isle of White.

Our senior’s coach who will be starting his second season is putting together big plans for the future and everyone is very excited to see what the future holds. I would say that team sprit has never been higher.”

Wanstead RFC is a great example of a club that plays a vital role in their local community. Their club’s Secretary Will Fisher took the time to tell us more about the good work that they have been doing.

WaNStEaD

ISSUE 46108

WaNStEaD

Youth

“Youth rugby is very important to us. We run teams at all age grades with active recruitment from local schools. We have a lot of very promising young players who are starting to feed through to the seniors.

Our third team is very much a development team. This season we won our merit table plate match with 6 players aged 17 or 18, and I for one have really enjoyed playing alongside an excellent crop of young players this year.

I’m certain that they will all progress into the seconds and the first team in due course – we’ve another similarly talented group of lads coming through next season so I hope there is still space for me in the team!

I think key to success is bringing peer groups through together, have them train with the seniors then come match day have them play alongside their mates and some of the more experienced guys they train with. It’s worked really well for us this year.”

Community

We are absolutely a community establishment. The bulk of our members are from the local area and we’re always looking for new players of any age or standard.

With a thriving youth section fielding teams at all age groups, we provide an excellent focal

point for the local community. The club house is frequently used for weddings, funerals and birthdays, making it a community resource.

We have a link with Saracens as well. Part of this link allowed us to have Allianz Park as our home ground for one match this season, which was a great day out for everyone! We hope to repeat this next season and get more teams involved.”


“Translating excellent team spirit, facilities and coaching into consistent squad selection and performances across the club is a big challenge at a fully amateur club like ours. We know we have the potential to succeed and the key challenge is turning that into reality.

Our first team is aiming for promotion to London NE 2. This season we beat the teams who finished top so we know we can do it if we improve our consistency. The new patterns of play that the coach introduced last season are giving the great attacking foundation.

We’ve put in two new floodlights with a view to having a fully floodlight exhibition pitch. I can’t wait to see our first evening fixture! On the juniors front, we’re targeting greater outreach and exploring new ways to introduce kids to rugby. We’re planning to double our mini/midis numbers which is crucial to the development of the juniors and of course the seniors in the long term.”


irviNE

First established in 1962, Irvine RFC is based at the Irvine Community Sports Club on Marress Road in Ayrshire and they currently compete in the RBS West League Division 1. They are led by President Gary Auld who is supported by Secretary Derek Murdoch and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

They put together a steady campaign last time around, finishing with a record of having won 7, drawn 1 and lost 10 of their 18 matches. This saw them finish in a mid-table position with 33 points on the board.

This should provide them with a solid platform to build upon as they look ahead to the 2014-15 season. So long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they should be in with a good chance of claiming a higher league finish next time around.

One of the stand-out features of the Irvine set-up is the superb youth section that they have in place. This part of the club looks to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent if they are to be successful, particularly in the current financial climate. Coaching staff overseeing their youngsters are confident that a number of them have the potential

irviNE

to go on and play for the club at senior level.

In order to help their juniors to make the sometimes difficult transition into the adult game Irvine has a 2nd team running as well. This allows them to give players experience of senior level rugby even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

There is much to admire about the Irvine set up and their hard work behind the scenes should help them to be successful on the field in the coming years. Either way everyone at Irvine is sure to continue to enjoy taking part in the game and Rugby Club Magazine would like to wish them the best of luck.

George McDowall, the Clubs Honorary President said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the clubs supporters and sponsors for their on-go-ing support as well as all the players for their work and effort on the pitch and all the achievements for the season.I would also like to say thank you to all the com-mittee members for their dedication to the club and to the support from our business as a proud sup-porter.”

ISSUE 46110

StrEatham- CroyDoN

StrEatham-CroyDoN

Streatham-Croydon RFC are a club with some exciting plans for the future and have recently announced a new coaching structure for next season that they hope will continue the recent development of the club and power them toward promotion.

They are a level 11 club in Surrey 3, and feel the wrong type of ambition will not do them any good. Club representative Jeff Greenleaf took the time to tell us more, saying, “If we are truly to live and breathe our future self as a really developed and engaged community club, then we need to start to create the environment we want in 5 years’ time now.

It doesn’t change overnight, it takes time and patience. And so we have to create the bedrock and foundations that will bring this club and its community together.”

Involvement

“I’ve been involved since the mid 1980’s when I moved into the area. It was one of my local clubs and they didn’t insist that I had played for a school to be able to join them unlike other local clubs at the time. I am involved in developing the community links and increasing the usage of our Ground and facilities.

We are a few hundred yards away from where the Croydon riots took place and it is one of the very few green areas locally. We

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are lucky enough to own the land and thus are able to maximise community use as well as playing rugby.”

Atmosphere

“The mood at the club is positive and despite a poor season on the pitch we are consistently putting out 3 senior sides and both the ladies section and Mini/juniors are seeing growth. We have a great coaching team in place for next season so the only way is up.”

Community

“We are absolutely a community club and we work with a number of groups in the area including The sport for Social Change Network http://sscnlondon.org.uk and community Action zone http://communityactionzone.org, both of which we are partners with that have introduced us to several groups such as the Zesh Rehman Foundation http://www.zeshrehmanfoundation.org and the London Warriors American Football team http://www.londonwarriorsafc.co.uk who regularly work use the ground.

We also work closely with Croydon Volunteer Action http://www.cvalive.org.uk and The British Asian Rugby Association http://www.bararugby.com/default.asp.” We are also employing community coaches who will be delivering rugby programmes in schools from September and are focusing on girl’s programmes in particular. Our

community links were fully recognised by several organisations that have funded the redevelopment of our changing rooms to the tune of £360k.”


“The financial problems of running a rugby club will always be around but the biggest issue is stopping the drop off in people playing rugby regularly throughout the season. Over the coming years we want to have 4 regular men’s senior sides every week, a regular ladies team and girls and boys rugby throughout the age groups.”

ISSUE 46112

hartLEpooL

It would be fair to say that they did not perhaps enjoy the season they would have wished for last time around as they finished with a record of having won 8 and lost 16 of their 24 matches. This saw them finish near the bottom of the table with 35 points on the board.

With the season now over Hartlepool will be keen to have a good off season in order to put them in a position to improve next time around. As long as they are able to retain their current group of players and perhaps make one or two quality additions they’ll have a good chance of claiming a higher league finish.

Hartlepool is not a club that focuses solely upon senior rugby however and this is reflected by the fact that they have a number of youth teams in place. These teams look to provide young players from the local area with an opportunity to play the game in a safe and enjoyable environment.

It is important for any team to be able to produce their own talent if they are to be successful and this is an area that they appear to have covered. It will certainly be exciting to see how their youngsters are able to develop in the coming years.

In order to help their juniors successfully make the transition into senior level rugby Hartlepool also has a 2nd XV running. This allows them to give players experience of the

First established in 1893, Hartlepool RFC is based at Mayfield Park in Durham and their first team currently competes in the Durham and Northumberland Division 2. They are led by President John Bradley who is supported by Treasurer Keith Dobson and the club is looking to progress under their guidance.

hartLEpooL

Established in 2010, Hartlepool Training & Employment are a prominent, fast-growing Training & Recruitment provider with multiple offces throughout the North East.

We provide training and staffng solutions to both small business and multinational companies throughout the UK, covering all sectors from Engineering & Construction through to Sales and Business.

WWe have a passion for people and creating winning partnerships with our clients in order to create excellent working relationships. The team come from various industry and sales backgrounds and each have their own area of expertise and knowledge that we apply to all aspects of our business.

adult game even if they are not yet considered ready for first team action.

Another benefit of having more than one side is that it allows the first XV to benefit from far greater strength in depth. If they are ever left short on numbers through injury or work commitments they have the option of calling players up with a limited amount of disruption.

Although Hartlepool has just endured a disappointing season this should not take away from the good work that has been getting done at the club. Hopefully they will be able to continue to play an important role in their local community for many years to come.

rugby club magazine issue 46

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